The Washington times., 1935-01-29

already hurrying to gain the
top of the Barrier while the
rest held him captive in his
narrow place of concealment.
He looked at his watch. A
half hour more of security.
BY that time they would be
directly above him, armed with
high-powered rifles, then a volley
of shots, and the long pursuit
would be done.
Strangely, he felt little emo
ton. He had done his best
and lost. Reaching awkwardly
in his pocket with his Stiffen-
ing arm, he lighted a cigarette,
and as he smoked his eyes
scanned every foot of the cliff.
Was there any way of climb
ing higher in search of a more
protected place? His hand
reached up, grasping a small
ledge-like protrusion in the
newly blasted rock, and slowly,
painfully, he pulled himself up
ward, but scarcely had his feet
left the ground when, with a
low rumble and a rattle Of
stones the fractured face of
limestone fell away beneath his
touch. Half blinded by dust
and debris, Dick staggered back,
and as the air cleared he
caught sight Of a small opening
revealed by the crumbling stone.
With quickened pulse Dick
kneeled and reached inside, but
his cropping hand touched moth
ing. Rapidly he kicked away
the broken fragments, then
dropping upon hands and knees,
thrust his way into the black
ness of that rocky hole.
Once more hope filled his
breast. Here at least was pro-
lection from the peril that
threatened from the Barriers
rim. He looked about him. No
faintest ray of light. He lis
tened. From outside muffled
and distant voices were calling,
as if at last his pursuerS had
cast aside all caution in their
desperate effort to run him to
earth. Reaching down, he
picked up great handfuls of
crumbled rock and fresh debris
from the blasting, scattering it
before the entrance to obliter-
ate any tracks that might be
left outside, then carefully
crushed the cigarette and
thrust it in his pocket. Breath.
less he waited, but the voices
came no nearer, and at last
died away.
One Chance
Slowly the minutes passed
and once the sound of re-
newed shouting came floating
down to his hiding place, tell
ing him the men had reached
the top. of the Barrier, and
there in the darkness he
smiled. They would find moth
ing from up there, and in this
narrow hiding place he could
hold out against a thousand
at least for a time
Darkness. still hours away,
was his only chance.
Cramped in every muscle
from his strained position,
Dick edged his way further
back, expecting each second
that his cropping hands would
encounter the limits of his
rocky shelter, but to his sur.
prise the place opened out, be-
came larger, until now he could
stand upright, and at last
reach out with widespread
arms, he touch neither side.
Family, as he stood there, he
felt a cool draft moving past
4AIAA' COII1141S uOI 1COm Cne en-"
trance but from somewhere out
Of the blacknesS beyond, and
lighting a match, Dick looked
down upon the smooth stone
floor of a fisSure leading di-
rectly into the very heart of
the Barrier. Again that cool.
elusive current of air brushed
by him, and when the
match burned out he peered
about, expecting to find some
faint gleam Of light from above,
but only inky blackneSS and
utter silence encompasSed him.
Ito be Continued
Copyright, 1884. BY TOaa GIL. Distributes
by King Features Syndicate. Inc.