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4 Novelized frc j EPISODE 5. .-w ' SYNOPSIS. John Davis and Hawk Morgan, execu- j tors of the estate of John Carr, miner j t and joint guardians of his adopted daughter, Ethel, disagree over the dispositior! ^ of the profits of the mine. Morgan, seek. ,lng the gold and the girl for himself, and unsuspected by Davis, makes several; attempts on the life of the latter, with the assistance of an accomplice named j Spider Bellas. Suspicion is diverted t^ a mysterious hermit Ethel is seized and 1 ; hidden in a barn where she overhear* j part of a plot to trap Davis. She escape!!, 1 and goes to his rescue. Davis is buried ; , by a giant boulder. j, Ethel Carr, rushing Into the Devil'i j! 'Pocket in which the Spider at the di- | rection of Hawk Morgan had planted i > the explosive with a set trigger, trip- ; iped over the rope and exploded the i 'dynamite. Struck on the head by a j | flying stone, she fell beneath the fol- j ^lowing shower of dirt and rock. .. , John Davis, rushing to her rescue, ; |8aw a great boulder, which, loosened i by the blast, was slowly descending |1 iand about to crush the life out of ' iher. Bracing himself as a pillar be- ,{ ! neath it, for a minute he managed tc i j i stay its descent, then as his strength j, I -fVnm Vlf m Via bpnt I , ; auuauv? UUUIU 11 vm U1U4 UV ~ | beneath the terrific weight and gave j *'. r way, falling backward and being cov< ered by the loosened mass until he ; was buried from sight. From a short distance away the Hawk and the Spider, seeing the girl , and Davis rush into the cave and i 'hearing the roar of the explosion, ] 'knew what must have happened tc 1 4 the pair. For a second they stared into each other's face, then with an oath ' ... - 'Morgan leaped forward with his con* ! 'federate close at his heels. The In* j dian, Rainface, followed in their tracks. Reaching the rock pile which j now covered the floor of the cave, the ? two white men stood before it as , though paralyzed until the Hawk, arousing himself to action, began tugging frantically at a big boulder. The , Spider laid a hand upon his shoulder. "It's no use. He's done for." With* out ceasing his efforts Morgan made answer. "I am not thinking of him, but Oi || her." "She's a goner too, and there is no use of wasting your strength.! Come on. We still have the mine and thafs "the most important thing." For a moment the Hawk hesitated, then permitting himself to be per* ; 1 ^ suaded by the other, reluctantly desisted from his efforts and the two mounted their horses. Rainface still staring at the pile. "Coming?" asked Morgan. The In; dian shook his head. "No. Me stay here." Making vno farther effort to persuade him, the two ruffians went riding away. Barely giving them time to get ont ,Ay. ; - of sight Rainfaee went to a small sapling, qniekly trimmed it into a lever and began to pry at a boulder. Working furiously and with despair in his heart he had soon rolled it to one side and thus cleared the way to ' ? further effort Displaying great strength and en * ergy despite his age, the old Indian , worked with such vigor and success that in a short time he had cleared away a great mass of rocks, disclosing a great boulder resting upon a v ? smaller one, and beneath the arch thus providentially formed Ihy the body of Davis. Instantly grabbing him by his legs the rescuer drew him y / forth, the movement unbalancing the illy peised rocks so that they crashed into the opening his body the mo* ment before had occupied. Securing cold water from a nearby stream, the ancient Indian dashed it into the face of the unconscious one, who, saved from being crushed by the accident of the arch, presently sat up, little worse for his strenuous experience. "Ethel !" he cried, his first thought being for the girl.. He staggered to ^ his feet and approached the wall at the cave's mouth. Laying his hand upon his arm, Rainfaee pointed his finger. "After you rest, then me show you ' another way in there." "Show me now," commanded John, and with a nod the Indian led the way. 1*? S f>10 juurgtiu auu jot-nits, 1 cavmug ujj^ cabin, coolly told Bridget what tad bappened, sitting unmoved > through the first wild outburst of grief of the heartbroken Irish woman. When at * length her self command returned, she arose silently and getting her crucifix, took it into Ethel's room and hung it at the head of her bed. Meanwhile- Davis and Rainface had reached a long tunnel which led down into a cave, and stopping only long enough to kindle pine porches pro< ceeded on their way guided by their flickering and variable light, eventually reaching the main cave which was of considerable extent. Quickly they approached the wall of rock in the mouth and there paused. For Ethel was not there. "My God!" cried John. "She fell clear, yet she is gone. What does it mean?" Tiainface shook his head in mystification. Anyway she is not here, so we "*?. > -;< _ J ?fc; -Jjf ^ )M VITAGRAPH PHO might as well begin searching for her at once," went on John. Immediately they started toward the back entrance through the tunnel. . < Bridget, having finished her prayers at the side of Ethel's bed, got upon her feet and drying her eyes with her apron, sadly left