The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-11-23
CHAPTER V

To the three people below, Robert Barry looked like a toy doll, pup- pet, dangling on the end of the rope stretching 600 feet or more above them.
 "What in tarnation's he tryin' to do?" Shrieked Hades Jones. Hades was jumping around and chatter ing more excitedly than either of the two girls. Mary Melissa looked enthralled.
 "Oh, I don't know! It's awful, MT. 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 looped the rope around his foot, and to be starting a motion of pumping" as a boy would do in swing. ..l
 But he gathered momentum slowly. He seemed first to swing the wrong way-parallel to the cliiR dwelling ledge, rather than toward it. and he had to slow down, then start anew.
 He stopped and heaved, strug- gling for the pendulum motion again. The arc of his swing grew siowly-in-an-o -out, in-and-out - to and from the red rock. The cliff was so jagged and rough that 1t appalled, Mary Melissa to think Of what might happen. In her semi hysteria she envisioned her buSi- ness partner slipping, striking the rock and sliding down its steep slope.
 The great cliff in which Defiance Castle nestled was really a con- cave surface, overhanging at the top and curving quickly inward to the mouth" or cave which had been chosen as a homesite by the ancient builders. Below this niche, which was big enough to hold a three-story building, the granite like wall curved gently outward again, progressing in drops of 20 to 30 feet, broken by vicious-look- inn points and knobs. Occasional scrubby gnarled plants clung pre- cautiously to the wall, although where they found soil for suste- nance was a mystery.
 Such cliff formations are not url- common in the Rocky Mountains. The magic of erosion has etched strange caves and holes in many sheer walls. sometimes has cut tun- nels. sometimes has made unbeliev- able archways and bridges. Sand laden, wind, driving for many fam tastic carving, more so than water will do in 8 stream bed.
 This natural phenomenon has intrigued the geologists always. The cliff that housed Defiance Castle was not exceptional, in physiography, although the arch aeologists had never understood how the builders reached the high lib, And yet - there the aabn- doned dwelling stood, partly crum- bled on one corner. but stpl a monument to the genius and energy of a vanished people. Many a scientist and many a tourist had stared at it through field glasses, in frank wonder and admiration.
 On the day when they first saw the cliff, Mary Melissa had com mented that 1t was fine, theatri- cal backdrop for a great drama. The ancientS had farmed that flat valley, where this modern eXplo- ration aprty had set up camp. The ancients must have known work and danger and love and excite ment and happiness and death there centuries ago. The life drama of a kingdom!
 The white girl thought of this in a flash again, and instantly realized that she was seeing an- other dramatic moment here. Only this one was not in retrospect, not for calm historical study. It was tremendously near and real.
 She strained to see Bob Barry The arct of his swing was incred- ibly large now. And he was still pumping"
 Suddenly she knew his plan She realized what he hoped to do
 "No! Oh mol" She breathed It.
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