The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-06-15
y sowara the rock to which the rope Oh

dark-n power BY Which was explained ali
That had hitherto been inscrutable in tha
%r"hbery of the Great Hesper and the ns,
tenaant events at Monkcn Abbey.
Win II pcrception That he intended to
cut the rol.c Which sustained me, / hasten.
e. 70 feach the ledge on which he stood,
But my progress was necessarily sinVt. fJjrr
the lever cord, stretched With the weight
upon 1t, formed q deep bend, aud my damp
n",3is slipped upon its wet surface.
winch would he cut iirsts If it were
tiie upper one, | mus; trust to catching the
lower rs | fell. With this view. | kent ,ny>
self MS perpendicular aa circumstances per
m:ited; at The sat,e time graspiny tilN ny
per eaa with all my force, IL Ease he ctt
Tho lower one.
iHt the rope under my foot Jerk as Van
tio%ck cut through the first strands; the
ntNC Instant ii went altogether, and | was
leIt swinging ~ my hands to the upper
roHc over the chasm.
De! cursed dog, dler shouted Van
tioecS, with the frantic excitement Of a
'uln achieving AT last the object of his life,
IS no attacked the upper rope with hta
knife. Die, and know that an you cherish
IN the world Shall lie fiine-wealth, aud
The womaa you love. Dic!''
Ah1 WITH that he severed the last strand,
una | swept down through space. Ciitp.
ing with desperate energy 10 w" fo,,e in
my hands, sHrnfa ctaItping myself to-
getheF in anticipation OF a violent shock
against the si!cot the precipice. Happily,
tt" i"1N above prof. ctsl Il little, so that
Tie blow was less sever thpn eNrecteJ,
[ ~rc9ounIet. M / swtl,I tie md frn .i,kr Il
pendluiin IN the pitcltY darfnhSs. FOR, IN
'f''sr 70 get u urnisf CRISP upon the rope
when ! saw his intention of cutting it. I
had dropped the torch, which fell like the
spark Of 4 rocket iuto the depths below.
What was | to do? | dar,d not, Try tt
pull myself hani over baud tp The wet
rope, for the, -,tghsest relaxation of my
hold Might allow he rope to slip, md /
sholild he lost assnrelly.
"Denr, are YOU there stil'sn Lola called
frpm aH3pte,
Yes / replied.
"Hercis the rope--when I call, you can
trust Yourself to it,"
At the same time | felt the knotted rope
dangling against lily shoulders.
NOW she called.
1t was not an instant too soon. Ifeltthe
wet rope Slipping through my hands.
Leaving go with one hand, | clutched out
wildly for the hnotted rope, and by the
hnppiest chance succeeded in Selling it.
got Il cross-piccc between my feet, md
l was comparatively safe, if Lola had
strength to hold o for a few moments.
But that | might not tax her too greatly, l
still gtasped the wet rope.
Saved" [ called out to her.
Not for long" shouted Van Hoeck,
from the opposite side, and | heard the
snap OF the spring as he closed the hrecch-
loader, and then the stick" is he cooked
the piece,
NoAld lie shoot me or the grip / asked
myself in that moment.
he fired; and the ringing shot was fol-
lowed by n sharp cry of pain from above,
nntl tae cross piece on which stood gave
IL little jerk, but no more. She must have
escaped. despite that cry, or she could not
stu have held on to the rope.
But terrible as these thoughts that passed
through my mind in those brief moments
We're, they were bauishcl from my mind
by q yet more terrific appeal to my senses.
Following almost Immediately upon the
crack Of the rifle and Iola's cry, II mass of
rock, probably distntegrated by the frost,
and started from its place by the revcrber-
alton of the shot, slid down the face OF the
preaipice. huitle against a rock, and some
moments after fell with Il deep pong III
To the water halcW.
But rs if this had been thu Keystone Of
the fabric thnt upheld tha mighty weight
o, the enormous rock that covered the
chasni, its fail yes followed by the crum.
bling away and precipitation of others at
intervals rapidly increasing, their fall
eventually becoming a continued down.
pour, marked now and then by a louder
crash as some larger block gave way.
The roar OF artillery, the peal of thun-
der, was not to be compared with the nW-
ms the mart =. ~ s,iintn,o1 5TaHum arr
dor If ddhbattn,itr,i LA m,d - saN. way III
mo r1rl' o,1 hS r ""H, S'tn.arS u'e oPpos-
mcnts iG,a a's Stw,oi. f ~ aMat nuee "a,
h,,rtiet IoS.r = tantn ~ ~ 2iue a. Wy
very heart of the monntain rs it seemed.
oor,e .ni ~ tme y u one ins. Iny nav
niana, ~ W. Nv az, WV. "ete s'unipsil,a y"
ty.S ns,isH ~ NJ Hhhl n,y.r "I luiqmi ts
ia NJ, 'a9 !" !, a. 49, VI feieae.app ns
80, = = ~ ~ "r5.t3"3hoS .na' Wv
: Si.7n1Sie ~ nv nau.,c.' ahe a"oes WIS
p ~ 1ohn niS upon u , nnuiu o.'f
hhaEE ~, ~ mVai 10 u'o ~ ~ in''in''' !