The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-08-19

the contempt he felt for the coward, a
once profered his services, curious, NJ
doubt, in his turn, whether l would holc
to my resolution TO try the dsngerou'
climb when it came to making the start
~ thanked him and proposed that w
should take our individual hand. baskets
with us and eat our dinner on Rattlesnake
Peak, as my companion had facetiously
termed the coveted spot. He accedsd tc
the proposal with boyish enthusiasm, and
without much trouble or discomfort, save
a few scratches, we were soon seated on
large, fat rock, where we made ourselves
comfortable and enjoyed our sandwiches,
cold chicken, and pickles with true relish
"There was good deal of sparring be-
tween the two gentlemen, and sharp
speech from Horton, who, with the rest
of the party, remained below us within
easy speaking distance, elected shout OF
merriment from the company and
brought the hot blood into my compan-
ions usually pale face. 1t struck me at
the time as having some personal mean
ing beyond the attempted witticisms de-
signed for the company, only really un-
derstood by the two men themselves. MY
companion was very pleasant, agreeable,
and 1 was profoundly impressed with his
| almost inexhaustible fund of information.
l was not long from continental tour of
three or four years, and my Alpine dress,
made in Paris, no doubt attracted him to
| me ut first. and rs l then considered my
self very learned and travelled, l strove
on my part to keep up the interest OF our
delightful conversation. We conversed
ON all sorts of subjects of general as
we'll as of special interest in the world OF
literature, art, and science, and at last be-
came rather warmly engaged In debate
Oh political economy, party politics, on
the peculiar institution, and the pros
meets of an interneclne war; MIR. Wilkes
Southern proclivities beng very sharply
ditined.
cat the time beginning of our CONVEX
sation, and while at our lunch, we were
in sight of the rest of the party, being al
most directly above them. Soon, to get
more out of the sunshine, they moved out
of our sight INTO the shade OF the hedge
my companion and were on, but we
could still hear their merry voices.
"Now, IN the heat of our debate the
fact that we had party with US at all
was eliminated from the realm OF our
realities, and as far as the top OF Rattle
snake Peak was concerned, We might rs
we'll have been on steamers deck or in
the parlors OF Frsulein Duhlwener at
Munich.
"Suddenly my companion looked at his
watch, and both of us exclaiming at the
lateness of the hour, we hastily toasted
Rattlesnake Peak. Old Monadnoc, al d
the lovely though not extensive view
from its summit, in our gutta-percha cups
of cold coffee, and scrambled down the
lodges, shouting to our party, whom we
could not see, but supposed to be near by,
that 1t was high time wo were on our
| way down the mountain.
"On reaching the spot where VIC ex-
pected to rcjoin our comrades we were
SURPRISED to find that with our guide they
had departed, and their places were sup
planted by fresh arrival of tourists who
were strangers TO us. Hasty questions
brought out the fact that they had como
by different path from ours. Ourparty
we're Just leaving as they appeared, which
explained the matter by our not noticing
any cessation of voices in the meantime.
IA gentleman who seemed to be the
leader of the fresh arrivals, told my COM
psnion that our party was hurried away
| by man with hooked nose and chin
whisker, who kept saying that one cou-
pie that he presumed meant ourselves,
had been gone for some time, and that he
was very anxious lest they should take a
wrong path. My companions handsome
face darkened. That is Horizons work,
he said. 1T is just dirty and petty
enough for his sneaking nature to sug
sest. and it is a Just retributlon upon me,
for | had no business to be in his compa-
nv. He Is a mendacious, characterless
scamp, whose low, drunken debauches,
and disgusting Hasons had cast him out
of decent society. A mutual acquaint-
ance-a woman pretended to be interest
cd in him as looking towards his reform,
but who | subsequently found to be his
equal in meanness-had been the means
of bringing us together. Ho tessed me
t. taking this trip, and my excuse TOR
coming, must be my weakness tor riding
fine horses, which he had procured for
the occasion, and AT over-.ondness for
mountain scenery. He was piqued at my
Offering myself rs your escort To the SER
pent infested lodge, and knew you felt an
utter contempt for his timidity. He has
taken this way to obtain his revenge.
But We will overtske them if you don't
mind hurrying little.
IL did not mind hurrylng good deal
and wc ran down the winding, rocky
path, making all possible haste; but they
were out of sight and hearing. Presently
huge storm cloud that had been circling
over the mountain had gathered to itself
a host of adjacent scuds, and the scowl-
ing mass now opened upon our devoted
heads with sudden violence. 1t grew
very dark, and the binding rain nearly
completed the obscurity OF our vision.
Still we hurried down the path OF rug
ged rocks only to find, as we emerged
from the cleft Of gigantic boulder, that
we were on the wrong track. Thinking
we would rather trust this one TO take us
to some possible place OF shelter than run
the risk of relrscing our steps TO lind the
right path VIC continued our frightful do
scent.
at Numbered ami lightened, and the
falling torrents had swollen the little
mountain brooks and made the path we
were in, which WAS no moro than the
dried-up bod of a former one, tumultu'
ously rushing stream. Our position was
now one OF no little peril, taking into con-
siderstion the electric discharges rafting
about us, the danger of the rushing cur
rents undermining rocks above our
heads and Immediately beneath our feet,
aud the wind, which blew perfect tenn
pest, whipping of the dead branches OF
| the immense trees that came crashing
down around us.
"AsI was standing on the trunk OF
tree that lay over the angry current that
had usurped our path, appalled, at the ter,
r,hI. sIobts and sounds now regardless oi