Butte record., 1856-05-24
The Devils Ladder.

ticular-it was q dark and stormy
night turned away from his door "a
little old man," who implored shelter.
The next day this lords young and
lovely daughter was missing; and in
the afternoon the wretched father saw
her clearly from his castle window,
standing on the inaccessible heights of
Hederick. He knew not, of course,
with whom he had to deal the evening
before-one of the grooms of the
mountain! and set to work to strew his
bread and his aims, to curse and to
pray, and to make VOWS and ladders.
All in vain.
-Four years after, when young
knight returned from the wars of Hun
gary, was wandering among the rocks
of the mountain, dreaming of the fate
of Garlinda, who was by this time the
heroine of the popular songs, he saw an
old man in situation of singular dan
ger. The wretch was far above the
young knights head, lying on the very
brink of a rock, and fast asleep. Ev-
cry now and then twist of his limbs
brought him nearer to the edge; he
was evidently in the midst of dream,
and in another moment he would un-
doubtedly roll into gulf, where he
must be dead man long before reach
ing the bottom. To shout would only
hasten his fate; and the generous
knight, with extraordinary hazard to
his neck, climbed up the rock to his
rescue.
He had just grasped the unfortunate
being by the collar when the latter a
wakened, and perhaps terrified by the
touch, sprang over the cliff. He
struck, however, on projecting point
of the rock and clung on with a death
grip. The knight, horror struck, risk
ed everything to repair the mischief he
had done. He followed, but more
cautiously; and would have succeeded
this time in saving his man, had not
the strength of the latter given way at
the moment. He sunk helplessly to
another ledge of the rock; and there
also was pursued by our philanth-o-
pist.
Our adventurer, however, was sud
denly alarmed by the growing dark
ness Of the gulf, and by strange con-
viction he felt that the old man was
not alarmed at all; and all at once he
began to utter patenoster, and re-
ascend the rocks. His foot slipped,
however, at the moment, and he fell
upon the object of his fear and com
passion, who received him with shrieks
of wild laughter, and both parties tum-
bled heels over head to the very bot
tom of the cliff.
''What is all this noise about?" de-
manded another little old man, coming
out Of a hole in the rock in the dress
of a minor, and with lamp in his
hand. The knights companion was
for some time unable to answer for
laughter; but at last
''Brother," said he, |'this young fell
low would needs save my life, and ven
tured his own to help me out of the
rocksl What shall We do in return?
Shall we give him Garlinda to wife?"
''Garlinda is in the safe keeping of
our eldest brother at the top of the
mountain. We have no more control
over him than we have over the moon.'
II know that, but our eldest brother
is a good natured fellow at the bottom,
although he hates churls. Do you who
understand the trade, make ladder
for this young man to ascend the noun
tain, and leave the rest to me-"
Telling the knight to take care to
be at certain point at the bottom Of
the mountain by daybreak, he showed
a subterranean passage by which he
easily found his way out of the gulf.
As the adventurer retreated, he al
ready heard the noise of telling trees,
the grating of the saw, thump of the
hammer, and he pleased himself with
the idea that the little old mans lad
der was something more than joke.
The next morning he was punctual
to his appointment, and sure enough a
ladder appeared reaching to the very
top of the mountainl The knight was
little giddy at first when he began to
mount; but taking care not to look
down and to keep saying his paternos-
ter incessantly, he at length reached
the summit. Here sight awaited
him beautiful enough to repay a thou
sand such dangers; it was Garlinda ly-
ing asleep upon the velvet turf. Lii
les and roses.-was there ever such a
girl The knights lips watered as he
looked at her.
''Hushl hush.v exclaimed little old
man, stealing out on tiptoe from be-
hind a rock. Il am one of the car
lpenters, your honor, that made the
ladder, and am sorry to tell you that
Garlinda's master is luexorable. He