Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-12-15
The EverlastingW Whisper
CHAPTER XI-Continued

che went anead and began TO clam
Der down the cliffs. Halfway down
she wondered why he was not follow
Ing. She looked up just 1t time to see
him, standing at the mouth Of the
cave, ciutching a heavy bag; he had
been tying the mouth of It. Now he
cast 1t outward so that 1t fell, rolling
and dropping to disappear at last In
the snow-bank below. And then he
began, though hesltantly, to follow
her.
That's one thing Mark King won't
get" he announced with emphasis. At
last he stood beside her In the snow.
THAT bagful Is mine There's a for
tune In It, and It's NINE"
His avarice disguised her. Just now
the thought of gold sickened.
we are wasting Time" she remind
ed him.
He followed her to the cave, casting
a last look behind him.
Gloria was trying to put out the
fire, II III fortune should lead Brodie's
crowd here, 1t would be just as we'll II
they found no smoldering sticks to tell
them that the fugitives could not be
far off. She called to Grafton to help
her.
Maybe. he said thoughtfully, I'D
better bring that bag In here and
hide IT,"
NO." she said. Leave 1t where 1t
IS. We must hurry back to the other
cave
But he grew stubborn over II. Heed
less Of her representations, he left her
~extinguishing the fire and went back
for the gold. He appeared, dragging
the heavy sack after him, and disap-
peared swiftly, going into the deeper
dark OF the further end of the cave.
What a treacherous, thieving, petty
animal he was
She started and Whirled about.
There was a new sound In the air. a
low humble. q vague murmur. Mems
voices. Her first thought was of
King then she knew that 1t was too
soon for him to have gotten out Of the
mountains, found assistance, and re-
turned.
Gloria whirled again, this time
toward the dark into which Grafton
had gone. Blindly she hurried after
him clutched at his sleeve.
Listen! T. she whispered. "They are
sutside. They have followed your
The voices came nearer, rose higher.
Grafton began to shake as with q ter
rible chill.
If they find me-oh, my Cd, Ii
they find me-They killed a man they
thought had the bacon-I had 1t all the
timeI My Cd, Gloria. If they find
me-"
SSH" she commanded. BE still
Maybe they will 60 by"
Two or three men out there were
speaking at once; then all were silent.
The silence lasted so long that Gloria
began to breathe again. Surely, sure
ly Brodie and his men had gone
Then again came Brodie's deep, sim
lister voice:
Back this way, boys he shouted.
"He's gone In here. We've trapped
the dirty white rat"
Grafton, had he been left to his own
devices, would have stood stock-still
where he was, frozen to the ground In
terror. Gloria tugged at him, whis-
pering over and over: ''They are COM
ing Don't you hear them? Quickl
we must try TO hide
AT last he seemed to awaken from q
trance; he started and began hurrying
with her, crowding by her. stumbling
on ahead In the darkness, seeking the
caves unfathomed depths OF darkness.
Gloria, looking back, saw Brodie's
great bulk outlined against the snow
outside. He came in; she saw his
rife: his figure was absorbed In the
shadows. She saw other men follow
ing him how many she did not know.
She had bumped into a wall Of rock.
They could go no further. This was
the end. Brodie shouted: "GrattnnI
Better step out lively like a man now.
We got you anyway" Then he be-
gan to gather the scattered frewood;
4 match 1ared In his hand; his face
lenped out OF the dark like a devils.
Glorin's heart sank In despair; she felt
as though she were going to faint.
But all the time her hands had been
cropping. AT the moment when she felt
that her knees were giving way under
her, she found where an arm of the
cave continued, narrow, slanting up
ward steeply, cluttered with blocks of !
stone. she tugged at Gratton's sleeve;
she crent into this place and felt him
close behind her, croWding, trying to
press by her. She gave way briefly,
felt him scrape past, and began crawl
Ing, following. A few feet further on
they came to the end of the tunnel.
They were In a pocket with no outlet
save the way they had come. She
stood, turned toward the front of the
cave, and waited.
sect a fire going, boys" Brodie's
rumbling bass was calling. 1.-THE little
Ekunk's run to a hole, TELL smoke
him out"
Brodie lighted his fire. The other
nen-dully she counted them now;
there were five OF them all told-were