The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A PERUVIAN PARADISE, 21 thong a quiver of arrows, and she held a short bowin her hand. In Keeth’s startled vision she seemed a Diana in bronze. He was speechless with amazement; but Ford and the trader, noticing the abrupt termination of their comrade’s sentence, glanced up also. A sharp exclamation from the Englishman made the girlturn. She saw them, and wonder filled her face. Her great eyes, black as night, gazed deep into Keeth’s own, J4ven in that brief instant he felt the magic of her glance. But she remained motionless onlya moment. Like a flash she fitted an arrow to her bow and a wild, bird-like call burst from her lips. ‘The arrow was trained full at Keeth’s breast and her brown fingers trembled on the string. He dared not move as she began to step lightly backward, her eyes still fixed upon him. Suddenly Ford uttered a shout of warning. ‘The girl, evidently forget- ting the proximity of the cliff’s brink, made a misstep. In a breath she had plunged backward into the abyss! The’arrow flew high in the air and a piercing cry reached the ears of her horrified audience as she disappeared. ‘“My God !’’ cried Ford; ‘‘ she’s gone !’’ ‘‘ She’ll be dashed to bits on them rocks below !’’ said Fitch, his usually ruddy face perfectly colorless. But Keeth ran forward to the brink of the precipice. He expected to see the poor creature’s mangled body bounding from rock to rock to the foot of the cliff. Instead of the horrible picture which his imagination had conjured, he beheld her lying in the fan shaped top of a stunted tree which grew out of a fissure in the cliff just below him: Her bow had fallen from her hand and she lay, seemingly stunned, upon this insecure resting place. : ‘Quick! knot that rope around me, under the arms,’’ he commanded. ‘She may slip atany moment. Hang on the rope with all your might and don’t let it chafe against the edge of the rock.”’ He divested himself of his coat and ammunition belt as he spoke, and in a moment was lowered over the brink. His feet scarcely gained a foothold on the rock, but Ford and the Englishman eased him steadily down. Occa- sionally a bit of rock gave way beneath his weight and went crashin g into the gorge, and his hands were torn and bleeding before he reached the tree. ‘The girl had not fallen more than twenty feet ; but the shock had evidently de- prived her of consciousness. She lay amid the broken branches with her eyes closed and head hanging limply over the abyss. Resting one foot upon a protuberance on the face of the rock and the other on the limb of a tree, Keeth was able to raise her in his arms. She did not stir, and holding her tightly against his breast with his left arm, he fended himself off from the cliff with the other hand and shouted to his comrades to draw him up. He could no longer see where to place his feet and once or twice swung against the rough wall with cruel force. But he kept his own body between the cliff and his burden and she was not injured in the least. Before they reached the summit her eyes opened and she gazed up into his face. ‘’ Keep still. Don’t move,’’ he said, and although she could not under- stand the words his voice evidently reassured her. She did not seem CoOTmmiclaoolK< (©)