The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-05-25

h dar,nsss, hs wse- sun driving his pm
nnruas - pnper. 0uf1fng inseKuctiens
must b lsft for The operation Of both the
Gray Fsak and Eagle mines, untn such .
time - . general manager could be sent
from tie East, md he had beca unable to
begin this work until almost night He
hoped to complete il BY nine O'Clock, then
he could reach Hartman's By eleven, per-
haps, and they would start He had ex-
pccted to be at Trean's aldo Just after
darkness gathered, but found that impossi-
BILE. He thought Of her now with feeling
Of unetssiness, and wrote on hurriedly and
eager for the close. He had told NO one Of
his intentions, and the men had all gone
down to the bunk houses that stood upon Q
little plateau . half mile farther round
.ss mountain. It was still and lonely about
the Office, and he drew revolver out OF
drawer Of his desk, and laid 1t beside him.
He seemed to feel indefinably the approach
Of danger. 1t may have been only the gen.
eral spirit Of his situation that bred this
uneasiness about his heart, but it still re-
mains true that his sensitive life in that
hour was q fixed point, toward which the
elements Of death were moving.
At four O'Clock in the afternoon three
horscmen had ridden out Of Salt Lake City
along the broad road that leads toward tho
west Their destination seemed any point
other than Eagle mountain, for they were
riding almost directly away from it, but
after proceeding some half dozen miles in
~. ::
large half circle were ct the base of the
mountains on the east by dusk. just after
night had begun to gather another horseman
rode swiftly out of the city toward Eagle
mountain For days he had been watching
for this movement, and it had all but escaped
him His heart was burning; perhaps he
was too late and would not succeed. Each
time the thought occurred to him it seemed
to bend him forward in the saddle like
wave unseen, but ponderably driving him
onward. Yet he dared not ride too rashly,
for should he be discovered by the others
the loss Of his own life might prove the only
result Of his attempt to rescue the man who
was writing in tho little Office upon the
mountain. He had no means Of know
ing If they had passed on into the
range, or, riding on that half circle, had
not yet arrived ut the foot of the mountains.
But until the range was reached he rode
swiftly, urging his horse with low but
sharp and impatient words. Then he paused
and listened, but could hear nothing. Per-
haps they had not yet entered the main
highway from the side road, and if he
pressed forward he might warn Elchard be
fore they arrived. The thought made his
blood leap, and he gallopcd up over the
bench and onward into the long gorge that
burrowed da-lsly through the first range.
Hundreds Of times he had passed through
the great dcfile, and now he let his horse &c
freely in the darkness. But presently he
bethought him how, in any case, these men
commissioned to do deed Of blood would
ride slowly; even if they were behind him
he need not hasten, and if they had proceed
cd him b. haste he might defeat himself, SO
he subducd his eagerncss and took more
cautious pace.
At length he reached the eastern end Of
the great canyon, and passed down into
hollow. Just beyond it the vast bulk Of
Eagle mountain doomed against the spangled
sky, with only two OF its grand stecples
visible, owing to his ncarness. Suddenly
he refined his horse back and stopped; not
half mile before him, carried by tho road up
over point on the mountain side, three
horscnen like dim statues were standing
against background Of stars. Evidently
they were listening. He stood still awhile,
with throbbing pulse, and presently they
passed away. All, then his mission would
prove more difficult than he had thought!
There was no other road than this, down
which the ores were hauled to tho smeltcrs
in the Great Basin. It wound around the
lower part of Eagle mountain ond some dis
I'D 70
the right through gorge, and presently
climbing out of that, turned back and up
ward half way around the mountain to the
mines.
II he followed the horscmen he might be
discovered, and even if he should escape
that misfortune the assassination might be
consum:nated before he could interfere. He
looked up .. the huge looming face of the
mountain. Oh, that be might mount direct
ly to the mines! Eut that seemed iclpossi
bic No, he must follow and be close upon
them at the end. lie dismOuntcd, led his
horse into some underground and tied it,
then pulling OF his boots, and taking them in
one hand and his revolver in the other, he
pressed forward noiSclessly through the
gloom. But when he came 10 the elevated
point where the horscmcn had stopped and
listened he looked up at the great looming
mass again. Suddenly he drew on his
boots, threw of his coat and hat, placed the
revolver in it's holder, aud started up the
mountain side. Up, up through the stInted
tanglc ard stones he went, swinging over
lodges, blowing through stretches Of yield
ing gravel, then again fighting through the
stuntcd tanglc. He was q strong young
fellow, but his brow was quickly dripping,
so great was the strain. In a little time he
came to wall of shattered stone that
scared two hundred feet above his head.
He paused moment before it with all his
pulses beating loudly, then he began to
climb. Often from the valley below he had
marked how this great belt Of granite CIR
| died hall the mountain, and knew it must
be scaled or his mission prove abortivc.
Perhaps no human foot had ever mounted
it, but he did not care, he must gain the
summit, AID painting and half dizzy with
the hcady condition of his blood, he fought
his way upward. At points huge knots
protruded like knuckles of o fist, and around
these stone contortions nc crcpt on narrow
lodges, then on up splintercd slides, and
over holes and burrows and gaping srev-
ices, until at length he came out upon q
broad shelf and looked upward. The wall
stin hung above hira like q scanned and
| jutting forehead; he looked downward, all
was faint and formiess with shadow. He
felt trcmuloas and exhausted. but he could
| not wait to rest. 1t seemed to his excited
consciousness that he could see the enc
mics of Elchard,s life stealing up tho darl
gorge beyond the mines; but no, they could
not have reached that yet; still he must
hasten! and he dashed the sweat from his
brow and hurried toward the right in search
of a foothold. But none could be found
Then away to the lett and over some ragged
points, and up . chaotic slide Of rock he