The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-06-15
TIE GREAT HESPER.
nY FRANK BARRETT.

-. oo"h eheie, ne Fepissa, "ibS
pitch lark at noon il tlaat.aiiaighty hole.
Now" he added, wien the torches were
we'll lit, take of these, kick the
snow well off your feet, keep ono eve on
rle, tother on the rocks, and trust the
rest TO Providence"
with this last injunction he stces~i
own, and passed through the opening.
We followed, but sinaiy, for we needed
"Sti hahis to iatse the p~ctiious descent.
me frsf shlns noticed III passing UNI
r. the great block that hridged the aw-
~ c.taa.n was the comparative siienca
coit!ti no longer hear the rushing OF
dc stream on the Other side, only tho
tflli roar CT the water as it struck the
bottom 81 the canyon some thousands of
feet below.
Traces voice was startlingly distinct
when he spoke.
You tell me the thing is on the other
SIDE OF the ropes, my gel" he said.
she answered yes, and NO went slowly
ofwa: and downward along the narrow
ant Jagged ledge, ON faces toward the
gsitternS quartz, seeking in.crstices and
projections for hold II our hands,
we We're getting away from the fall,
but at a certain point the natura, eath
retafnei toward it iii a stg-zag along
a lower projection. At the angle which
offered a little wider standing space, w.
stopned,
This here hole was fust showed mo
by the Kids mother" said Brace; ut had
served her father for 4 caci,ette ii quite
the early, days Of this ho,,rtrv's glory.
"A cache:tc," he explained, lis a place
where you keep things snug. Almost
eEety MINER, befrre the Vigilance Com-
m'ttee nomenated me jedge, had a ca
onetse' inns was mite, and many a
ounce I've brought down here; lur YOU
see barrit nccide nts, its %cn'trftii safe,
You VIII allow that no one could find his
way Town hers in the dark Il shuddered
a.. a fe e3T r,onsht OF anyone attempting such
aieafini yenture), and from hcre right
uD 10 the hole is n fair straightltne, sd That
no ightcould come down without it's btiu'
seen: but that atn't The only safeguard, as
yon SHAH gee, Come on, sir"
we made u way foot by foot aicrr The
nsrF9w ledge for some distance, still de-
~ScenalnS When BrtGe again halted, tho
tght OF his torch revealed the yellow
stream falling silently through spnce. n
lew ieet before him. That silent fall i'm
pressed ms with u sense of the nwfolaepth
OF lie gulf beside u.s.
Inc ledge erGed abruptly where Brace
stood; y ieaess in the wall allowed annie
standing room for us three.
Inc Greiser never got no further down
than this; but it warn't fur enough fot
me" said Brace. al had my idea Of rct;ini
right down to tho bottom OF this hole,
of geld,H
But the ledge ends here.n
1t do; but" he added, lifting his torch.
1T goes on again over there"
Ihe light fell on a intting projection of
quartz upon Tie opposite side of the chusm,
distant Mt least twenty feet,
But you eanubt leap that
Correct, end | ain'r goin' tdrtry."
lie laid himself upon his face. and
stretched his arm down the ehn=nt, when
he arose, he had ~ cord III his hand. Pail,
ing TINS i'll, he drew up two coils Of stout
rope. rs he drew them in, saw that their
otAer ends We're attached to rocks upon the
opposite ledge, one above the other, with
about four feet between,
We must hitch 'em tight-give us a
hand, sir" he said.
helped him to make the ropes taut. and
craSs that he had long employed for that
purpose.
There, SIR he said, taking his torch
from Lola, and holding it over the black
gun, there's us pretty a bridge md hand
rail as the heart of man corid reasonably
desire"
For all that, held my breath as I saw
MIN step out on the lower rope, and make
his way, holding by the upper one, arross
that black abyss. My turn cnttc, and with
the blood humming ia my ears, I stepped
out upon TIE Pope. 1t swung to and fro in
the mldute, and | was seized with that ir-
FeslStlb!e suggestion of self-destruction
winch affects the Imagination of most Deo-
pie in looking down from an extraordinary
height.
Lola began to cross before I was we'll off.
and when we stood all three IN safety on
the ledge, a ~fervent ''Ihank God!' rose
from my heart,
served Brace, as If my thankfulness were
4 little premature; "Howsever, faint bad
TO think of Providence when you're in
Danger; now, my gel, it's for you 10 lead on"
You can stay here; you're too heavy for
where I'm going" said she, taking the
orch from his land
With y swiftness that terrified me, she
Vent down the side of the precipicc, find
ing toothoid where we, looking down from
the projection, could see none.
They don't know dauger-kids don't"
said Brace, in a low tone. End" he add
ed, looking into the depths about him un
easily, Il wouldn't mind feeling the same
myself. First time | ever felt skeery down
his hole, and Pm burned if it shan't be
The last. PM ettin' too old to enjoy risky
work.
l could not take my eyes from the light
below, as 1t passed in jerks from point to
point. AT last it stopped, and after a min
atess pause, to my great relief, it began to
return.
Quicker md quicker the light danced
along until felt sick and gtddy with fear
or the girls safety; and tneu, with one
last bound, She stood upon our shelf of
'ock, holding the Great Hrsperin her hand.
Am good?" she asked, earnestly, hest
ing up to my side.