Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 80: what you’re looking at

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706 “No help for it,” said Hal. To Roger he said: ‘ Help me to get her turned.” They were on the shoulder of a hill that sloped steeply down some hundred feet or so to the water. In this place the river ran deep and still. The moon was now almost directly overhead, and the whole gorge was filled with its pale light. The two men maneuvered the car this way and that in the road, until they got it pointed squarely down hill. Hal let down the top of the car and fastened it. He lashed the steering wheel to the posts of the windshield. “Naw!” he said. The two men put their shoulders to her and heaved her over the edge. As she started to move Hal reached in and turned on the light switch. “ Let her go down blazing!” he said. Celesta turned away her head. Hal watched his car with a catch in his breath, how she plunged down, gathering speed with every foot, her headlights cleaving a way through the night. Near the bottom she struck a ledge, bounded clear of the earth, and landed with a shattered crash fairly In the river. The wildly tumbled water quick- ly subsided. In a few seconds it was mir- ror-like in the moonlight. ‘“‘ She’s covered,” Hal remarked. The tears were running down Celesta’s cheeks. | “Come on, let’s go,” Hal said curtly. Celesta, aware that even she could not comfort him at such a moment, let him trudge on alone. She and her father fol- lowed. She whispered to Roger: “Do you feel equal to walking, dear?” Roger was not so merciful. Raising his voice a little he said with a martyred air: “7 am in the hands of you and your friend, my dear.” Hal heard him. CHAPTER X. THE GYPSIES. HE three fugitives were lying asleep 2 on a grassy bed in a little, open wood. It was broad day and the sun was gilding the light green leaves of the poplars and young beeches. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Celesta and her father lay side by side, Hal a few paces distant. Celesta had a coat to cover her. The men had nothing. Some dozen yards or so beyond where Hal was lying, the high road ran through a cut. Lying on higher ground than the road, the sleepers were protected from the chance discovery of any passer-by. Although he was wearied by many miles of walking, Hal’s ears were still on guard while he slept. He suddenly sat up broad awake, to listen. The sound which had aroused him was the exhaust of a rapidly approaching vehicle. He cautiously crept through the undergrowth to the edge of the cut bank, and lying at full length peered down at the road through a screen of leaves. He presently saw what he expected to see, two motorcycles ridden by men in the trim, khaki uniform of the State constabu- lary. Like any fugitive at the sight of that uniform, Hal’s face hardened bitterly. The machines coughed by at a high rate of speed. The riders’ eyes were perfunctorily bent on the road looking for tracks. Drivy- ing at that rate they could see nothing. The old stone road full of ruts and holes yielded but little at the best. The mere fact that they had come so far, showed that they were not upon the tracks they were looking for. The sound of their exhaust was slowly swallowed in the distance. Hal returned to his friends. ‘The place they were in was as safe as any place, and he saw no object in waking them. He dropped to his knees beside Celesta’s bed in the grass, and for a few moments remained gazing down at her with inex- pressible wistfulness. How like a child she looked, with her curved black lashes lying on her clear cheeks, and her enchanting lips, lips which stabbed Hal with their beauty, now a little petulant with weariness and grief. Hal, throwing a sharp, hard glance at Roger to make sure he slept, awkwardly ducked his head, and kissed the collar of Celesta’s coat where it had fallen a little from her face. Then he retreated guiltily to his own place and lay down again. For awhile he gazed dreamily at Celesta, then his eyes closed, too. CORICGLOO© (C@