The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, July 24, 1919, Page 7, Image 7
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
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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.)
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