The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-11-23
CAST OF CHARACTERS

plorer.
Observation-Disclosures Bar.
rvs partner.
HONEY BEE GIRL-lndian ;
member of Barry's party.
HADES JONES-pionecr; MEM
Der Barry's party.
Yesterday: Bob begins his ex-
ploration Of Defiance Castle,
drops down over the overhanging
cliff and is unable to get back
again! He must do something
quickly.
CHAPTER V
To the three people below
Robert Barry looked like a toy
doll, a pupprt, dangling on the
end of the rope stretching GOO
feet or more above them.
What in tarnation'S he tryin'
to do" shrickcd Hades Jones,
HadcS was jumping around and
chattcring more excitcdly than
either Of the two girls. Mary Me-
liSSa looked CENTRALIZED.
"Oh, | don't know! It's awful.
Mr.. Jones. Can't you make him
stop? Is it necessary TO risk his
life this way"
Bob was going through some
sort of queer cOntortionS now. He
appeared TO have Topped the rope
around his foot, and to be start.
ing a motion Of pumping" rs Il
10y would do in a swing.
But he gathered momentum
, slowly. He seemed first to swing
the wrong way --- parallel TO the
cliff dwelling ledge, rather than
toward it--and he had Ia SLOW
down, then start anew.
He stopped and hcaved, strug
Cling for the pendulum motion
again. The arc Of his swing grew
slowly--in-an-Out, in-and-Out--tt
and from the red rock. The cliff
was so jagged and rough that il
appalled, Mary Melissa to think OF
what might happen. In her semi
hyStcria she envisioncd her bust
ness partner slipping, striking the
rock and sliding down It's steer
! slope.
The great cliff in which De
| fiance Castle nestled was really
concavc surface, overhanging a
the top and curving quickly in
ward TO the mouth" or cav,
which had been chosen as a home
site by the ancient builders. Be
! low this niche, which was BIZ
enough to hold u three-stor!
! building, the granite-like wal
curved gently outward again
progressing in drops Of 20 TO 81
feet. broken by Vicious-lookini
points and knobs. Occasiona
! Scrubby gnarled plants chung pre-
, cariously to the wall, although
| where they found soil for susie
nance WAS q mystery.
Such cliff formations are no
uncommon in the Rocky noun
tainS. The magic Of erosion ha
etched strange caves and holes II
many sheer walls, sometimes ha
cut tunnels, sometimes has mad'
| unbelievable archwayS an,
bridges. Sand.ladcn wind, driv
ING for many centuries against
wall, will do fantastic carving
more so than water will do in
stream bed. -.
This natural phenomenon ha
intrigued the biologists always
The cliff that housed Defiane'
. Castle was not exceptional II
phySiograph, although the arch
aeol0giSt had never understood
how the builders reached the hlgl
lin. And yet--thcrc the aban
dOncd dwelling stood, part.
cfumblcd on one corner, but Stil
a monument 10 the genius an'
energy Of vanished people
, Many scientist and many
tourist had stared ut ii through
field glasses, in frank wonder an'
admiration.
On the day when they first saw
the cliff, Mary Melissa had com
mentcd that il was Il fine, thcatrl
cal backdrop for great drama
The ancicntS had farmed the Tia
valley. where this modern cXpio
ration party had set up camp
The ancientS must have known
work and danger and love ant
excitement and happiness ant
death there centuries ago. IN
life drama Of kingdom!
The white girl thought Of TIM
in a flash again, and Instant!
realized that she was seeing an
other dramatic moment here
Only--thiS one was not in retro
spcct, not for calm historical
study. 1t was tremendously neaj
and real.
She strained To see Bob Barry
The arc of his swing was incrcd
IDLY large now. And he was still
pumping"
Suddenly she knew his plan
She realized what he hoped to do
"No! Oh no" She brcathed 1t
almost AZ prayer. The distance
seemed much too great.
! In that instant, Mary MeliSS;
knew that it mattered terribly.
She knew that it mattered t
her, personally, and irrevocably
She didn't phrase it, even to her
self, as love. But she knew. The
| tightening within her, the actua
physical pain in her heart, wa
keener than it would have beer
if she saw casual acquaintance
/ in danger.
I'm tho latter circumstance, she