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per: | ^PAlbe j.?* NOVELIZED F I EPISODE 4. * , . : . SYNOPSIS. John Davis and Hawk Morgan, executors of the estate of John Carr, miner, and Joint guardians of his adopted daughter, Ethel, quarrel over the disposition ol the profits of the mine. Morgan, unsusipected by Davis, makes several unsuccessful attempts on the life of the latter, aiverung suspicion 10 a mysienuus uermit. Morgan summons a villainous accomplice named Spider Bellas. Several c*J their attempts to kill Davis, so that Morgan can get the gold and the girl, are S? iraculously frustrated by a mysterious irxnlt. Davis is bound to the traveler a saw used for cutting loga Bound to the traveler of the saw imlll and being slowly but surely conjveyed against the whining buzz saw, knowing that a few seconds more must jflnd his body being severed by the Jagged teeth, John Davis fought -against terrible death with all the desperation of a powerful and courageous jman. Had the fate which stared him iln the face been a clean death at the inuzzle of a gun, or through a fall over ? cliff, he might have resigned himself !to it and died then and there. But the j thought of being torn in two by the j steel teeth of this whirling monster i aroused him as nothing in his life I had ever done before. Beneath his clothes his muscles swelled like whip- \ cords as he summoned every inch of j His spienaia strengtn into tne utuue .for life. The saw was but a foot from his body. It would strike him at the breast, pass through him as through a piece of deadwood; leave him severed < In halves. Through his mind flashed the vision of Ethel finding him thus? Ethel, the woman he loved! God! He could not endure the thought. He shut his eyes and released his concentrated strength as a steel spring unbends. Before that terrific effort the cord that had bound his right arm snapped like a rubber band and the arm was free. Quick as thought he threw out his hand and braced it against the beam running across the mill above the whirling blade. Then stiffening his arm until it became as a bar of iron he pitted his strength against that of the traveler. Had it been a large mill designed for the handling of heavy timber no man's strength could have resisted it But fortunately for the victim of Morgan's treachery, when old John Carr, the pioneer, had constructed it he had builded only with the thought of sawing the lighter stuff that grew upon 4 the mountains. Furthermore the belt which drove the traveler had gone slack with age and no longer gripped the pulley with its former tenacity. By a titanic effort of which few men would have been capable, the desperate one upon the-conveyor so braced himself between his lashings and the beam that had his arm been a crowbar it would have been scarcely less bendable. For an instant the issue of battle between man and machine hung in doubt, then thanks to the loosened . gripping power of the ancient belt it began slipping around the driving pulley and the movement of the traveler ceased. Yet the instant the strength of the man should give way the spinning belt would again assert itself and the battle would have been useless. The flashing teeth would bury themselves in the helpless body and the end would quickly come. Nor for long could any man, matterless how powerful, hope to hold his own against the / tirelessness of the machine. And even now John could feel his strength beginning to run from him as sands Stream from an hourglass. Within tl) cabin Ethel glanced at her watch, then turned to Rainface. "Mr. Davis promised to be back within half an hour. More than that length of time has already passed, and still no signs of him. With so many strange things happening I am becoming nervous. Suppose we go and find him." Silently the old Indian arose and followed her into the open air. A short distance up the trail the t girl whirled upon her follower. MT IftiAM T In Ann ^1% /-v Vv n rv> A UiSlCUU X Ileal UiC mini Ui U1C I sawmill. What business has it to be ] running?*' "Bad medicine," murmured the old j man. "We better hurry heap fast" Without stopping for further words they broke into a run in the direction of the sound, the girl in the lead. A minute later she burst open the door of the mill and stood as one transfixed. Before her lay John Davis, bound upon the traveler, his neck mus^ . cles swollen from the frightfulness of bis exertion; his arm still holding the paw at bay but beginning to tremble as a wind thrummed reed. Unable to speak, he turned his eyes toward her In a wild appeal for help. The wordless call aroused her as though it had been an electric shock. In the wink of an eye she was herself again with every muscle taut as a harpstring. Her glance flew over the mechanism of the machine, and bending she picked up a wooden billet from the floor. Leaping forward she thrust It between the lop of the belt, then giving her lever a sudden twist she threw the belt from the pulley. Relieved of the pull vthe traveler became an inert thing, and with a long, gasping bresth of exhaustion John let his arm fall. The danger was past, but so ' narrow had been his escape that the 1L5^: r?L5mtfv :ROM V1TAGRAPH F teetii oi the saw had torn his clothes. "Thank God!" she cried, as completely nerveless from the shock and suspense of the moment she fell limpy upon the traveler beside the bound one, her arm thrown across him as though to further protect him. | Rainface, old and slow of gait, came panting into the room. Taking in what had happened with a glance, he drew the girl away and seated her upon a stool, then whipping out hjs knife freed Davis and assisted him to arise. Arms outstretched the freed one staggered to his rescuer, dropped upon his knees and took her in his arms, while from a pocket the ever practical Indian drew a small flask and tendered it. I Placing it to the girl's lips Davis forced her to drink a few spoonfuls, and rei vived by the stimulant the color came flowing back to her cheeks. Taking John's face between her palms she looked down to it, the tears mounting to her eyes, while unable to resist the temptation of her lips he drew them to his own, kissing them. With a grunt of approval the Indian averted his head. "You are not hurt?" she gasped. "I was in time?" He kissed her again. "Yes, dearest. You saved me fr?m a terrible death, and while I do not j know how much my life is worth to you, it is yours." "I should have died, also, had I been too late," she sobbed. | Within the cabin the Hawk and Bellas sat whispering, heads close together. Suddenly they sprang to their feet and stood staring like two men who see a corpse arise. For before them stood Davis, his head still bleeding from the blow of the billet thrown by the Spider. Ethel upon his arm and tne old inaian ronowing cioseiy in their tracks. "By the Seven Devils, how did you | ?he?" gasped the Hawk as with eyes protruding he gazed upon them. Bridget Wegan entering the room at that moment, seeing the limp form of the girl, rushed to her and drew her to her motherly bosom, petting her, crying "Babby, babby." John, overjoyed by the knowledge of Ethel's love, massed the words that astonishment had forced from the arch plotter's lips and held out his hand to him. Instantly regaining their poise, the baffled pair greeted him heartily. "Boys," beamed the rescued man as he slapped them on the backs. "Congratulate me. I am the happiest man on earth. Miss Ethel loves me?yes, loves me. Twice' my life has hung by a thread since I saw you such a short time ago; once by a damnable deadfall which I stumbled beneath, and the second time when I was fighting a buzz saw for my life. I got out from under the tree unaided, but this girl saved me from being cut in two? and then it happened." "What happened?" asked the Spider. "The sweetest girl on earth gave me her lips and heart. It was worth a thousand times what I had gone through. It has made me sq happy that I am more than grateful that everything has happened just as it has, but from now on life means something to me and I am going to count upon you two friends to help me in my fight against this fur-coated monster who is ever seeking my life." Morgan, again grasping the other's hand, wrung it warmly. "Depend upon us, Jonn. we must keep together hereafter, and he will find it harder to deal with three than with one." Ounce for ounce Davis returned the clasp. "Together let it be. We will piece together what we can make out from .the papers, and after we have given Ethel a chance to rest until tomorrow we will go to work to find the mine." "That will give Bellas a chance to go to the settlement tomorrow and attend to some matters for me. If you will lend him a horse he will start before daybreak so as to be back tomorrow night." As the Hawk and Spider left tha room they met Rainface on the porch. "Going to get that storm door up tonight?" the former asked. Rainface shook his head. "Too dark to work now. Me fix him tomorrow." Leaving the Indian behind, the Spider addressed Morgan. "What do you want me to do in the village tomorrow?" A thin grin crossed Morgan's dark face. "You don't go to any village tomorrow. Sabe?" With a nod of understanding the Spider said no more. From within Ethel's room, she and John watched the pair depart. Slowly ^V/v 4-Vk /~k m n n /irarvf Vi or U1C ailll Ul UiU UIUU aivuuu waist and drew her to him, and with a little sigh of content she let her head fall upon his shoulder. "Sweetheart?let us be married? now," he pleaded as he bent his head and kissed her. Smiling happily up at him she slowly shook her head. "No, John, dear, not right away. We must wait until we have carried out Uncle John's plans. Then if you Insist?" "Insist!" he cried, kissing her again. "Then 1 shall not only insist but demand." "You will not need to demand," she said, as her hand patted his cheek. RalDfsce, happening to pass the partly open door, both saw and heard what was going on within. With a 17WII k Cyrus Tov 'HOTO PLAY ii & * ^ Morgan, Woeful of Face, but \ faint smile breaking across his stoic face he entered the kitchen to confront Bridget. "Young chief and young squaw? they kiss each other in the fnill and they get married bimeby, mebbyso," he announced. The rolling pin dropped from the big Irish woman's floury hands and she held them aloft ecstatically. "Glory be. 