Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-06-09

darkness beyond, followed by the SharI
crack Of "A rifle shot.
We could see nothing, but fromthe ledge
opposlt' came a groin, and Brace called
family:
I'm hit, pardner; look out for Yourself"
The shot had been fred after the light
was e~Xtinguishci. leaving him in obScuri-
ty. The faculty that had enabled The as
sassin To descend that terrible ledge in the
dark had enabled him to mark down poor
Brace. when he was no longer visible to
our eyes.
This reflection struck me ms. torch in
hand, ! sprung upon the rope bridge To
cross To my fallen partner.
Back, pardncr, back" groaned Brace;
hes got the Htsper, and he'll have your
life-back!'
| raised my torch, and looking toward
the ledge, ] saw Il man kneeling over Brace.
lie raise: his arm to silence Brace, and
the light iel! on the bright blade OF the
knife in his hand. ! shouted Turning.
he saw me midway across the chasm, and
sprung to his feet. Then | recognized him.
1t was Van Hoeck!
1t was he, but could ! believe my sensess
His eyes were not the same. Al hat dist
ance his SightlesS eyes should have been
hardly distinguishable from his cadaver-
Gus face, but now they shone out black and
lustruus. Yet in that instant, as he looked
toward me, they seemed to fade away in
the light of my torch. And this was no
deception or my sight.
With a savage cry of rage he held up his
arms TO shield his eyes from the light, and,
grasping his knife, he made his way quick
ly toward the rock to which the rope on
which ! stood was attached.
In a moment the whole mystery was re
vcaled. Tie Wus u NUctdlOps! and his
eyes, blind in the light, were gifted with
the extraordinary power OF seeing in the
dark-a power by which was explained all
that had hitherto been inScrutable in the
robbery OF the Great Hesper and the at
tendant events at Monken Abbey.
With a perception that he intended to
cut the rope which sustained me. | hasten
Ell to reach the ledge on which he STOOD
But my progress was necessarily slow, for
the lower cord, stretched with the weight
upon IL, formed Il deep bend, and my damp
boots slipped upon it's wet surface.
Which would he cut first? If it were
the upper one. | muet trust TO catching the
lower rs | fell. With this view, | kept my
self As perpendicular as circumstances per
mltted; at the same time grasping the up
per one with all my force, in ease he cut
the lower one.
! vas within n yard OF the rock when |
felt the rope under my foot Jerk rs Van
lloeck cut through the first strands; the
next instant it went altogether, and was
left swinging by my haadS to the upper
rope" over the Chasm.
DE, cursed dog, dic,' shouted Van
Heck, WITH the frantic excitement of IL
maulrh;pying at last the object of his life.
~ he as. @cn"i the upper rope with his
knife. die, and know that al! YOU cherish
In the word sJall toe mlnc wealth, and
be woman Won love. Diei'
And with ttret hcscNcrrd the Last strand.
aud | swept dos. 4 Ilrsugh space. Ciiag-
ing with despcrat, energy to the rope IN
my hands. ! swung. cramping myself to-
gcthcr iu auticiIauuh-"t a violent shock
AGAINST the -ileoi tar js@cip!ce. Happily,
tue rOrN above Projected ~ iittle, 80 that
me blow WAS less cNert thtu / expected.
| r~cboundcu, anu sty3nR 10 ahI irn ike Il
penduItm III the li'chy darkncH. For, in
order to get a nrmer grasp upon fhe rupe
when I saw his intention Of cutting il. |
had dropped the torch. which tcll like the
spark Of n rocket into the depths below.
What was to do2 dared not try TO
pun myself hand over hand up the wet
rope, for the slightest relaxation of my
hold MIGHT allow the rope ~ slip, and /
should be lost a~S~urcdly.
Dear, are you there still,' Lola called
from above.
Yes ! replied.
Here is the ropc-when call, you can
trust yourself to it,"
At the same time | felt the knotted rope
dangling against my shoulders.
Now she called.
1t was not an instant too soon. Ifelt the
wv ''b@ Si'IDihS 'A''@ "s 'S'''P'
Leaving 90 with one hand, | clutched out
wildly for the knotted rope, and by the
happiest chance succeeded in Selling il.
! got a cross piece between my feet, and
was comparatively safe, if Lola had
strength TO hold on for a few moments.
But that | might not tax her too greatly, |
still graspcd the wet rope.
saved" ! called ont To her.
Not for long" shouted Van HDeck,
from the opposite side, and | heard the
snap of the spring nS nc closed the breech-
loader. and then the "click" rs he cooked
the piece.
Would he shoot me or the girl? | asked
myself in that moment.
He fired, and the ringing shot was fol-
lowed by a sharp cry of pain from above,
and the cross piece on which | stood gave
n little jerk, but no more. She must have
escaped, despite that cry, or she could not
still have held on to the rope
But terrible as these thoughts that passed
through my mind in those brief moments
were, they were banishei from my mind
by a yet more terrific appeal To my senses.
Following almost Immediately upOn the
crack Of the rife and Lola's cry, n mass Of
rock, probably dlsintegrated by the frost,
and started from its place by the reverber-
alton of the shot, Slid down the face of the
precipice, hurtled against a rock, and some
moments after fell with q deep pong" in
To the water below.
DlI rs III tillS Hll Ittn the hPN-Slb1t vi
the fabric that upheld the mighty weight
Of the enormous rock that covered the
chasm, its fall was 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 n louder
crash as some larger block gave way.
The roar Of artillery, the peal Of thun-
der, was not to be compared with the aw-
full din rs the great rock jerked downward.
as the quartz splintcred and ave way I'M
der IL, shatterin2 and grinding the oppos-
ing rock, and bursting away huge irag-
ments that struck from side 10 side as they
hurtled down, tearing and splitting the
very heart OF the mountain ~ it seemed.
It seemed to me as If the last DAY ha0
corne and the world were crumbling to
pieces. To the terror Of an earthquake
was added the horror Of impenetrable
darkness, and the consciousness that tho
gigantic rock that vaulted the abyss was
slowly jerking down upon us. Unjust have
kept my hold upon the rock by instinct; l
had no consciousness of volition.
The awful eruption had continued for
some moments-scarcoly So long as one
might take TO read this description-with
increasing intensity, when suddenly, with
an appalling crash, the great roof tilted
up. 1 saw the earth slowly gap open above
me, letting in the binding Sunshine, aud