Henderson daily dispatch., 1935-06-20
CHAPTER 10

FOR A MOMENT. panic gripped
Val as he lay pinned under the tree
trunk Then. even as his heart
thudded with growing apprehension
he fought for Composure. Get the
estimate OF the situation Just keep
his finger on his number and he'd
figure some way out Of this mess
He tried grimly to wTggle the rest
ot his body through the narrow space
beneath the tree trunk but his slim
rips were jammed tightly. FOO, his
fettered foot was held so rigidly and
there was so little knee room that
this defeated the attempt to slide
through even had the space per
mittsd.
That vain effort abandoned, he ex-
erted every muscle to gain some
space, even to lift the mass that
pinned him down. Ii moved not an
nCh. a rock out crop barred all
thought of digging. His desperate
eyes circled his radius CT vision.
Then, at the full realization that he
was caught like an animal in trap.
sanity deserted him. Dripping with
SN eat IIG Sll uS : leu ubNll IIIS
were bruised and bleeding, his
strength spent.
For a long time he lay exhausted
and with eyes closed. Presently ne
began 10 chill. = passing breeze
touched his lacerated cheek where
e3ral nails mad slit four red paths,
and he lifted weary lids. His breath
nh nf
wind swept back the branch of
bush so that he had a momentary
view of the cabin.
Now his heart leaped with new
hope He had forgotten that Lila was
near! She would hear him ard
hasten to his rescued She could CUT
the tough rawhide lace. pry the roots
apart and free mis- boot from this
strap. RE commenced to shout
But he was rewarded with no sign
ot life there! 1t was q while before
re realized that the rising wind came
from the wrong direction and carried
his calls away instead OF toward the
clearing After that he fell silent.
whenever the bushes blew aside
his tortured gaze fastened on the
cabin ana then. after weary aeons
II waiting. he was revivified by the
sight OF iiJ'S small figure emerging
from tte doorway. He could see that
she was smoking and as she began
70 pace back and forth, pausing fire.
qnenIN 10 gaze down the lake. he
suessed that she was already ner-
vous over his prolonged absence.
roor k.d. what if she should still be
alone wheG niaht descended? He
commenced TO shout frantically but
though she paused a time or two.
size seemed not 20 hear his cries.
She had come to the edge Of the
steps. Suddenly his breath stopped
IN MS ,hroat when ne watched her
take last drag of her cigaret. then
.oss the stub carelessly into the
NearhN brush Good God. she had
heard ToWner's repeated warning
about fire. Yet ii was possible she
had thrown q dozen # those deadly
smolderins challenges INTO The dry
grass since he had left the cabin If
blaze s,arted they We're both
doomed Fresh panic seized him
RE cried out and struggled IL o
frenzy Of madness
MtnuteS passed on leaden fees and
tre~ 10 hours There were spaces
when his mind was not clear. He
Wta na4erd bv thirst. The ache Of
Lis cTamped body was almost un-
hsarah- The tree was a devil tnat
held nim he thought wildly He had
violated The seCmsion Of the forest
ana aCH this uprooted. dying thing
Ead trapped MIN. its bark mad torn
his hands. ii pinioned MIN while it's
living comrades hemmed about 10
mulTle his cries and stare evilly. AS
the shadows deepened. mis- terror OF
ths forest grew. Whispering-pa-
Uently waitins-the giants closed IN
10 witness his undong. They bent
nearei 10 watch him slowly perish in
5iGht of help
IN more rational moments re