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About The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191? | View Entire Issue (March 12, 1909)
I ( ,Dy RO/iFRF AM FI ^ILLUSTRATION* BY RAY IVRLTfRS TO*t**!C*r /W4, ar H.C K'CLUma *• CO. 0 SYNOPSIS. C1T \PTEF? I The <afnry opens with the shipwreck <*f the sti imef on " lch Miss t ienevfeve Leslie, :n A merit an heiress 1/onl Winthrope, an Englishman, and Tom Blake, a brusque American were passen Kers. The three were tossed upon an un inhabited island and were the only ones not drowned. Blake recovered from a drunken stunor CHAPTER II Blake, shunned on the tent, because of his roughness, became h hern as preservers of the helpless pair. T he Englishman was suing for the hand f Miss I.eslie. Blake started to swim 1 ark to the ship to recover what was ’•ft. J’llAT^TER III. Blake returned safely. Winthrope wasted his last match on a igarette, for which he was scored by V’ol.-c Their first meal was a dead fish. CHAPTER IV. The trio started a ten ile hike for higher land. Thirst at tacked them. Blake was compelled to airy Miss I.eslie on account of weari es He taunted Winthrope. CHAPTER V.—They entered the him { **. That night was passed roosting high in a tree CHAPTER VI.—The ne\t morning they eseended to (he open again. All three '('instructed hats to shield themselves trom the sun. They then feasted on ' ocoannts, the only procurable food. Miss t eslie showed a liking for Blake, but de t.-sted his roughness CHAPTER VII.— Led by Blake they es blished a ... In soma cliff* Blake found a fresh water spring. ('HAPTER VIII.— Miss Leslie faced an ipleasant situation. They planned their campaign. CHAPTER IX Blake recovered his r rvevor’s magnifying glass, thus Insur . g flic. He started a jungle fire, killing large leopard and smothering several i tbs. (’HAPTER X.—Tn the leopard’s cavern < ey built a small home. They gained Pe cliffs by burning the bottom of a tioe until it fell against the heights. CHAPTER XI The trio secured eggs •tom the clilTs. Miss T.eslie's white skirt v as decided upon as a signal. >'1L\PTER XII.—Miss Leslie made a ■. from the leopard skin, lilake's ef t, as to kill antelooes fulled ’HAPTER XIII—Overhearing a con ( rsatlon between Blake and Winthrope, i .>: Leslie bevaauH fj*lirhtened. HAPTER XIV.—Blake was poisoned ' tv a tish. Jackals attacked the camp rigid, hut were driven off by C.ene rV,.. ' Blake returned, after nearly dy- ] E ’HAPTER XV.—Blake constructed an j ; imal trap. It killed a hyena. HAPTER XVT.— On a tour the trio ills- j , f re red lamey and oysters. HAPTER XVII. Miss Leslie was at- i , ked by a poisonous snake. Blake filled it and saved its poison to kill t; me. ’HAPTER XVIII Enr the second time • int j t rope was at tacked by fev er. lie: . . d Blake disagreed. CHAPTER XIX. Lull. 5 . . - - s*' IIK three saw nothing mote of each other that day. ! Miss Leslie had withdrawn to t lie baobab and Blake had gone off ■ own the cleft for more salt, lie did not return until after the others were ; sleep. Miss Leslie had gone without i’*r supper, or had eaten some of the tenif stored within the tree. When, late the next,,morning, shot ' tally left her seclusion Blake was no where In sight. Ignoring Win ill rope's : tempts to start a conversation, she trried through ltpr breakfast, and, * ■aving gathered a supply of food and water, went to spend the day on the ! midland. livening forced her to return to the Vtft. She had emptied the water t ask by noon, and was thirsty. Win H,rope was dozing beneath his can « py, which Blake had moved some Hrds down towards the barricade. T 'ake was cooking supper. He did not look up, and met her at '•tnpl at a pleasant greeting with an M.articulate grunt. When she turned in enter the baobab, she found the opening littered with bamboos and green creepers and pieces of large t ranches with charred ends. On either * de, midway through Hie entrance, a vertical row of holes had been sunk inrough the bark of the tree into the soft wood. "What is this?" she asked. "Are on planning a porch?” "Maybe," he replied. "But why should you make the holes * o far in? I know so little about these matters, but I should have fancied the boles would come on the front of the * re,” "You 11 see in a day or two. "How did you make the holes? They took black, as though—” "Burnt ’em, of course—hot stones." “That was so clever of you!” He made no response. Slipper was eaten in silence. Even 'Vinthrope's presence would have been ;. relief to the girl; yet she could not >o to waken him, or even suggest that i er companion do so. Blake sat throughout the meal sullen and stolid, end carefully avoided meeting her raze. .Before they had finished, twi