the room. Scarcely ' had she closed the door behind her j than the door of the large closet j which the girl had used, opened softly, while into the room stepped the leather jerkined Hermit, bearing the . unconscious girl in his arms. Carry- : Ing her to the side of the bed, he laid j her gently upon it, then with a tendei : smile opened the door leading to the \ living room and peered into it. Find- j ing it empty, he stole within and con- ! cealed himself just in time to escape the eye of the returning Irish woman So close had been his escape that the , door to Ethel's room was still mov- ; ing slightly. "The,door!" she cried, covering hei faee with her hands. "By the blesslc Saints 'tis moving. Tis her spirit/ Seeing his chance to escape, the hermit was quick to avail himself of it | Slipping back into the room of the girl < he entered the closet, raised a trap in the floor and disappeared through it. J The Wolves of the Air Were Rapidly j Gathering. - j Aroused by Bridgets cry, MorgaE and the Spider hurriedly entered the chamber of the girl, Bridget following ! trembling at their heels. One glance i at the bed halted them as though they i had run into a wall, and rendered speechless by the sight that met theii eyes they stood staring. Throwing herself upon the bed, Bridget clasped the girl in her arms, her cry arising aloud and shrill. "Merciful hivens. 'Tis herself alive and warrum." "Lord! what a fright you gave us, Ethel," cried Morgan, apparently over-' joyed at seeing her #live. "Tell us * ' -* --QO -> nV.no 1 aDOUE li." une suoe uu auu uuc oaiw , on, she sat up, smiling faintly. "While I was in the loft I heard a voice which I could not recognize say that John' was in the Devil's Pocket and I went to find out. I heard an i explosion as I entered, and knew no more until Just this moment Where Is Mr. Davis?" Solemnly the Hawk re-1 plied. "He followed you in?well, he is; buried under half the mountain." With a gasping cry her head fell forward upon the matronly bosom of j Bridget, and for some moments no sound was heard save the sobs of the' younger woman and the consoling! [whispers of the one who hejd her. Sud-! denly Ethel freed herself and sprang .to her feet, her tears gone; deter-1 mination upon her face. "I am going back to look for him."| With a quick glance at his confederate j the Hawk replied. "Very well. You and Bridget get your horse and Mr. Bellas and I wills follow you with the tools and ropes." j At once the women departed from the j room, leaving the plotters alone once more. "Of course somebody carried her; hprp. hut who ?" muttered Morgan.! "Suppose we ride to the top of the' hill and take a look about?" Together they left the house. From the crest of the hill they look ed down upon the mouth of the Pocket; where the two women were already | working ineffectually at the pile. Sud- i denly Morgan, glancing down a ra- j vine in another direction, saw a cap j with an eagle feather in it arising from j a hole, and raising hi;; gun fired quick- j ly. With a jerk the cap disappeared, and with the Spider at his side the! Hawk rushed toward the entrance j where the cap ha" been, and rolling j a great boulder over the mouth of the j orifice, the Hawk mopped his brow j as a grin spread over his face. -| "Tha. will keep that cursed Indian j there until he starves. Now let's go j. down and help the girls get Davis' j carcass out." For an hour the two men and two j women -vorked side by side, accom- j plishing little and wholly unaware that j within the other cave Davis and Rain-1 >ert E, Smi TO PLAY face were accomplishing herculean work in their efforts to free themselves. Suddenly the four ceased theii efforts and stood looking at each other Id wonderment, for apparently coming from within the wall of rock they heard a rhythmical tap, tap, tap that could scarcely have been made by other than human hands. Tfs that Indian," whispered the Hawk to his pal. "But where is Davis' body." With a wild tide of hope rushing to her heart, Etl;el picked up a crowbar and began digging frenziedly, while urged to effort by her importunities Morgan and Bellas again fell to laboring at her side. Five minutes later they tore down a great rock, and scarcely had it landed at their feet than from out the opening It revealed Davis came crawling. The next instant Ethel was in his arms. "Hell's hounds!" gritted Morgan. "Did ever a man have such luck?" The Spider gave him a vicious nudge. "Shut up, you fool, or you'll give us both away. "Join in the merrymaking now, and take it out of his hide later." Swallowing his anger Morgan seized the escaped one's hand and wrung it warmly as he congratulated him upon his miraculous deliverance. "More work of that Mysterious Stranger, I suppose. But one of these days we'll get him," said Davis. "Ye must be starved nigh unto death, and It needs a full stomach to keep up with a divil like him. Come home, all of ye, for I've the makin's of a wonderful feast," urged the practical Bridget. High of spirits, they began their return. Half way upon their journey, a peculiar screen of vines attracted the attention of John, and upon his calling the attention of the others to it, all dismounted. A moment's investigation revealed the fact that