'Tis the fondest wish of me heart/' she cried, and careless of her whitened fingers seized the astonished. Rainface about his shoulders and broke into a wild Irish jig i as she dragged him around the room. Indignantly breaking away from her he backed to the doorway from which ! he viewed her with great disgust. "You damn fool woman," he announced. The next instant he was speeding up the trail for dear life with a frying pan clattering at his heels. The next morning the Spider harnessing up his light buckboard in the early light, took his departure ostensibly for the settlement a dozen miles away. Once out of sight of the cabin, however, he swung sharply at right angles, and concealing his rig in a small ravine choked with bowlders and small trees, sat down to await the coming of his confederate. Some fifteen minutes later Morgan appeared upon the scene, bringing with him a bundle which he deposited upon the ground, then addressed the other. "tVhAn T throw tho stick I am whit tling past the corner of the house, you act Wait for that signal. Do you hear?" 'Think 1 can't understand English?" growled Bellas. "Do your part and I'll do mine." Morgan, striding away, was followed by the eyes of the Spider. Returning to the cabin Morgan approached the living room door. Rainface was upon the porch, putting the finishing touches to the door upon which he had been working the day before. As finished, the vestibule was about five feet square, with glazed windows on two sides and the storm door on the third. Morgan, as he en- . tered through it, observed that one entering or leaving the vestibule would not be visible from the living room until he was well in front of the living room door. Passing into the house he greeted Ethel and Davis cheerily, and the three sat down to breakfast. Finishihg this, Morgan turned to the other man. "Suppose we have another look at those papers, Davis. I would like to study them a bit" With a nod of assent John arose and took the articles fwvm a /Inclr nnd hnnripri thpm to the other man, who still sipping his coffee read them over slowly. Having satisfied himself as to certain points, he arose. MI am going to see if I can identify a certain point," he announced as he took down a pair of field glasses from the wall. Without further explanation he went outside, calling the attention : of Rainface to certain things still remaining to be done to the vestibule, and the Indian picking up his tools, resumed his work. Picking up a piece .of wood that had been discarded by Itainface, Morgan drew his knife and carelessly began to whittle it, his head bent and to all appearances deep in thought We will now return to the Spider. No soon had Morgan disappeared than Bellas opening the hundle which .his confederate had dropped upon the ground beside him, drew forth a lariat, a fur coat and cap, winding the former about his waist and donning the latter two garments. Masking his face with a handkerchief he went creeping stealthily away, approaching the house! /as end Bra figfofiSl 1919, bn Vltauraph " ' ^ ^ ^ ^ I i c Afith a Laugh in His Bosom. i ? ! s , : f upon the side which contained the * great stone chimney Bridget; opening J the kitchen door just at thajt moment ? to throw out a pan of water, sent him ' scurrying quick as a squirrel behind ' a this retreat, where gun in hand he; stood alert. The shutting of the kitchen door telling him that he had not i been observed, he replaced the weapon and * peered cautiously around the j the chimney's edge. Seeing that the i r coast was clear, he picked up a small I stone and tossed it along the side of I. the house toward its front. J As the pebble rolled along the j ? ground Morgan, who still stood ap-; g parently absorbed with the whittling 11 of his stick, flicked a lightning glance J from the side of his eye upon the i ^ moving object Closing his knife he j ^ pitched the stick alongside the stone, j and turning upon his heel re-entered j the house where Davis and Ethel were * engaged in playing checkers. He ad-! x dressed Davis. | g "Davis, I think I have made a dis- t; covery. Come out here and I'll show f you." John arose. c "Pardon me a moment, Ethel. It is s your move. I'll be back by the time i c you have made it" said John. Slightly curious -as to what the other had T found, he followed Morgan. i e "Just a littlfe bit this way/' said the j Hawk as he led the unsuspecting one S a short distance from the house. h From his hiding place the Spider; * had noted the falling of t?e whittled D stick, and at this signal hfe prepared s himself for action. Swiftly unwinding a the rope from around his body he!t threw it over his shoulder, then seizing the chimney began to climb. Owing to : its rough exterior and protruding tl stones he had little difficulty in reach-! P ing its top, and gaining the roof deftly P fastened one end of the lariat to the j11 coping, drop'ping the other end down, ? -i.*- ? ???