ght had come and gone, and night was upon them. Yet she lingered for h last attempt. “Goodnight, friend!” she whispered. He sprang up as though she had «truck him and blundered away into the darkness. In the morning it was as before. He rad gone off before she wakened. She ingered over breakfast; but ho did r.ot appear, and she could not andure iVinthrope's suave drawl. She went 'or another day on the headland. She returned somewhat earlier than cn the previous day. As before, Win ’hrope was dozing in the shade. But Wake was under the baobab, raking •ogether a heap of rubbish. His hands wen- sernt bed and hie '.line. To the girl's surp: is<\ bo met her with a cheerful grin and a clear, direct dance. "Look here, he called. She stepped ; round the It' bub and stood statute Tl • * f ti the ground to tic ’h wa walled up with a mass of thorny branches, interwoven with yet thorn ier creepers. "How's that for a front door?" he demanded. "Door?” "Yes.” “Hut it's so big. I could never move it.” "A child could. Look." He grasped a projecting handle near the bottom of tlie 1 horny mass. The lower half of the door swung up and outward. I he upper half in and downward. "See, it*s balanced on a crossbar in the middle. Come on in.” Site walked after hint in under the now horizontal door. He gave the in ner end a light upward thrust, and the door swung back- in its vertical circle until it again stood upright in the opening. From the inside the girl could see tlie strong framework to which was lashed the facing of tlie thorns. It was made of bamboo and strong pieces of branches, bound to gether with tough creepers. "Pretty good grating, eh?" remarked Blake. "When those green creepers dry, they'll shrink and hold light as iron clumps. Even now nothing short of a rhinoceros could walk through when tiie bars are fast. See here.” He stepped up to the novel door and slid several socketed crossbars until their outer ends were deep in tlie holes in Hie tree trunk, three on each side. "How's that for a set of bolts?" lie demanded. "Wonderful! Really, you are rery, very clever! But why should you go to all this trouble, when the barri cade—•" "Well, you see, it’s best to be on the safe side.” Dill. II. S tlUSlll11 IUI ' Ull III go io an this needless work. Not that I rlo not appreciate your kind thought, for my safety. Yet look at. your hands!” Blake hastened to put his bleeding hands behind him. "(Io and wash them at once, and I'll put on a dressing.” “No, thank you. Miss Jenny. You needn't bother. They'll do all right.” "You must! It would please me.” “Why. then, of course— But first, I want to make sure you understand fastening the door. Try the bars your self." She obeyed, sliding ihe bars in and out until lie nodded his satisfaction. "flood!” he said. "Now promise me you'll slide 'em fast every night.” "If you ask It. But why?" "I want to make you perfectly safe " "Safe? But am I not secure witli—” “Look here, Miss Leslie; I'm not go ing to sav anything about anybody.” "Perhaps you had better say no more, Mr. Blake.” "That's right. But whatever hap pens, you’ll believe I've done my best, won't you?—even if I'm not a— Prom ise me straight, you'll lock up tight every night." "Very well, I promise." responded the girl, not a little troubled by the strangeness of his expression. That night Miss Leslie dutifully fastened herself in with all six bars. She wakened at dawn, and hastened out to prepare Blake's breakfast, hut she found herself too late There were evidences that he had eaten and gone off before dawn. The stretching frame of one of the antelope skins had been moved around by the fire, and on the smooth inner surface of the hide was a laconic note, written with charcoal in a firm, bold hand: "Exploring inland Back by night, if can.” She bit her lip in her disappoint ment, for she had planned to show him how much she appn Hated his absurd but well-meant concern for her safety. As it was, he had gone off without a word and left her to the questionable pleasure of a tete-a-tete with Win thrope. Hoping to avoid this, she hur ried her preparations for a day on the cliff. Hut before she could get off. Wintbrope sauntered up. hiding his yawns behind a hand which had re gained most of its normal plumpness. His eye was at once caught by the charcoal note. "Ah!" lie drawled; “really now. this is too kind of him to give us the pleas itre of his absence all day!” "Ye-es?” murmured Miss Leslie. Permit me to add that you will also have the pleasure of iny absence. 