Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-07-18

better stlll YOU must get faint and insist on
taking his arm. You must never let II go. As
long as he is with us we are safe, for | scarce
ly 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, so 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"
"Hi, waltern shouted Hardy; "we're get
ting hungry. Wen Stop here and have some
bread and cheese"
ther on" replied the guide, where there 10
"Shall we go onl" whispered Hardy TO Lin
ton. BE as careless as you can"
/" As you like; II there is spring 1t will be
blessing.n
" All right; let's go on II 1t isn't far" said
Harry aloud. But my friend is used up; you
must give him your arm, and I'll take that
knapsack, II you like"
Linton moved forward to take his arm.
Hardy had already taken hold OF the knapsack
so quickly that the guide had no time to move
away even II he had wished. He made no
objection to the proposal, aud Linton 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
house was in sight, and scarcely u tree;
nothing but the rocks and earth. Below there
lay deep, dark valley, with rushing torrcn.
which now looked mere white thread; above
them black rocks capped with everlasting
SHOWS. For all that they could tell theirs were
the first human footsteps that had ever fallen
| In this desoate spot.
Walter had spoken truth. There was
| spring ahead OF them, and the sight OF 1t re-
leyed their spirits They took Il 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 suspiclon; but his action
| aud look did not alter He ate his crust aud
drank the water without making any attempt
| TO move away from them, aud Hardy half
| began TO hope that he had been wronging him.
| At any rate he determined to make one mora
attempt at Cancellation.
"What time shall we reach Werhausen,
| Walteri' he asked
"I shall get there about SIKH he replied.
ALLOWING how long for restw asked Hardy,
purposely taking no notice of his using the
word ''I.n
"You can rest as long as you like" was the
answer, "but / am going on"
"What do you meant We've hired you as
our guide, and you'll have to stopo go on, as
| we wishn
81 am not your guide. would not take
money from you II l were starving. / only
brought you here to take you away from Nina.
IL Will be long time before you find your
way back there again, my fine young gentle
menu
This was declaration of war, and all felt it
to be so. Walter rose and faced them, stand.
ing about two PAGES of. Hardy looked straight
at him and said: do you mean that you have
brought us out of our way because of some
harmless flirting with Nina!n
Yes" shouted Walter, losing all command
OF himself, and making his voice echo down
the mountain, ''yes, YOU would come with
your full purse and your smiling face to turn
her away from me who love her and work for
her, and live from week to week on the chance
Of seeing her. You give her fine presents,
which she wears, and she tells me with an In.
nocent smile that she does not know where
the gentleman who gave them to her is gone,
and ten minutes afterward l find him at the
cottage and wanting to kiss her. She little
thinks 1 saw him kiss her this morning when
he sent me In to fetch his alpenstock But now
1t Is my turn; you are in my power"
Hardy stepped forward TO seize him, but he
stretched out his hand.
"Didyour hear thatr he asked. "Look
down the valley"
A roll of thunder reyerberated from mount.
ain to mountain, and instinctively the two
friends looked down in the dark valley below
them. At the same moment, with hooking
had succeeded, and they were alone on the
mountain.
But his triumph was short one. Exasper-
ated beyond measure at the trick, and des.
peratc at the state of affairs, Hardy seized a
stone as large as his two fists and threw 10
after the retreating guide. lie was a good
cricketer and his missile sped truly, hitting
Walter on the left shoulder. With q cry he
fell forward, rolling over several times before
he stopped. The two friends lcaped wildly
mountain raaphinfr o,
while he was still on the ground. Linton
seized him with q grip that showed that he
meant to give him no further chance of escape,
when groan broke from the guides lips.
hurting him; Pm afraid he's broken some.
thing. WHAT'S the matter WalterW
"My arm" replied the guide, feebly; 81
think it is brokenn
Hardy knew something OF surgery, so he
trxamined the arm, and found IL was broken
below the elbow. IL had become doubled up
underneath him as he fell. Hardy tore UP
their handkerchiefs and bound the arm up,
after setting 1t as well as he could a shirt
from his knapsack was male into q tolerable
sling, and when all had been done that could
be done, they helped Walter back to the spring
and bathed his shoulder and head, the one
bruised by the stone the other by the fall. lie
received their attentions without thanks, but
without any objections. He was evidently in
great pain, and appeared to have forgotten
snow, Walter" said Hardy, after short
rest, "do you feel well enough to walk again 2
You can take my arm, and when am tired
Linton will help you along. We must rest
every now and then, for we don't feel very
fresh. How far is 1t to the nearest housel"
1.-Two hours walk away there Is a cottage;
we can't reach Werhausen to night. We must
start at once or we shall have the storm on
us.n
Without more talk they rose and set off. It
was weary tramp; they began by retracing
their steps for nearly an hour, and then turned
OIL by the side OF pine forest In the direction
OF Werhausen. BY this time 1t had come
Linton's turn to help the invalid, and he
could not refrain from telling him how mis-
taken he was about Nina.
"She had no idea | was coming to the cot
tage; did not know it myself till few days
ago. And that necklet gave her two years
| ago was when che was child and nursed me
when | sprained my ankle. Besides, Walter,
when she found that you were angry with her
for wearing IL she determined to give 1t back
TO me- Look here, here II is. She gave IL to
me before breakfast this morning, when you
saw us together, and were so savage ali out
It,"
ais that all trucl" he asked.
Every word, on my honor"
"Thcn have been jealous fool, and have
come very near being something worse
would have killed you IL / had dared as we
climbed up the side Of the mountain this
morning, and now you are saving my life,
though you know meant to leave you on the
mountain to die. But look the storm is com.
ing. You must run and leave me. The cot
tage Is round that next point. You will get
there In time"
No; you must come too. Walk as fast as
you CAM
mo; leave me-. Twill shelter under this
rock Till IL is overn
Nonsense You'll never be able to walk a
yard by yourself. Lean on me as much as
you like"
Walter had been getting more feeble dur
Ing the last half hour, and had once or twice
shown symptoms OF fainting; IL would have
been almost certain death to leave him alone
now with storm rapidly approaching. So
the two friends toiled painfully on with their
heavy burden, footsore and weary, and scarce
able to drag one foot before the other. They
had abandoned all hope of reaching the cot
tage before the storm broke; they knew that
when once 1t had begun here was very little
chance OF proceeding, and hope of safety had
almost died. Suddenly, however, Linton caught
sight OF peasant making all speed for the
half - 81