the vines screened the entrance to another cave, and pushing them aside all entered. The first thing that met their eyes was a small, casket-shaped box labeled "John Carr," and further exploration revealing the fact that a number of similar boxes labeled in the same way were scattered about. Eagerly they gathered about their find. "Anyway we'll find out what is in them," laughed Morgan, as inserting the end of a pick beneath the cover of one he tore the fastening off. With low cries of wonderment the beholders shrank back, clutching each other, their eyes protruding, unable to believe their sefises. For from bottom to cover the box was filled with rudely melted but solid ingots of pure gold. The Hawk dropped upon his knees before it, running his hands through the yellow metal, clinking ingot against ingot.. His face held the flush of a drunkard and his eyes were aglow as his voice arose in a hoarse whisper. "The mine! The mine! At last we have got it." "And a good quarter of million yellow boys must be in those boxes, too," croaked the Spider, no less avariciously than his chief." Davis, putting his arm around Ethel, spoke: "It is great?wonderful?and I h^pe with the finding of it our dangers have come to an end. But we had best be getting it out of here. The cabin is the place for it tonight where we can guard it." "Right-o," sang Morgan, as he leaped to his feet Hastily improvising saddle bags from coat9, blankets and whatever came handiest, they dumped the precious metal into its new receptacles and loaded it upon their horses. Then walking at the heads of their animals they continued their way nHfVi onnnrflccod O'VpitpmDOt" MtACU rr iui oupp vowv-u That night, praying for peaceful slumbers, they placed the treasure in Ethel's room intending to decide upon Its disposition in the morning. With the Hawk and the Spider gone to their rest in the harness rdom, Bridget asleep and Rainface curled up before the fireplace, Ethel raised her lips to John's in a good night caress. Softly her arm stole about his neck. "God has been good to us, John, dear. He has saved you and me from many perils. I am going to thank Him. Good night." "Good night, dearest," he whispered, kissing her many times. The moon had arisen and the stillness of midnight hovered over the place. The door of Ethel's closet opened softly and the face of the Hermit appeared, smiling as he saw her sleeping peacefully. Crossing the room with noiseless steps he raised two of the gold-glutted bags in his arms and reentering the closet disappeared through the trap. Three times more he repeated this, the last time bearing witji him the final nugget, and with a fare; well smile at the still sleeping girl he closed the door and opened it no more. Spnrrpiv had he taken his silent farewell than the Hawk and the Spider. sneaking from the harness room, tools in hand, opened the cellar door and crept within. Lighting a candle they began digging at the earth walls c the cellar, and in the course of a half hour had made a tunnel several yards in 'ength. The Hawk laid aside his shovel and addressed his companion in a whisper. th and Cy "We must be directly beneath her j bed. Quiet now." With infinite care f he pried aside one of the loosely naili ed boards which constituted the flooring of the girl's bed room and wriggled up out of sight, while restraining his impatience with difficulty the other waited. Five minutes later Morgan returned. Rage contorted his face and his voice shook with passion as he hoarsely whispered. "Someone has beaten us to it. It is .gone?every sinker of it. We will have :to wait until morning." Like whipped curs they crept out into the night, for'getting iD their rage and disappointment to close the cellar door behind 'them. Early morning found all the members of the household astir save Ethel, As they were about to summon her to breakfast she burst among them, her ;face white and her hair streaming down her back, a Navajo blanket drawn about her slender figure. "The gold!" she cried excitedly, as -she clutched John. "It is gone?vanished as a mirage." With exclamations of astonishment and unbelief all rushed into her room. It was as bare of the treasure as a garret | Morgan turned upon Davis with an ugly scowl. "Seems to me that it is up to you to explain this disappearance, Davis." Hotly the other answered him. "I know no more about it than do you. And if you dare insinuate that Ethel?" An exclamation from the girl drew their eyes from each other, and looking at the floor at which she was pointing they saw the loosened board through which the Hawk had crept the night before. With one accord they rushed Into the cellar and stood gazing at the freshly dug tunnel and other signs of the thief's work. Davis, whirling upon Morgan, addressed him I coldly. "You suspected me, Morgan, nut now about yourself? Who opened that cellar door, and who made that hole?" "Do you mean?" burst forth the Hawk as with simulated anger he made a step toward the other. Davis doubled his fists. "No!" cred Ethel as she sprang beI tween them. "We will have no fighting ! here. We have other things to do." | With a last evil glance at his successj ful rival, Morgan followed, by the ! Spider, left the room, i "I believe you