1 am going now.” Wintbrope looked down, and began to speak very rapidly: ‘‘Miss Oen evievo, I—I wish to apologize. I've thought it over. I've made a mistake —I—I mean, my conduct the other day was vile, utterly vile! Permit me to appeal to your considerateness for a man who has been unfortunate—who, I mean, has been—-er—was carried away by his feelings. Your favoring of that bloom—er—that—er—bounder so angered me that I—that I—” "Mr. Winthrope!” interrupted the girl, "I will have you to understand that you do not advance yourself iq my esteem b> such references fo Mr Bloke." '1 \ye* aye, that Blake!" panted Win thrupe "Don’t you see? It's Mm. an' that blossom! Wen a man's daffj — w en e's in love! MUs Besik- hurst Into <i nervous laugh; hut cheek.-d herself on the In slant. "Really. Mr Winthrope!" she ex claimed. ">ou must pardon me, I [ never knew that cultured Kngllshmen ever dropped llndr It >. As it happens, yon know. I never saw one excited be fore tbis.” Ah. yes, to he sure to be sure!” murmured Winthrope. in an odd tone. The girl threw out iter hand in a lit tle gesture of protest. "Really. Tin sorry to have hurt—to have been so thoughtless!" Winthrope stood silent. Hhe spoke again: ‘Til do what you ask III make allowances for your for your feelings towards me and try to forget all you said the other day. I.et in» begin by asking a favor of you.” “Ah. Miss Genevieve, anything, to be sute, that I may do! ” "It is that 1 wish your opinion. When Air. Blake finished lhal absurd door last evening, he would not tell me whs he had built it—only a vague state ment about my safety.” "Ah! He did not go into particu lars?" drawled Winthrope. “So, not even a hint; and lie looked so—odd.” Winthrope slowly rubbed his soft palms one upon the other. Do you—er —really desire lo know his—the motive which actuated him?” he murmured. I should not have mentioned it to you if i did not,” site answered. "Well—er—" He hesitated and paused for a full minute. "You see, it is a rather difficult undertaking lo intimate such a matter to a lady— jusl (lie right touch of delicacy, you know. But I will begin by explaining that I have known it since the first—" "Known what?" “Of that bound—of—er- Blake's trouble." “Trouble?" "Alt! Perhaps 1 should have said affliction; yes. that is the better word. To own the truth, the fellow has some good qualities. It was no doubt be cause he realized, when in bis better moments—" > "Better monenls? Mr. Wmthrope, l am not a child. In justice both to my self and to Mr. Blake, 1 must ask you to speak out plainly.” “My deat Miss Leslie, may 1 lirst ask if you have not observed how strange ly at times the fellow acts—‘looks odd,’ as you put it—how he falls Into mel ancholia or senseless rages'.' I may truthfully state that lie has three times threatened my life.” "I—1—t bonglit his anger quite natural, after I had so rudely—and so many people are given to brooding— But if he was violent to you—" “My dear Miss Genevieve, 1 held nothing against the miserable fellow. At such times he Is not er respon sible, you know. Let us give the fel low full credit—that is why lie himself built your door.” "Oh, but I can't believe it! 1 can't believe it!” cried the girl. “It's not possible! lie's so strong, so true anil manly, so kind, for all his gruffuess!" “All, my dear!" soothed Winthrope, “that is the pity of it. But when a man must needs lie his worst enemy, when he must needs lead a certain kind of life, he must take the conse quences. To pul It as delicately as possible, yet explain all, 1 need only say one word — paranoia.” Miss Leslie gathered up her day s outfit with trembling Ungers and went to mount the cliff. After waiting a few minutes Win thrope walked hurriedly through the. cleft, and climbed the tree-ladder with an agility that would have amazed his companions. But he did not draw himself up on the cliff. Having satis fied himself that Miss Leslie was well out toward the signal. He returned to the baobab and proceeded to examine Blake’s door with minute scrutiny. That evening, shortly before dark, Blake came in almost exhausted by his journey. Few men could have cov ered the same ground in twice Hie time. It had been one continuous round of grass jungle, thorn scrub, rocks and swamp. And for al! his 1/ rr Satisfied Himself That Miss Leslie Was Well Out Toward the Signal. pains lie brought back with him noth ing more than the discouraging in for mat iou that, the back-country was i worse than the shore. Yet he betrayed no trace of depression over the bad news, and for all his fatigue main tained a tone of hearty cheerfulness until, lining eaten his till, he sudden 11 observ'd Miss la'slio’s frigid po ll ter ess "What's up now”" ho demanded. Yon ■ not mad 'cause 1 hiked off this morning without notice'."’ No. of rmtrre, not, Mr. P.Iako Noth- ' lug of the Kind. Hut I " W 11. what?" h- broke in, as she hesitated 1 can't, lor the world, think of hiii tiling else I've done ' You've done! Perhaps I might suggest that it Is a quest ion of what 1 *.on haven i done." The girl was trem bling on I he verge of hysterics "Yes. what votive not done' \|| these; weeks, and not it single attempt to get ns away front here, except that miser ' able sicttal; and I as good as put that I up' You call .votts elf a man! But 1 ! 1 " She stopped short, while with a sudden overpowering fear. Winfltt.qie looked from her to Ulnae with a ddeiotig glance his Hits drawn ; up in an odd twist. There followed several momenta of tense silence: then ltlake mumlded apologetically: "Well. I suppose 1 might have done more. I was so dead anxious to make sure of food and shel ter. But this ttip today—" "Mr. Mr. ltlake, pray do not get excited— I 1 mean, please excuse me. I'm—’’ "You're coming down sick!" lie said. ' No. no! I have no fever." "Then it's the sun. Yet you ought to keep up there where the air is freshest. I'll make you a shade.” Site protested, and withdrew, some what hurriedly, to iter tree. In the morning Blake was gone again: hut instead of a note, beside the fire stood the smaller antelope skin converled Into a great Imiuboo rlbbed sunshade. She spent the day as usual on the headland. There was no wind, and the sun was scorching hot. Hut with her big sunshade to protect her from the direct rays, the heat was at least en durable, She oven found energy to work at a basket which site was attempting to weave out of long, coarse grass; yet there were frequent intervals when her hands sank idle in her lap. and she gazed away over the shimmering glassy expanse of the ocean. In the afternoon the heat became oppressively sultry ami a long slow swell began to roll shoreward from beyond the distant horizon, showing no trace of white along its oily crests until they broke over the coral reel's. There was not a breath of air stirring, and for a time the n et's <so checked the rollers that they lacked force to drive on in and break upon the beach. Steadily, however, the swell grew heavier, though not so mueli as a cats paw ruffled the dead surfaces of the watery hillocks. Ry sunset they were rolling high over both lines of reefs and racing shoreward to break upon the beach ami tin* cliff foot In furious surf. The still air reverberated with the booming of the breakers. Yet the girl, inland bred and unversed in weather lore, sat heedless ami indif ferent, her eyes fixed upon the hori zon in a vacant stare. Her reverie was at last disturbed by the peculiar behavior of tlit* seafowl. Those in tit*; air circled around in a manner strange to her, while their mules on tht> ledges waddled restlessly about over and between their nests. There was a shriller note than usual in their discordant clamor. Yet even when she gave heed to the birds, the girl failed to realize their alarm or to sense the impending dan ger. It was only that a feeling of dis ipiiet had broken tin* sp**ll of her rev erie: it did not obi rude upon the field of Iter conscious thought. She sighed and rose to return to the cleft, idly wondering that the air should seem more sultry than at mid-day. The peculiar appearance of tin* sun and the western sky meant nothing more to her than an odd effect of color ami light. Sin* smilingly compared it with an attempt at a sunset painted by an artist friend of the impressionist school. Neither Wintltrope nor Blake was in sight when she reached tin* baobab, and neither appeared, though she de layed supper until dark. It was quite possible that they had eaten before her return and had gone off again, the Englishman to doze and Blake on an evening hunt. At last, tired of waiting she covered Hie fire and retired into her trees ave. The air in the cleft was still more stilling than on the headland. She* paused, with her hand upraised to close the swinging door. She hud . propped if open when she came out in | the morning. \ftor a moment's hesi- j tation, she went on across tin* hollow, leaving the door wide open. "I will rest a little, and close It later,” she sighed She w as feeling ; weary and depressed. Aii hour pa.