Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 July 1938 — Page 22

By Clarke Newton

CAST OF CHARACTERS NIKKI JEROME, heroine; blond, popular, is engaged to 6-foot, black-haired STEVE MALLORY, hero; who is ac- ¢ companying her on a trip to Nikki's aunt and uncle on a Wyoming dude ranch. Nikki’s father, PETER JEROME, is a wealthy New _ York jewel merchant. .

Yesterday: Nikki and her uncle and Steve are to take a mountain trip and Sarto, Bancroft ‘and Fiske decide to go, too!

CHAPTER SEVEN

HEY took the trail just as the sun broke in dawn. Nikki rode with Steve and realized, in the grandeur of the breaking dawn, that she loved him very much and that she wassbeing distinctly. unfair . to him. Anything might happen on this trip, she thought, and decided to tell Steve about Bancroft and the money at the first opportunity. Long before they stopped to eat sandwiches that had been prepared and to boil coffee over a tiny fire, the trail started upward and became more and- more rocky. Their pause for lunch was brief for Uncle Jim wanted to reach the cabin before dark and the worst of the trail lay yet ahead, As they started out again he arranged them in single file and warned each rider against trying to pass another or - of getting too close on the trail. Rance led the way, followed by Nikki, Uncle Jim, Fiske, Sarto, Steve, Bancroft, and Woody, who brought up the rear to keep any of the little party from straggling too far back. The trip appeared to be a hardship for Sarto alone. He was distinctly not an outdoor man and clung to his saddle as the trail narrowed and hunched disconsolately in his seat, scowling silently. The pack trip was obviously not of his choosing. . ” # EJ HE trail wound along the side of a cliff, tortuous and rocky. On the inside rose the sheer walls of stone, washed clean by centuries of mountain storms, marked with the oddly colored lines of capricious reds and blacks against the brown. On the other side, along most of the slender path, the mountain sloped off steeply but not dangerously. They had been on that upward

trail several hours when it hap={

pened. Nikki was watching her horse stepping carefully at the | heels of Rance’s mount. Behind her Uncle Jim -hummed a monotonous little song and paid small attention to a trail that was long familiar to him. - Behind her uncle came Fiske, quiet and observant, and back of him rode the glowering Sarto. They were passing a section of the trail | narrowed by the snow-laden torrents and the path hung precipitously over awesome nothingness on | the right. There wasn’t over 20 feet of danger and then the trail widened and fell off into gradual sloping ground again.

2 2 =

IKKI heard a sudden frightened yell and turned to see Sarto’s horse plunging forward, hugging the inner wall. Sarto clung to the pommel, his head ducked ‘forward into the steed’s mane. The quick lunge carried Sarto’s horse crowding between the wall and the mare ridden by Fiske. The mare fought desperately for balance. ° “Throw yourself off,” shouted Uncle Jim, twisting in his saddle, helpless to aid. There was only an instant as the mare hung on the brink. Fiske leaned desperately to throw his weight inward. Sarto’s horse surged forward again in frightened leaps and broke through. Steve, riding directly behind Sarto, reined in his horse abruptly at Sarto’s unexpected lunge. He could see the quick, deadly drop.off the trail, the narrow path upon which two horses could not stand side by side. He could see just ahead the safety of the sloping mountain with its dotting shrubs and small trees : That safety lay a bare seven feet ahead of Fiske. : The final plunge of Sarto’s horse thrust Fiske’s mare far out on the edge. One hind foot slipped over and pawed into the thin air. She fought and lost the battle for balance. Then Steve moved. With the sunden skill of years of polo. playing, he turned his horse to the outside of the trail. He leaned forward and brought his flat hand down brutally hard on his mount’s rump. - : His horse bounded forward and struck Piske’s mare almost as she slipped off the trail. The momentum of the blow carried the mare forward and in. She was safe. So was Fiske. But the motion threw Steve's horse to the outer edge.

NTEVE lost his balance and J ‘plunged over his mount’s shoulder, but the force of the fall carried him past the precipice. He grabbed a: clump of bushes-as he slipped downward and clung on desperately. His horse scrambled forward, lost its footing, rolled over twice and finally stopped against a tree, got up and shook itself vigorously. Uncle Jim was .off his horse by that time with a rope in his hand. He tossed the noose down to Steve,

snubbed the other end around his :

.sadd’e horn, “Sip it over your arms,” he shouced, and Steve managed to find footing long enough to get the noose over his head and shoulders. Rance and Uncle Jom hauled him back. . ~ Sarto still sat on his horse sullenly, Fiske was leaning against the wall. He came over to give Steve the final helping hand back up on the trail. “Thanks,” he said, and his voice meant it. : “That was mighty quick thinking,” said Uncle Jim. “Mighty quick acting, too,” said Rance.

ce. Nikki was standing back, her face white. Steve came over and she clung to him. “I'm all right, honey,” he told her and laughed gently. “I know you are now,” she said,

“but you weren't. a minute ago and |

you- might have been killed. © Oh, Steve.”

ALyoe

ewe ® 7.28

“Jones wants to go to his grandmother’s funeral, but he’s afraid the boss won't believe him, so he’s asking to go'to the ball game.”

COPR. 1938 BY NEA SERVICE. INC.

FLAPPER FANNY

By Sylvia

[ \/

“Preity slow reading, isn’t it?” “Oh, no. to the pound.”

