Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-03-06

that a sailor like myself could manage t.
ascend a considerable distance, and / ar
| going to try it."
| We raised unanimous protest, but
| Walpole was obstinate.
81 will take off my Shoes" he said,
land by crawling on my hands and knees
and by hugging the face of the rock it will
be SAFE"
There was no way Of talking him out
Of the notion, and as he could climb like
cat we finally agreed to let him try it.
1t was slow work after the brave fellow
had got fairly started and we watched
him in breathless suspense. He crawled
At snail like pace, never looking down,
but keeping his eyes fixed on some point
above.
Two or three of the men made terri
BILE effort to follow him, but soon had to
retrace their steps. The pathway was SO
barrow that only the most expert and
surefooted climber could make his way.
1t was midday before Walpole reached
the edge of the white cloud or mist. After
that we lost sight of him.
How far was he from the summit after
he entered the cloud? Would he be able
to proceedf Wo1ld he retdrn aliye'
We asked each other these questions as
we waited for The result.
1t was perhaps an hour after we had
lost sight OF Walpole that we heard
cracking, grinding noise.
We looked at the mountain, and to our
unutterable horror saw great fragments
Of granite falling over the mountain side,
carrying with them the last vestige of the
steps by which our poor friend had as
cendedl
The debris ratified down into the lake,
Ian vtun thn tUn11 1xr
even, without the slightest projection 10
which any one could cling
AS the sound of the falling rocks died
away we shouted the name OF Walpole.
II he heard us in the luminous mist
above he made no reply.
We spent one more night OF anxiety
and suspense at the foot of Mount Mys-
terry.
There was absolutely no hope Of ever
seeing our lost companion again, but we
could not tear ourselves from the place
For the last time that night we heard
the ringing songs and the triumphant
music In the cloud. 1t seemed wilder,
louder, more exultant than before
"They are rejoicing,' said Hinton,
lover the capture or death of Walpole."
/ did not noubt 1t. 1t was not likely
That these strange jewellers In the air
would spare aDe from the earth below who
found his way into their midst.
The tumult on the mountain lasted un-
til daybreak. There was nothing to be
gained by delaying our departure and 1t
was with assnee Of relief that we marched
off, hoping thus time to reach the coast.
II would be tiresome to relate the story
Of our trials. We made our way to the
little port WHARF the brig awaited us, and
told the captain all about the tragic ad-
venture OF Mount Mystery.
81 dreaded something OF the kind"
said the old man. "Do you know that
the mountain has figured In our sea
stories for more than century, do not
believe In anything supernatural, but
believe that II any explorers ever reach
the top of Mount Mystery they will find
tribe Of people who, with their ancestors,
have been cut off from the rest Of the
world for hundreds Of years. AS for poor
Walpole, 1t does not matter whether he is
living or dead He is dead to the world.
He will never get out OF that big white
cloud and find his way to the plains be-
low"
SO we sailed away In the Pacific, and
from that day to this have never heard
anything further from the mysterious
land in the luminous cloud. Wallace f.
Reed in Atlanta Constitution.