-seu. An ominous silli ness lay upon the cleft. Kven the cicadas had hushed their shrill nolo. The only sound was a muffled re verberating echo of the surf roaring upon the seashore. Heneath the giant ! spread of the baobab all was black ness. Something moved in a bush a little way down the cleft. A crouching figure appeared, dimly outlined in the starlight. The figure crept stealthily across into the denser night of the bao bab. The darkness closed about it like a shroud. A blinding flash of light pierced the blackness. The figure halted and crouched lower, though the flash had gone again in a fraction of a second. A dull rumbling mingled with the ceaseless boom of the surf. A second flash lighted the (-left, with its dazzling coruscation. This time the creeping figure did not halt. Again and again the forked light ning streaked across the sky. every stroke more vivid than the one before. The rumble of the distant thunder deepened to a heavy roiling which dominated the dull roar of the break ers The storm was coining with the on rush of i tornado Yet tho leaves hum; motionless ia I he si ill air, anil there was no sound other than the thunder and the booming of the surf. The lightning flared, one stroke upon i!it> other, with a brilliancy that lit up the cave's interior brighter than at mid da> In the whit# gl ire the girl iw \V In tlirope. crouched beneath her upswung ilc.oi ; and his lace was as the face of a beast, CHAPTER XX, The Hurricane Blast. with a crashing uproar that brought her to her feet with a shriek. Her giant tree creaked and strained under ibe impact of tho ierritlc hurricane blasts that came howling through tho deft like a rout of shrieking Hernia, The peals of thunder merged Into one continuous roar, beneath which the solid ledges of rooks jarred and quiv ered The sky was a pall of black clouds, meshed with a dazzling net work of forked lightning. The girl stood motionless, stunned by the uproar, appalled by the blinding glare ot the thunderbolts: yet even more fearful of the figure which every Hash showed her si ill lurking beneath the door. A gust borne bough si ruck willi numbing force against her up raised arm Itut she took no heed. She was unaware of the swirl of rain and sticks and leaves that was driving in through the open entrance, On a sudden the door shook free from its props and whirled violently around on its balance bar. There was a shriek 111 a I pierced above the shrill ing of the cyclone- a single human shriek. I In- gil l sprang across the cave. The heavy door swished up before hei mid down again, iis lower edge all Iml grazing her face. For a moment it -topped in a vertical position and hung quivering, like a beast about to leap upon its prey. Too excited to comprehend tIk* danger of the act, the girl sprang forward and shot one of tlie thick bars into ils socket, A tierce gust leaped against the out er face of Hie door and thrust In upon it, striving to burst it bodily from its bearings. The top and the free side of the bottom bowed in. Hut the brandies were still green and tough, the bamboo like whalebone and the shrunken creepers held the frame to gether as though the joints were lashed with wire rope. Failing to smash in the elastic structure or to snap the crossbar it were as if 1 lie blast flung itself alternately against the top and hot lorn in a lierce attempt to again whirl the frame about. The white glare streaming in through Hie inierstices showed ihe girl her oppor tunity She grasped another bar and shot, it into its socket as the lower purl of i lit* door gave buck with tlie shifting of the pressure in the top. II was then a simple matter to slide tlie remaining bars Into the deep-sunk holes. Within half u minute she had made tlie door fast from the lirsi liar lo the sixth. A heavy spray was healing in upon her through the diinks i f the frame work. She drew back and sought shelter in a niche at Ihe side. Nar row as was the slit above the top of the door, it let in a torrent of water, which spooled dear across and against the far wall of the cave. It gushed down upon her bed and was already flooding the cave floor. She piled higher, the cOeoanutS stored in her niche, and perched her self upon the lieap to keep above the water. Hut eevn ill her shelter'd cor ner tlie eddying wind showerel her with spray She waded across for tier skin-covered sunshade, and returned to huddle beneath it. in tlie still mis ery and terror of a hunted animal that lias crept wounded into a hole During the tlrst hurricane there had been companions t > whom she could look for help and comfort, and she had been to a degree unaware of the greatness of the danger. Hilt In the few short week since she hud caught more than one glimpse of I’limcval Nature—she of tlie bloody fang, blind, remorseless, insensate, destroying, ever destroying. I rue, tills was mi solid land, while before there hud been the peril of the sea lint now the girl was alone. Out side the straining walls of her refuge. Ihe hurricane yelled and shrieked and roared—a lu adless, formless monster, furious to burst in upon her, In over throw her stanch old tree giant, that in itis fall his shuttered trunk might crush and mangle her. Or at any iti sluni a thunder-bolt might rend open the great tower of living