It'll average one marriage, one divorce and one murder

GRIN AND BEAR IT

“I's been our best week—all our customers are returns.”

By Lichty

overdue on their

(To Be Continued) ea

THIS CURIOUS WORLD

By William Ferguson POL SFR) TALI ; (AS ) Coo, < AF, / m hr

/ PD ee WD ETE : D) 2 38s 2

o A oy SD

\ COMMON ERROR

Never pronounce chianti as shi-an’-ti; say, kee-ahn’-tee. i

SO THEY SAY

He stopped the car to go after me,

I guess, then he saw the lady and

Detroif}, Mich, who threw a ripe

went to help her.—Meyer Surowitz.

Big = of

pear at a motorman to stop him when a woman was being dragged by the streetcar.

Whereas the instrumental virtuosity has reached the highest level of all time, the art of singing has made very little progress.—Dr. Fred-

wvCcX=Z <n2>IZ

erick Stock, Chicago symphony conductor > Fg a

‘OUR BOARDING HOUSE -

I-202Z2 »»»=<ZT

moo — Ind >

LomrRXOm>oXm:n

eZ > m—o wd

{THRILLING IT MUST BE! You MUST HURRY AND GET DRESSED,

~ DEAR, SO YOU WONT KEEP. Jue <vmse WAITING.

Nagra

HME a WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS ¢ THREE POUNDS EXACTLY. HERMAN MUST HAVE THE MORTGAGE PAID OFF ON THE OLD HOME - STEAD AT LAST/ HE'S BEEN TWO OR THREE OUNCES SHORT ON EVERY MEAT ORDER FOR YEARS?

Whar THUMB HAS EARNED A PENSION =

COPR. 1938

EAS

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UN TH BABY ANTELOPE, DE AN ELK FER EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSES = AN’ YO'RE A-PAYIN' OLR FINES OUTA HERE?

SAFE KEEPING

CHILD

COPR. 1938 BY NEA SERVICE, T.

: < ® Rion ese Ted) FIND THEM MYSELF] | MEN IWONTEBE / |

l i 4 Uy le To

THAT ORPHAN -NOW 1 GET IT. | LEGALLY HERKIMER HOSS" THE

TANIA! LISTEN, PLEASE! \F YOU LET ME OUT, T MAY TO HELP YOU..THE SAILORS SAID SOMEONE WAS

BE ABLE

HURT, AND--1--

BADLY 5 TM REALLY A TRAINED NURSE?

YOU FIRST DATE! OW, HOW

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CAN'T BELIEVE

WORRY, VIRGINIA, EAD! ie

\T'S REAL!

VLATE

AND NEARLY EVERY PREDICTION SHES MADE HAS COME True!

\= A

SO’ OUR CLEVER LILEE IS ALSO A | NURSE? HMM... YOU THINK TREAT A MAN

08, AY POOR LITTLE GIRL— COME QUICK ! | SHE'S FALLEN!

Pp BOY WITH FRECKLES COME HERE ! I HAVE MESSAGE ! 1 TELL YOU

CROSS MY PALM WITH SILVER AND 1 TALK/

THE FUTURE

FOR. You ! MANY SURPRISES

WHAT YOU DO NOT know!

| FOR 35¢ 1

IM JuNGRY BOT I HAVE To STAY JP

For LuNCH, rhe Are - FOLKS,” ON THEIR WAY To PINE. CAM?

IN MAINE

==] A: HH

Copr. 1938 by United Feature Syndicate, Inc. Tim Reg. Ce Bat rights reserved

WE'RE TAKING THE Bus WP A | WAYs For GAS, FOLKS --WE'LL BE RACK For You -

SAD SOME: | BILLY RAN INTO AL THING ABOUTE THAT BAD LLOKR,T™M ABSOLUTELY ON BN : = OWN) =

(OW, COME Now" NOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL THAT OLR WOME

-1 GUESS 1 DUST COLLON'T EVER REPAY Nou AND CORA FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE we BUT I'M SORE YOU ONDERSTAND! 1 | SOPPOSE BILLY Wh. SEND WHAT RE CAN SPARE =~ BUT L WOULDN'T TRWKR OF J © TAWKWG NV

WELL IN THAT CASE , 1 RANE

1 SIMPLY MUST GEL A 0B. TM GOING TO START \LOOW\NG TRE F\RsY THING WN THE MORNING

(MY ASSISTANT TOLD ME, JUST TOOAY, THAT HIS WIFE'S ONCLE'S BROTHER." IN-LAWS THIRD COVSIN BY MARRIAGE 1S RUNNING AN \NN SOMEWHERE AND 15 LOOKING FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOO «1M NOT

ASY THERE /// EASY YOU

LO~ NI

( HEL RAVIOLI AGENCY? LISTEN!

HERE TO IMMEDIATELY //

EW YORK CITY 2-- ROLLS- ?

1 FLY A MEC Ae) CRABTREE CORNERS ---

| SAID FLY A MECHANIC HERE TONIGHT THIS IS MARK TURKLE == THE SOUP KING//! | DON'T CARE

E--THAT CAR IS \OUR HOSPITAL TE ONLY ont ot WHICH | AIN'T FOR SA 1 CAN RIDE COMFORTABLY. \ SIR. IF YOU WE'LL HAVE TO STAY HERE ) STAY--YOU LNT 17S FIXED. WE'LL _/ STAY AS OUR