The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-01
NTKKH JEROME, heroine; blond,
popular, 10 engaged 70 six-fOot,
blsck-hAired
STEVE MALLORY, hero; who h
accompanying her ON . trip 10
Nikki's aunt and uncle on q
Wyoming dude ranch. NIkki's
father,
RETER JEROME, Ia q wealthy
New York Jewel merchant.
Yesterday; Steve and Nlkki are
nearly caught In . dangerous
landslide. Then q rock hits NIkki
She kneeIs In pain.
CHAPTER X
steve lifted Nikki to her feet


"You go on" she gaspcd. I'm q
nttle--a little bit slow" Her words
Weer spaced and labored. 60 on.
al make IT,"
The rain had slackened a little.
High up on the cliff wavering
Jagged cut appeared and widened
slowly az tons OF earth slipped
foot by foot from their moorings
III centuries.
Steve stopped and in one swift
movement tossed Mkt on his
shoulder and stumbled forward In
heavy, heart breaking strides. The
mud dragged at his feet and a
shower OF rocks fell in vicious
bruising hail. The rumble blind
him became laundering roar. He
threw himself and Mkt around
the bend AZ huge section Of the
mountain slide slowly, irresistibly
forward, oblitcring a quarter Of
mile Of the trail AZ completely
as though II had never existed.
They lay fiat for several min
utcs. spent too out Of breath 10
speak. Finally Steve said:
I'm going back 10 New York
and find something easy Ike
crossing Times Square at o'clock"
He grinned. Somehow these trails
don't seem safe 10 me"
Nikki got 10 her feet and felt
carefully OF her side where the
rock had struck, wondering II
rib was broken. She vas aware
OF her own emotion subsiding and
was grateful for Stcye'g lightness
Are you All intact, honey" he
asked.
Feels like mule had kicked
me-" she said. But It seems 10
be only bruised. III live"
They stood staring back for
moment at the shattered mountain
wher the trail had been. The slide
had accumulated the stccpncgs. Five
minutes before they had been walk
ing along a narrow, but solid path.
Where that path had been there
nOx WAS PERCEPTIONS, gashed earth.
hOpclessly impassable.
''Woody made IL back all right,
didn't her" asked MKT, little OF
her own fearful reaction creeping
into her voice.
I'm sure he did" said Steve
txuthfulIy. HE didn't have AZ far
10 20 as We did and he wasn't
wasting any time when saw him
Inst. We can't signal. Our guns
are somewhere down there" He
motioned toward that slide that
was settling far below In haze Of
dust, despite the rain. Nikki shud-
dcrcd.
II suppoSe Woody lost his gun
too" he continued. Il guess we'd
better follow this trail on and try
TO circle back 10 camp. We Ger
tainly can't 20 back the way we
came"
The rain had stopped an sud
denly al IL began. They we're
soaked. Mud was caked on their
clothes. They moppcd on soilcd
hands and faces with wet grass.
THE sun viii dry us out in a
few minutes" said steve. and II
did. They walked along the trail
curve ~ The nount.tn hut wh.n
n continued nn nhv,onsly "w.y
from cayon atcy. s,oyc.,.d ,hey
try a cnth.ck .lnny . Inv c.r~nn
30 they changed courses and
should he somey,here near III
camn Without Guns ,hcy could
nnIy call Th.ir shonts .nh~.d
h.cL and forth hs,,D.t,, ~. In
but tbey oot no ANSWER guddcnIy
both realized II was far n.et nnnn
and they hadn't e.tcn ~ ,h.,, ..,
down and took battered sand
witches from c.n.c,o~s ,anL.,. N''N
"uothin~ ing EVER r"i taste1 1'' sny bet
=" .aia ,,u-ti ~, ~ 80
NJ hre.d .nc cnit NV h.et "t.n ~
ez,ec, we,d better SAVE ., Is.s,
hsI, ~ /, TO-. G,., nr.sttia ,an"
a ateyic ,oy dear ,h., ,e,rs
lnst2o ~ W."
"i,., a>I.,t,t.o aa.at,,., o...
b,s ,nn,,,t t,iI "''''
,rhe ros.thu,,y b.c.,o. ,o.ra.si,.
~ a nrnh.hi,,,y a. 1he nny, ,no
bours n. sscd ana they t,,,nd ,o .i"n
81 ,he EARN nnr ,eceiyed .n.n -. IT, -,
their shn,i. rnst he,n,s s,,nnn,n W.
MIL stn,ned
al Dsts c.rk o,,okt, uo h.
Steve. and IL looks Ike we're 20