are upon the right j track, John," said the girl as the pair i disappeared. Slowly he shook his : head. . "No. I think I was in the wrong, 1 Ethel. As a matter of fact I lost my temper and said what I had no right ! to. It is the work of that mad Hermit, ' no doubt i "Then why does he attack only you," | she asked quickly." "It does seem strange," was his j thoughtful reply. Within the harness room Morgan whirled upon his follower, j "They are beginning to suspect me and we have got to disabuse theij lit| tie minds. Davis has been the victim j too many times, now I suppose I have | got to be the goat to even things up. ! Come along." Gathering up two lariats they started up the mountain side. Shortly later they reached the brink of a cliff that overlooked a valley, the opposite side of which was a long rifle shot away. Here Morgan threw himself upon the ground while the Spider, grinning over his task, bound " * " lAAft film witn one 01 rne ropes, uieu ing one end of the other about his chiefs body secured the other end to a tree. Having made sure that everything was secure he raised the Hawk in his arms and carrying him to the edge of the cliff lowered him over the lip, and with a last chuckle at his companion's plight went hurrying away. Soon later he entered the living room to confront Davis and Ethel. The former arose. "Where Is Morgan?" he asked solicitously, seeing the Spider alone. "I hope he did not take me seriously." "He felt terribly about it and went off by himself an hour or so ago," was The Next Instant Etl rus Touii\s( the Spider's reply. 'Tm getting uneasy about hira. The Hermit may have taken a shot at him." Anxiety lest his remark had caused the other man to get into trouble, John reached for his rifle. "Stay here and entertain Ethel for a while. I'll take a peek around and see if I can locate him." But the Spider would have none of it. .... , "l-won't let you go aione. we win Just have a look into Sweetwater Valley. You go around the mountain and meet me below." With this understanding they hastily parted. John, coming to the top of the bare hill overlooking the valley on the opposite side of which Morgan was left suspended to the cliff by his confederate, paused to scan the broad scene. As he did so the shadow of a great bird fell at his feet, and gazing into the sky he saw a dozen mountain vultures wheeling and swooping in the air, their course ever narrowing to the far side of the valley. And as he looked and wondered what prey they saw, an object met his eyes that made him utter a gasp of horror. For suspended against the face of the opposite cliff, dangling in the air like a spider upon his thread, was the body of a man about which the wolves of the air were *-? r* And AtThn no hp rupiuijr gauintug. nuu t looked he saw one of the voracious creatures swoop upon the defenseless one with curved beak drawn and great claws curved. Stopping to witness no more he sank upon one knee and leveled his rifle. It was a long shot and a quick one?a shot which might only be attempted with hope of success by an expert rifleman, yet at the crack of the weapon the wings of the attacking creature suddenly collapsed and the dark body with Its wljtfte trimmed wings went plunging downward like a plummet to the rocks below. A second shot quickly followed with a second great bird falling as had the first, and the remainder of the circling crew, frightened by the fate which had befallen their fellows, withdrew in rapid upward spirals until they became mere specks in the clear sky. Arising to his feet John stood gazing in the clear sky. "I wonder who on earth he can be?" he muttered. Then seeing that the danger was past and the birds hac been frightened into the reaches of the sky, he threw the gun over his snouiaei and started on a brisk run to react the other side of the valley and rescue the unfortunate who hung suspendec so perilously above the rocks that laj at the foot of the cliff. It so happened that the land lay ir a conformation which enabled John t< reach the spot desired by making ? comparatively short turn around i ridge which circled the end of th< valley like the rim of a bowl. Severa minutes of fast traveling brought hin to a point above which the form 01 Morgan hung suspended, and throwin$ his rifle aside John prostrated himsell upon his stomach and peered down & the hanging one. The sight that me his gaze made him shiver with horror One side of Morgan's face was tori and bloodcovered where the fou brutes of the air had plucked at him his head hung limp and he had fainted through sheer terror at thought of be ing torn to pieces .while alive.'Cunninj though he and the Spider were, the? had failed to take into account tin fierce winged creatures who inhabi the mountain tops, and the farce hat become a near tragedy. As his gaze ran down the lariat upoi which his cousin's weight was suspend ed, another thrill ran through the bo som of Davis. Just below the edge o: the cliff a sharp fragment of rock jut ted, and against this the rope, sawet back and forth by the convulsive jerki of Morgan's body as he had tried t< escape his assailants, had become fray ed so that but a few thin strands stil remained intact. It took but a^glano to show that another