riefly on
its flight through space. Then began cannonading. Army replied to army.
The advancing film from the desert, grown black, became an illuminated
scroll; thin ribbons of gold were traced on it, bowknots of tinsel. The
pattern changed continually. The legions repeated their fire; javelins,
shafts, flew. Lightning passed in vertical bolts, in sheets from ridge to
ridge. Then the cloud approaching the plateau spoke, and the curtain
moving from the Columbia became a wall of doom, in which great cracks
yawned, letting the light of eternity through.

The girl was flying down the slope to meet Tisdale. She came with bent
head, hands to her ears, skimming the pitfalls. Under her light tread the
loose debris hardly stirred. Then, as he rounded the pillar, her pace
slackened. "I am afraid," she said and stumbled. "I am afraid." And her
trembling body sank against his arm; she buried her face in his coat.
"Take me away from this terrible place."

Her impact had started the splintered granite moving, but Hollis swung
instantly and set his back to the crumbling chimney, clinging there,
staying her with his arm, until the slide stopped.

"See here," he said, and his voice vibrated its soft undernote, "you
mustn't lose your grip. It's all right. Old Mother Nature is just having
one of her scolding fits. She has to show the woman in her once in a
while. But it's going to end, any minute, in tears."

She lifted her face, and he paused, knitting his brows, yet smiling a
little, mastering the terror in her eyes with his quiet, compelling gaze.
"Come, Miss Armitage," he said, "we must hurry. You will be wet through."

He took her hand and began to lead her quickly down the rugged staircase.
"Be careful," he admonished, "this granite is treacherous." But she gave
little heed to her steps; she looked back continually over her shoulder,
watching the dun cloud. Presently she tripped. Hollis turned to steady
her, and, himself looking up beyond her, caught her in his arms and ran,
springing, out of the gully.

The ledge he reached formed the rim of the natural reservoir and,
measuring the distance with a swift glance, he let himself over, easing
the drop with one hand on the rocky brink, while the other arm supported
her. Midway, on a jutting knob, he gathered momentary foothold, then swung
to the bottom of the basin.

It was all done surely but with incredible haste, while the cavernous
cloud drew directly overhead. The next insta