Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-10-23
at is the sound of falling water, said

the past, thought it sweetest music.
Hold r he cried, as Harold in his eager
ness, advanced step beyond him. We
are on the edge of a chasm, which we must
descend by means OF this chain. Let me
fasten the rope about You again. Keep a
irm grip on the chain, and trust blind,y
to it and ne; it's but fifty feet down.
Now !"
In few minutes Harold had descended
| the ehasn, AMI reached point of safety.
AS his foot touched the solid rock, fash
Of lightning pierced the chasrn. filing it
with vivid light, and he realized the danger
he had escaped In the same moment he
saw Rant scrambling down the chain.
q Hark" Grid Rant. standing by Har-
old's side.
Aterrible peal of thunder broke over the
sea the sonnd rushed into the chesm with
awful import, and lingering there, threat
eningly, long after it had died out of the
open space beyond a great exaltation
possessed Harold's being as he listened to
Natures mighty voice. Every pulse in his
body beat with spiritual excitement.
g Destiny must have led you to the dis
covery of this path, . he said to Rant.
F" 1t seemed so to me when I first trod
it." replied Rant; F" destiny may be lead.
ing us now to something more certain than
| what has vet hefallen Us. .
9 To what Z"
:" TO death !"
'.What matters y exclaimed Harold,
with wild wave OF his hand. "oar work
in life is over.
True Our work is over Harold, You
are covered with blood. You must be IL
terrible pain"
! Il feel none. The Ettleness and the
agony of life are worth suffering when they
lead to such moment as this. Almighty
God With what sublimity the dark
waves rush upon the eternal rocks below
And Mauvain- where is he -
"We may know soon" said Rant,
quietly.
Slowly and laboriously they pursued
their way until they reached a point from
which they overlooked the wonderous caves
along the shore. Harold could but dimly
trace their outlines. They were wrapt in
darkness.
The heavens were overcast with sullen
cloud. The tide was rising. and the sea
was lashed to fury.
What nov, Harold ?" asked Rant
must descend to the shore, to seek
for Mauvain's body. 1t would fall at this
point 2"
Wonder, said Rant, taking Harold's
right arm, and extending it towards the
east, :" in front of those monstrous masses
OF seaweed which are curling furiously up
wards
His words were arrested by the break |
ing Of the storm. The lightning darted |
into the brown, writing coils; deafening
peals of thunder instantaneously followed,
and the rain poured down in mighty
food.
"They look ike an army of giant ser
penis convulsed in supreme death-strug.
gle, )" said Harold.
1.-THE eastern edge Of the summit of the
mountain over which Mauyain fell ia in a
direct line with that. It is madness to
attempt to recover the body. II it is not
dashed to pieces, it is already carried out
to sea-"
g You promised to help me-"
IS do not retract It is for you now to
direct what is to be DONE
s'You see have kept the rope about my
body. shall venture to the spot you can
prevent me from being carried out to sea
if you will wind the end of the rope around |
you. You want resistant point you
cannot obtain it on these rocks
You have heard the legend of the snow
mountain, with which the Evangeline who
died two centuries ago is connected p
"Yes.''
So fearful was the storm that the men
were compelled to speak in whispers, with |
their faces touching.
ga few feet below us Wait till |
the lightning comes There you saw
that huge mass of wood fixed in the Gre
vices of the rocks y
Yes"
st is the Cross carved out of pine.
tree by the man who slew his brother, and |
wrecked the happiness of an innocent girls
life. can obtain my resistant point there
Il can cling to an arm of the Cross, hold
ing the rope, while you go outward on your
wild unreasonable quest. There is not
moment to be lost. The tide is rising fast,
and the storm has not yet reached its
hight.
Swiftly they descended to the sands,
with the waves dashing furiously upon
them. Rant, clinging with all his strength
to the Cross, and with the end of the rope
wound round his waist, gave the word to
Harold to speed.
Almost blinded by the water, but in
domitable in his resolve, Harold ran out
towards the rock, above which the mon.
strous coil of sea-weed curled and reared.
The receding waves afforded him few
moments respite, and he wiped the water
from his eyes, and looked eagerly around.
At first he saw notrace of Mauvain's body,
but as the waves rolled inwards to the
golden caves, he fancied he saw shapeless
form in the crevice; he darted forward
wildly, and was instantly engulphed in the
furious rush Of the sea.
SO fierce and sudden was the movement
that he dragged Rant from his shelter, and
the next moment they were fighting for
dear life. They were dashed against and
over the rocks, and they were terribly
Ill o,-o,> -, !