-? ! ? ? ? ?? f 1 /N** A S1 uie yawuiixg uptruiug. xucu wim a. i swift glance about to assure himself i a that he was unobserved, he seized the r rope and began lowering himself down i J1 the chimney's throat, the great size j " of the latter affording him ample room. J Hand over hand he went down the j | dangling length of the lasso until he : | landed upon the broad hearth with Its | smoldering coals which his feet over ? the boots of which he had slipped a | heavy pair of lumberman's stockings, j | easily avoided. With one glance his | | eyes swept the room. Ethel, her back j jl; turned toward him, was idly toying | with the checkers as she awaited the | return of the man whom she loved j i more than all else in the world, totally j 5 Unconscious of the descent into the! ? room of one who was John Davis' j | mortal enemy. Seeing that he had not j ? been observed, the Spider with a deft | movement thrust the exposed end of j * the lariat up the chimney and made it I | fast out of sight, then in his stockinged j | boots began creeping like the insect I j| for which he was named, upon his j | prey. Tiptoeing his way, his eyes I | glued upon her, he advanced silently, j his fingers outstretched like talons, I When within a yard of her, as though | g aroused by some subtle sense of im-1 a pending danger, she arose with a small; *gasp of fright, but before she could j j turn or cry aloud, the prowler was 1 upon her. Swinging one arm about her j . slender body and clapping a hand over j her lips, he lifted her from the floor as; ;1 though she had been a feather and bore her into her own room, closing! . the door behind them. I Having gotten her here safely out; . of sight, he threw her upon the bed' as with head held high and ears: U' strained he listened for any sound j which might indicate that he had been j J Been or heard. All was silence, andj ? eJiiml ins mask a slow grin or sausaction asserted itselt. Ethel, find.'ng ler mouth freed, drew her breath for he cry for help thar would bring her riend rushing into the room, but ler enemy was too quick for her. Reeling the long intake of her breath nd instinctively recognizing what was ibout to follow, he clutched her by he throat and I lie cry died unborn, folding her thus he tore a strip from ler pillow and bound it about her ips until all further danger from this ource was smothered. x-i-j i * i\eit taking uer owu IUSSU xium na took upon the wall he proceeded to ind her, lashing her round and about .s a spider binds a fly in its mesh, and laving finished this and made her ompletely helpless, wrapped her in a lanket. Opening a window and listening and peering until satisfied that the oast was clear, he again raised her a his arms and bore her through the pening. Picking his way carefully over the veil trodden ground, stepping only vhere others had stepped before him o as to leave no new trail; treading rom bare rock to bare rock he disapeared, leaving no clew which the eye ould follow behind him. But a few minutes later Morgan nd Davis, Rainface following, entered he living room of the house. John ras speaking. "Perhaps you are right. Anyway, omorrow we will try." He glanced bout the vacant room. "Where is Ithel?" he demanded sharply. Frantically rushing about the place hey searched it nook and cranny, the ellar, the barn, the outbuildings. No ign of the missing one was to be ound. She had vanished as completey as though she had never been born, linking upon a chair Davis rested his ,ao/1 !n Wo honfl o/Urocclno thom 171 icau 111 Alio UUUUt UUU1 I.MVAM +mm . voice that was dry and hard. "That damned, infernal scoundrel las come and gone again. And he has aken Ethel with him. There is no ise of searching further here, for he ias borne her away to some hidden etreat. My God! What shall we do?" "First you and now she," returned he Hawk huskily. "What is the meanag of it all?" Davis aroused himself. "As for me, well, that didn't matter auch. But if he harms a hair of that irl's head I'll cut his heart out and hrow it to the wolves." "And I'll help you with a willing and," chimed in Morgan, woeful of ace but with a laugh in his bosom, ohn got upon his feet. "Rainface, you and I must start up he canyon at once, scatter and begin he search. He has had but a short tart and it may be that we can overake him." Quickly the Indian came orward, eager as a hound for the hase, but Morgan pointing to the obbing Bridget laid his hand upon his ousin's arm. "Somebody had better stay behind. VTe have another woman to look aftr." Instantly Davis agreed. "Yes, I nearly had forgotten Bridget !he is so capable of taking care of erself under ordinary circumstances hatM did not realize how this has unerved her. By all means you must tay here." Running to the barn John nd Rainface hurriedly began saddling heir horses. Bearing the girl bojmd ana gaggea o the barn, the Spider laid her upon he floor as he swiftly followed put his lan. Drawn to one corner of the lace where it was kept when not in jse was the block and tackle which ras employed during the haying seaon for hoisting fodder into the loft bove and taking a half hitch of this ope about her body began heaving er toward the top of- the barn. Havig elevated her to the proper height Followed the Roar of an Explosion. e made his end of the rope fast, len clambering up by means of the idder swung her into the loft where e deposited her upon the hay against le front wall of the barn. Then slinkig