The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-06-27

or two, and then commenced scratching
with his fore-paws, and barking, in a
state OF evident excitement. Biddulph
and Tam now followed him into the froz-
en- mass, the drift reaching nearly TO their
waists; and still the st. Bernard threw
up the snow with impatient paws, and
seemed each instant to grow more eager.
"Ah, poor fellow, fear he has found
him." exclaimed Biddulph.
Tam, too, gave cry, and scrambled TO
the place where the dog stood barking and
scratching, and began with trembling
hands to help to push away the snow. 1t
did not take very long. Beneath that
white pail the young gillie lay sleeping,
with smile on his handsome boyish
lips, and a look of unutterable peace in
his half-closed eyes.
"Robl RobI' cried Tam, lifting up his
brothers head; "wake up, mon, wake
upp
But the still white face showed no signs
OF waking, and the deaf ears heard not.
LET us carry him out of this" said
Biddulph, "and rub his hands and feet
with whisky, and try to get some between
his lips; he may come round"
So they carried him out of the snow
drift, and laid him on plaid and pulled
off his boots and rubbed his frozen feet
with spirit, and his stiff hands. One of
these stiff cold hands was clutched round
a little common frame, and when Tam
turned the palm TO the light, he cried out
1t was the young laird's' picture that
Rob held so fast.
cay, he liked him too weel" said poor
Tam, who was much affected; "he's glen
his life for hisl"
They tried long time to recover him,
but it was all in vain. There lay Rob
Mackenzie, cold and dead Biddulph soon
saw that this was so. He had given his
life for his friend" And as the moon
light fell on his white face, it seemed to
Biddulph that the boy smiled, as if proud
TO have died for the sake OF his dear mas
ter.
'T'm afraid it's no use. my poor lad, J"
said Biddulph at last as Tam was vainly
endeavoring to bring some warmth into
the chill hands "The question is, what
shall we do? We cannot leave him here
alone"
"Ill ma leave him." answered Tam
sturdily.
Are you strong enough to go back to
Balla, and get the doctor and men to carry
him home 2" asked Biddulph. Il would
go, but should lose my way; you know
it. Will you try?"
ooh yes, he will. There may be a
chance-not a strong one-that he could
bring Rob round. We can do nothing
more; and if we stay here all night, we
too may perish in the snow"
They finally settled this: Biddulph was
to remain to watch the young gillie, and
Tam to make his way back through the
snow TO Balla. Biddulph wrote a note to
DIR. Alexander in pencil, entreating him
to come at once and empowering him to
offer any reward he chose to give, TO In
duce men to accompany him, for the pur-
pose of carrying back poor Rob.
81 fear it is too late, " he added, "but
we must try"
He gave this letter to Tam, who started
off as fast as his legs could carry him, and
Biddulph was left alone in his white,
silent, lonely place, with the
dead boy lying at his feet. 1t was a
strange position, and strange
fancies began to creep jptI Biddulph's
brain, and weird and glIostly EtOries that
he had heard in his youth, came back to
his mind. He began TO walk up and
down, but still the glen seemed haunted
to him, and gnome-like and fantastic
shapes appeared to his excited imagina-
ton to be creeping nearer to him over the
white glistening snow. One tall dark
shadow, he could have sworn, stealthily
approached. But moment later this
glided quickly away, and the antlered
head told his reason that this doubtless
was some deer straying in search OF food
from the neighboring forest.
Then he went back and stood looking at
poor Rob's face, lying there with its un-
changing smile. He stopped down and
raised the hand which still held the pho
tograph OF Malcolm Fraser in its rigid
clasp, and laid it on the brave lads breast.
And as he did this, the dog Glen, which
had been moving restlessly about, went
up and licked the poor boys hands, and
then-'tis sad, but true, TO write human
like-he turned his attention TO what The
dead had left behind him, and began IN
specting with evident interest the food
which Tam had brought for his young
brother, who now had no further need
of it,
And Biddulph did not rebuke him.
Why should the poor brute not have his
supper, he thought, after his hard nights
work2 So Glen ate cold rabbit with relish,
and then curled himself up and fell asleep
on the plaid beside Bob MackenZies still
form, occasionally, however, rousing him
self to look at his master and once more
lick the dead gillie's cold hand.
"Would the time never pass" Bid
dulph thought. Two hours had dragged
slowly away since Tam had left, and the
sky was becoming overcast, and there was
no token of his return. Then small snow
began to fall, and Biddulph knew that, if
the storm recommended in earnest the
mountain passes would soon become un-
trackable. 1t was gloomy prospect
enough, but there was nothing TO be done
but wait. And presently he began to
think of Nora Stewart, and to wonder
what she would feel il she knew he was
standing far away on the snow-clad hills.
A moment later Glen sprang to his feet
with sharp bark. His acute ears had
caught the sound Of distant voices, and,
with a great sense of relief, Biddulph also
soon heard them. He shouted loudly,
and he was answered. Help had come
then, and five minutes later the doctor,
Tam Mackenzie and four men with LIANT
erns, made their appearance in the glen;
Tam running first up to poor Rob's body,
and kneeling down beside it.
"Ha' he stirred, sir?" he asked.
NO." answered Biddulph, sadly, and
the men gathered round the living and
dead brother with many expressions of