[Illustration: "Listen. Go with the love in your heart--for me." FRONTISPIECE. _See Page 329._] THE EYE OF DREAD By PAYNE ERSKINE Author of "The Mountain Girl," "Joyful Heatherby," Etc. With Frontispiece by GEORGE GIBBS A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 114-120 East Twenty-third Street--New York Published by Arrangement With Little, Brown & Company Copyright, 1913, By Little, Brown, and Company. All rights reserved Published, October, 1913 Reprinted, October, 1913 CONTENTS BOOK ONE I. BETTY 1 II. WATCHING THE BEES 9 III. A MOTHER'S STRUGGLE 23 IV. LEAVE-TAKING 34 V. THE PASSING OF TIME 49 VI. THE END OF THE WAR 59 VII. A NEW ERA BEGINS 69 VIII. MARY BALLARD'S DISCOVERY 87 IX. THE BANKER'S POINT OF VIEW 97 X. THE NUTTING PARTY 110 XI. BETTY BALLARD'S AWAKENING 125 XII. MYSTERIOUS FINDINGS 139 XIII. CONFESSION 157 BOOK TWO XIV. OUT OF THE DESERT 168 XV. THE BIG MAN'S RETURN 183 XVI. A PECULIAR POSITION 198 XVII. ADOPTING A FAMILY 208 XVIII. LARRY KILDENE'S STORY 219 XIX. THE MINE--AND THE DEPARTURE 237 XX. ALONE ON THE MOUNTAIN 252 XXI. THE VIOLIN 267 XXII. THE BEAST ON THE TRAIL 282 XXIII. A DISCOURSE ON LYING 295 XXIV. AMALIA'S FÊTE 305 XXV. HARRY KING LEAVES THE MOUNTAIN 318 BOOK THREE