from the place he regained his orse which he had left hidden in the ny ravine, and mounting disappeared p the canyon. A little later he had reached a cave hich had burrowed itself into the ice of the hills at the base of a cliff j or stefp rise from rhe canyon. Here he dismounted, and uncovering a box oi ' dynamite and detonators which he had ' ; previously concealed at the spot, con vcvd them within the cave. Skillfully , I working, he soon had fastened the dynamite upon the roof of the shallow j place, then placing the detonator be gan stringing the cord which would j operate the trigger along the entrance | to the retreat a few inches from the ! ground. Having finished this and light! ly covered the cord with dried moss j and J eaves, for a moment he contemi plated his work with inward sjitisfao i tion, then going without mounted his horse and went riding away. Once more using his customary caution, the Spider avoided the regular trail by in/ltn/v In n rvn y?nll a! /iaiima/v ViaaI/I/v nuiug in a paiaiicj v.uuiac ucoiuc it until about half the way back from his devil's nest had been covered. Then drawing one of Ethel's shoes which he had taken from her foot before leaving her in the loft from his pocket, as well as the handkerchief which had been about her neck, he slipped from the saddle. Grasping the shoe firmly he made Its imprint upon fresh snow beside the trail, following the first track with another a few yards further on, both tracks pointing up the trail. Further on toward the house he dropped her handkerchief, then returned to his horse. # v Approaching the barn softly he halted, a moment later being joined by Morgan. "How is everything?" asked the Hawk guardedly.' The Spider laughed softly. "Just make him think she is in our Devil's Pocket, and when he tries to bust in he'll get his, all right." As quietly as they had come they left. Within the hay loft Ethel, bound but with her courage unabated, was engaged in a silent struggle against 1 the rope which wound her about Suddenly in the midst of her wrigglings she became quiet as a mouse, pressing her ear against a crack as breathlessly she listened to the low voices which were arising from below. As the words of the Spider reached her hearing and dim understanding of their meaning came to her, she began to roll over the hay toward the opening in the floor through which she .had. been hoisted. Reaching it, without a moment's hesitation she let her body slip over its edge. For 20 feet her body shot through spaCe, landing upon the high-piled hay in the manger of her pony "Ladybird," and sending that animal back upon his haunches with a snort of fright * But the cloth had been torn from her mouth by the fall and as she called him by name his struggles to escape ceased and with ears pricked forward he thrust his nose against her beg- i ging for the sugar which she daily- * ? gave him. Seeing that it was not proffered him as usual he grew impatient and began nipping at the pocket where he knetv it was her habit to carry it, until at last his teeth closing upon the knot which fastened the rope he gave it a series of tugs. A moment later the girl felt the coils about her loosen and quickly she shook herself free and leaped into the stall at the pony's side. "Ladybird!" she cried, giving the brute a swift caress, "tonight, you must carry me as you never have before." Throwing her light saddle upon his back she cinched it then Bridling mm sprang into ine sauuie and went thundering out the door. Certain that some terrible danger threatened her lover and that every second was priceless, she went riding recklessly alang the side of the ridge, paying no attention to the roundabout trail but leaping bowlers and crashing through the brush as a deer goes when pursued by wolves? Reaching the entrance to the pocket with its Infernal contrivance, she slid from the saddle and went running toward its mouth. Davis, having found the handkerchief and tracks made by the Spider came hastening anxiously along just in time to see her dart toward the dark mouth of the cavern. Not know- , ing what she was about to do but instantly scenting danger he called to her to stop, but his voice did not reach her and she sped on with undiminished speed. The next instant her foot struck * the trip line which released the trigger. Followed the roar of an explosion frnm within and a downpour of rocks. Struck upon the head by one of them, she fell forward upon her face in the midst of a deluge of released stones and debris. With a terrible cry of anguish and fear Davis leaped in after her, just as a great bowlder shaken from its bed began to slowly descend straight above her prostrate form. Then ensued a struggle to the finish between the man and elemental force. Throwing up his hands as did Porthos ! in the Grotto of Loc Maria, John made a living pillar of himself as the great weight settled upon his shoulders. Rigid as an iron statue, his muscles bulging beneath the terrific strain for a minute he held it at bay, then slowly but surelj the mountain conquered and he bent backward and dowu, the falling stones covering him; blotting him from sight. (END OF FOURTH EPISODE.) ? - "m*.'