wood, and hurl her blackened body into the pool on the cave floor. Once she fam-hui that slu- heard Blake shouting outside the door; but when she screamed a shrill response, the blast mocked her with echoing shrieks, ami she dared not venture to free the door, if it were Blake, tie did not shout again. After a time she began to think that, the sound had been no more than a freak of the shifting wind. Vet the thought of hint out in the full fur> of the cyclone served to turn her thoughts front her own danger. She prayed aloud for his safely, beseeching God that he be spared. She sought to pray even for WInthrope. But. the vision of that beastly face rose up before her, and she could not—then. Presently she became aware of a change in the storm The terrific gusts blew with yet greater violence, (be thunder crashed heavier, the light ning filled the air with a flame of dazzling white light. But the rain no longei gushed across on the spot where her bed had been. Ii was en lerlng at a different angle, and Ha force was broken by the bend in tho thick wall of Hu' entrance. After a tltne the deluge dashed aslant the en i unci', gushing down the door in a cataract of fount. Another Interval and the driving downpour no longer struck even the edge of the opening. The wind wa.*i veering rapidly ns the cyclone center moved past on one side. The area of the hurricane was little more than thrice that of a tornado, and It wan chancing along its course at great speed. Vn hour more, and the out ermost rim of the huge whirl watt passing over the deft Quickly the hurricane gusts fell away to a gate; the gale became ti breeze the breeze lulled and died away, stilled by the torrential rain. Within tlit* baobab all yvas again dark and silent. Utterly exhausted, the girl had sunk back against the friend ly wall of the tree, and fallen asleep. Site was wakened by s hoarse call: "Miss .Jenny! Miss .lenity, answer me! Arc you all tight'.'" Site started up, barely saving her self front a fall us tin* big unhusked nuts tolled beneath her feet. Tbo morning sunlight was streaming In over Iter door. Site sprung down ankle doop Into tin’ in ire of the cave floor, and ran to loosen the burs. As th<* door swung up, site darted out, with any of delight: "You are sufe safe! Olt, I was so afraid for you! But you're drenched! You must build a fire dry yourself til once!" "Walt," said itlake. I've got to tell yon something." lie caught her outstretched hands, nnd pushed them down with gentle force Ills face was grave, almost, sol emu. "Think you ran stand bad news a shock?” "I— What is It? You look so si range!" "It's about Wlnthrope—something very had—" Site turned, with a gasp, and bid Iter fare In her bands, shuddering with horror and loathing Ob' olt!" site cried. "I know al ready I know all!” "All?" demanded Itlake, stnritn; blankly. Yes; all! And and be made tue think It was you!" Sic- g,taped, a ml fell silent. Wake's face went white, lie spoke in a dear, vibrant voice, tense its ait overstrained violin string: "1 am “I Know Already—I Know All.” speaking about Winthrope — under stand me? — Winthrope. He has been badly hurl.” "The door swung down and struck him, when he was creeping in.” Cod!" roared lilake. I picked Id id up like a sick baby—-the beast' — 'stead of grinding my heel in bis face! Cod! I'll—” "Tom! don't—don't even speak of it! Tom!" "Cod! When a helpless girl—when a lie choked, beside himself with rage Sin- sprang to him, and caught hi.i sleeve in a convulsive grasp. "Hush, for mercy’s sake! Tom Wake, remem ber—you're a man!” Ilo calmed like a ferocious dog at ihe voice of its master; but it was sev oral minutes before he could bring himself io obey her Insistent urging that he should return to the injured man. I'll go.” he at last growled. "Wouldn't do it even for you, but he's good us dead -lucky for him!” "Dead!" "Dying. You stay away." Ili» went around the baobab and a few paces along the cleft to the place where a limp form lay huddled on the ledges, out of the mud. Slowly, at though drawn by the fascination of horror, the girl crept after him. When she saw the broken, storm-beaten thing that had been Wlnthrope, she Stopped, and would have turned back. After all, as Blake had said, he was dying— When she stood at the feet of the writhing figure, and looked down Into the battered face, it required all her willpower to keep from fainting Blake frowned up at her for an in stant, but said nothing. Wlnthrope was speaking, feebly and brokenly, yet distinctly: "Really, I did not mean any barn*— at first—you know. But a man does not always have control—" "Not a beast like you'" growled Blake. "()w! Don't 'it me! 1 say now. I'aa Continued on Seventh page