The Portland daily press., 1882-09-23

w alter was d couple VI ydIuS III IrOnt, StOl-
idly striding along.
ssWhat shall we do, JackP' asked Linton,
who recognized in his companion stronger
mind. "Is it any good to tell him that 1
meant nothing by kissing Nina, and that L
shall never see her again?'
'No, no. We must not let him suspect
us, or it is all up. When we come TO a good
place we will propose stopping to eat some
thing. One of us must keep near him all
the time. Or, better still, you must get
faint and insist on taking his arm. You
must never let it go. As long as he is with
us we are safe, for 1 scarcely expect his wish
for revenge is strong enough to let him risk
his own safety"
81 believe he means to thoroughly tire us
out before he does anything, and that won't
take long, as far as am concerned my legs
are beginning to give way, and he IS going
on as fresh as paint. Let's bring matters to
a crisis"
eli, Walter shouted Hardy; "We're get
ting hungry. Wen stop here and have some
bread and cheese"
''There is a much better place little fur
Their on" replied the guide, "where there is
a spring."
''ShaIl we go on?'' whispered Hardy to
Linton. ''Be as careless as you CAM
AS you like; If there is spring it will be
blessing"
"All right, let's go ON if it isn't far" said
Hardy aloud. "But my friend is knocked
up; you must give him your arm and I'll
take the knapsack, if you like"
Linton moved forward to take his arm.
Hardy had already taken hold OF the KNAPP
sack SO quickly that the guide had no time
to move away, even if he had wished. He
made no objection to the proposal, and Lin
ton put his arm through his, Hardy keeping
close in the rear. They could still talk to
each other, for they knew that Walter did
not understand English.
In this manner they plodded YEARLY on
for another mile, no slight distance when
the path is over rocks and loose stones. The
scene was most impressive one; but at
present its exceeding desolation was the
characteristic which the two friends felt
most strongly; not a house was in sight, and
scarcely tree; nothing but bare rocks and
earth; below them lay a deep, dark valley,
with rushing torrent which now looked a
mere white thread; above them black rocks
capped with everlasting SHOWS. For all that
they could tell theirs was the first human
footsteps that had ever fallen in this desc
late spot.
Walter had spoken the truth. There was
a spring ahead of them, and the sight of it
revived their spirits. They took it in turns
to drink, one filling his cup while the other
mounted guard over the guide. The latter
seemed to be conscious by this time that he
was the object of suspicion; but his action
and look did not alter. He ate the crust and
drank the water without making any at
tempt to move away from them, and Hardy
half began to hope that he had been wrong
ing him. At any rate he determined to
make one more attempt at Cancellation.
"What time shall we reach Werhausen,
Walter?" he asked.
81 shall get there about six, he replied.
ALLOWING how long for rest?' asked Har-
dy, purposely taking no notice of his using
the word sI''
sYou can rest as long as you like,n was
the answer, "but am going on.''
What do you meanp we hired you as our
guide, and you'll have to stop or go on, as
we wish"
81 am not your guide. 1 would not take
money from you if were starving 1 only
brought you here to take you away from
Nina. 1t will be long time before you find
your way back there again, my fine young
gentlemen"
This was declaration of war, and all felt
it to be so. Walter rose and faced them,
standing about two PAGES off. Hardy looked
straight at him and said: "Do you mean
that you have brought us out of our way be-
cause of some harmless flirting with Nina?''
eyes," shouted Walter, losing all COM
mand of himself, and making his voice echo
dowr the mountain; Eyes, you would coIle
with your full purses and your smiling faces
to turn her away from me, who love her,
and live from week TO week on the chance
of seeing her. You give her fine presents,
which she wears, and tells me with an inno-
| cent smile that she does not know where
the gentleman who gave them to her has
| gone, and ten minutes afterward / find
him at the cottage and wanting to kiss her
| She little thinks that saw him kiss her this
morning when he sent me in to fetch his al
| penstock. But now it is my turn; you are
| in my power"
| Hardy stepped forward to seize him, but
| he stretched out his hand.
s.Did you hear that?' he asked. 'Look
| down the valley"
A roll of thunder reverbrated from noun.
| tain to mountain, and instinctively the
two friends looked down in the dark valley
below them. At the same moment, with
hooking laugh, Walter sprang down thu
| rock His ruse had succeeded, and thew
| were alone on the mountain.
| But his triumph was short one. Elk
asperated beyond measure al the trick, and
desperate at the state of affair, Hardy
| seized stone as large as his two fists and
| threw it after the retreating guide. He was
| good cricketer and his missile sped truly
/ ulbLlDR w dltCL Ol ullC tOlb ouOulQ6T. VIII
| cry he fell forward, rolling over several
| times before he stopped. The two friends
| leaped wildly down the mountain in pur
| suit, reaching him while he was still on the
| ground. Linton seized him with a grir
| that showed that he meant to give him nc
| further chance Of escape when a groan
| broke from the guides lips.
"Gently, Charlie, "said Hardy, Nyou'r
| hurting him; Pm afraid he's broken some
thing. What's the matter, Walter?"
"My arm,' replied the guide feebly; 81
think it is broken.
Hardy knew something of surgery, so he
examined the arm, and found it was broken
| below the elbow. 1t had become doubled
| up underneath him as he fell. Hardy tore
| up their handkerchiefs and bound the arm
| up after setting it as we'll as he could q
shirt from his knapsack was made into toll
| cradle sling, and when all had been done
| that could be done they helped Walter bach
| to the spring and bathed his shoulder and
head, the one bruised by the stone, the Other
| by the fall. He received their attentions
without thanks, but without any objections
He was evidently in great pain, and appeared
| to have forgotten the recent excitement thai
| he was in.
| Snow Walter, "said Hardy, after short
| rest, do you feel well enough to walk againi
You can take my arm, and when Pm tired
Linton will help you along. We must resi-
every now and then, for we don't feel very
fresh. How far is it to the next house?'
1.-TWO hours walk away there is cottage
we can't reach Werhausen tonight. We
must start at once or we will have the storm
| on us.''
| Without further talk they rose and set off.
| 1t was weary tramp; they began by retrac-
ing their steps for nearly an hour, and then
| turned off by the side of a pine forest in the
direction of Werhausen. By this time il
had come to Linton's turn to help the
| invalid, and he could rot help telling him
how mistaken he was about Nina.
| ''She had no idea was coming to the cot.
| tage; did not know it myself till a few DAYS
ago. And that necklet that gave her two
| years ago was when she was child and nurs-
ed me when l sprained my ankle. Besides,
Walter, when she found that you were angry
with her for wearing it she determined to
| give it back to me- Look here; here it is.
| She gave it to me before breakfast this morn
ing, when you saw us together, and were so
savage about it."
''Is that all true?'' he asked.
ssEvery word, on my HONOR
"Then / have been a jealous fool, and
have come very near being something worse.
/ would have killed you if had dared as we
climbed up the side of the mountain this
morning, and now you are saving my life,