convulsive move ment of the suspended one would caus< ' thera to part, and seizing the laria : firmly just below the abraided portioE ; I John began to haul the other upward lei Was in Hi* Arms. r ? I v ?i\d Brady I CopyHghl, !9t9, by VlUgr^0 It was severe work even for a man a3 c powerful a? was John yet foot, by foot ; the senseless one1 was hauled aloft until tht fingers of the rescue? sank in : his collar. Then bracing himself for | a final effort, Davis dragged him bodi| ly ovei the edge and stretfhed him out I beyond the reach of danger. Cutting : the rope free from the other's body, i John tossed the loose end back over ^ j the edge, then turned to make a closer I inspection of the injured man. The eyes of Morgan were closed, his clothing torn to rags and his cheeks lacerated and bloody. From a distance the Spider, who had witnessed it all, came running toward ;*y the pair at top speed. Arriving within * hailing distance he raised his voice in a shout Hearing the voice of the approaching one and not knowing who was coming or .what new danger threatened, John sprang to his feet and made a grab for his rifle. A stohe roll- < ing from beneath him at that moment, he lost his balance and went over the cliff. Instinctively his hand flew out, hig fingers clutching the edge of the cliff, | he hung suspended over the rocks far below. Desperately he tried to raise himself above the edge of the cliff and might have succeeded had his handhold not proven false. But as he ele! vated his head to a point where he could see over the top, the rock began to crumble in his grasp and slowly but surely he felt his fingers begin to slip. Realizing the folly of attempting to draw himself further- up with so treacherous a hand hold to depend upon, he again lowered himself to full arms' length and hung limply. He turned his head over his shoulf * der and looked. Below him was the I dizzy height through which he must I fall before he would land a mangled ' mass upon the granite teeth below. 1 Afar above him in the sky dim specks^ I ? ? m .1 .1 .1 i _ L ^ ' were circling, ana ne snuaaerea as ne thought of himself lying beneath their ' talons and beaks, even though death 1 had robbed him of all consciousness. The thought gave him new strength. * Casting his eye a little further along *; the edge of the cliff, he saw the rope > dangling over its edge where he had carelessly tossed it after releasing Morgan's body from one end. The up per end was still fastened to the rock 1 as it had been attached by the Spider * when he lowered the Hawk over, and could he reach it, frayed though it: 1 was, there was a chance that it would J support him and that by means of it ' he could hoist himself up over the lip. ' Slowly he began working himself sideways toward it. 1 He reached it and clutched It with * the grasp with which a drowning man clings to a straw. Had he been fresh [ he would have been able to pull himJ self up without any particular difficulty, but he had been hanging so long j and so desperately to the edge of the rock with the tips of his fingers that | those members had become cramped , and stiffened, and instead of clutching ' I ?I ~ A 4-Vk A n 4" i I | iue swayiiig rupe wim a guy mo.*. would sustain his weight they closed around it but loosely. Slowly, surely, j gaining speed with each instant he began to slip down the rope?down to , its lose swinging end from which he must make his last drop to the rocks upon which the vultures he had slain now lay. j Faster and faster grew his descent until the friction of the rough fibre of : which the rope was made scorched and blistered his hands. Yet mindless of the pain of it he clung on as best he could, knowing that the end was now | but a few seconds away. And that he , did not give way to despair and loosen his hold served for the moment to save his life, for the rope in falling | over the edge had formed a loose knot i at its lower end, and as the descending man's hands struck this his fall was , checked and he hung at full length i from the tip of the rope. , For a moment he swayed there, half ( dead with the nervous strain and ter ribly shaken from it all. Then knowi ing he must regain the length o^ the I rope quickly if at all, he began jerking and clutching as he strove to raise 1 himself hand over hand to the edge of the rocks so many feet above. Tired though he was from his efforts, the i knowledge that his life was hanging / by a hair gave him renewed strength, , and foot by foot he fought his way upward. Already he had half regain-, ed the lost ground when there appear > ed upon the scene a malignant force I which rendered all his tremendous efI forts of the last several minutes worse than wasted. : The Spider, running up to the spot, cast one glance at the prostrate form I of his confederate, then peered cau: tiouslv over the brink. Some yards ji below he saw John fighting his way !j desperately up the lariat, and with a Si vicious curse the Spider arose. Then | his eyes falling upon the thin frayed I -trength of the rope which ran over | i"he edge, he placed his heel upon it and ground it savagely. And beneath that dastardly act it parted with a twang and Davis with *a cry went shooting down. (END OF FIFTH EPISODE.) -i-..