The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-21

we saw one Of those little Dutch steam.
ers that continually paddle up and
down, and suddenly tile view became
intensely interesting. look through
the glass again; yes, there she was,
without a doubt, more graceful and en-.
that numbering little tug fathoms below
US. called to Phil. He bent, he looked,
and, stretching over with yearing, uu-
steady movement, he lost his balance
and fell.
Fell down the sheer edge of the rock,
grasping as he went at every tuft OF
licnen and grass, at every shrub that
rapidly shot out Of his reach. Watched
him with agonized suspense when sud-
denly his coat caught upon the Jagged
wall of the precipice, and held him sus-
pended over the chasm beneath He was
partly supported by Trail ledge beneath
him; and to this bit Of rock l was deter
mined to descend II in the endeavor l
lost my life. There was no other way of
saving Phil-none whatever; it must be
done immediately; and he who has
risked his life in mad encounters with
savage beasts can surely afford to do so
In behalf OF the friend of his soul.
Around me flocked crowd OF sturdy
Germans, anxious to help me in every
possible way. A stout rope was brought,
fastened firmly about my waist, and
was lowered, hairbreadth at time, by
my honest friends above. At last my
foot trembled upon the thin piece of slate
upon which Phil rested. Grasping the
rope with one hand, disengaged his un-
place, slipped slowly into the position
he had taken, and, binding the rope
about my poor Phil, had the joy to see
him finally lifted into the arms Of my
comrades above.
Loud shouts arose from the plateau
and were echoed from the little steamer
below from the deck Of which my peril
GUS undertaking had been watched
with interest. With difficulty 1 sue
ceeded in keeping my hold upon this
ledge of the precipice until the rope
came back to me, and when l bound 1t
about my waist, had already expert
enced that fatal dizziness that precedes
unconsciousness. Reaching the top l
friends and made my way to the cham
ber In the hostelry where they had taken
Phil. A doctor was already with him,
and declared that, although no bones
were broken, his system had received a
nervous shock, and that he would need
careful nursing. So l took my place by
the side OF Phil, and nursed him in Ger
many as he had ministered to me in
A frica. He got well sooner than l did,
but modesty compels me to say 1t was
not because of better nursing. His col.
lar bone and right arm were not smashed,
neither had he the skin torn direct from
the scalp over his eyes-which leads me
to the opinion that collision with O
rock is less formidable than one with a
lion. Then there were better facilities
for nursing in the pretty SaXony town
than in the heart of Africa; and, besides,
| wasn't the only nurse he had; lady
travelling in the vicinity kindly aided
me. She was not altogether stranger
to Phil-nor to me, for that matter.
She was very gentle and beautiful,
with that winning way about her that
reaches the heart, magnetizes it and en-
thralls it, without the exact knowledge
OF that organ.
There was something In the slight
pressure of her hand upon PbiPs fore
head, the floating of her dlaphanous dra-
perry about his bedside, the melody OF
her voice, the soft cleaning of her lu-
minous eyes through the dimmed light of
the sick room, that made her presence
consoling, healing, divine.
Then when Phil mad fallen into slum-
Der she came to me, her fell0W-Watcher,
and administered to my comfort through
the dark watches of the night. She lis
tened with tender interest to my relation
of our adventures in Africa, ana especi-
ally never tired of a terrible struggle OF
mine with male lion in the defle OF the
mountains. She declared 1t was thrill
ing. grand, heroic; and, touching with
her slender fingers the scars upon my
face. pronounced them beautiful, while l,
alas. caught and kissed those gentle
fingers, and wished that PhiPs GONZALES
cence were not so rapid, and that we
might forever-we three-rest together
upon the yerdure crowned heights, slike
gods together beedless of mankind"
On one of these occasions was relat-
ing to her desperate encounter oil ours
in the jungle with panther, and had
reached the most thrilling part of it;
she covered her eyes with one hand, as
if to shut out the terrible scene, and the
other she stretched to me in sympathy
with my relation to the combat. Alb
sorbed with my story, JUST toucnea the
white fingers to my lips with caressing
when su utdenly Phil stood
before us. He was pale to gbastliness,
and my heart smote me, for saw in his
face bitter hatred aiid fernroaeh. He
glared at me- with hollow, burning eyes.
But Diana rose to her feet. Taking the
light shawl from her shoulders, she
threw it about the shivering form of
Phil and gently forced him to the seat
beside her.
"You wicked boy" she said, looking
upon him in tender reproach, show can
you be so imprudent? We want no re-
lapse, you know, for must leave you
tomorrow. The Colone! will. be here"
"The Colonel!' stammered Phil.
"What ColonelS"
"Why, my Colonel" said Diana.
"Colonel John Talbot, my husband"
Phil seemed to have lost all power OF
articulation, aud my own voice sounded
hollow and strange as l remarked we
were under the impression that Colonel
John Talbot had been killed years ago
by the Indians on the American plains.
"Why, what horrid conjecture"
said Mrs. Talbot with a graceful shud-
der OF alright. "There was such re-
port, and it nearly cost me my life, but
happily it was exaggeration. He was
scalped and left for dead. But you
know" she added, turning to me, Show
much manly, athletic nature can
Eyes, yes," I murmured; and as she
bade us goodnight, and glided away,
Phil and | looked at each other with an
emotion that was impossible just then to
analyze.
remained in sombre silence, watch.