The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1888-02-03
CHATTER xxv11.-wE LEAF.
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~~ ilrst q those was
the laboriols M
tiure OF the ascent, and the next the en-
IRENE difficulty of finding our way. In
TINT hi fortunately taken of the shape
OF various rocks, etc, I am sure that we
never should hive managed 1t at all, but
nave about in the dreadful womb
Of 1ne volcano-for suppose it must once
have been something OF the sort-until we
Micd OF exhaustion anddespair. As 1t was,
we Went wrong several times, and once
ncariJ fell into II huge crack or crevasse.
~ was terrible work creeping about in the
uense gloom md awful stiffness from
nowider 10 bnwlder. and examining ii by
the feeble light of the lamps to see If i
could recognize its shape. We rarely
spoke, onr hearts were too heavy for speech.
we simply stumbled about, falling some
i,n,es anI cutting ourselves, in q rather
spirits were utterly crushed, and we did
not greatly. care what happened to us.
s!lniy We felt bound to try and save our
yves whilst VIC could, and, indeed, a natur-
a. INSTINCT prompted us to it. So fol. some
not tell cxnctly how long, for we had no
watch left that would COVE Numbered
on. During the last t,wo hours we were
completely lost, md I began to fear that
we had got into the funnel of some subsid-
tnry cone, when, at last. j suddenly recog-
wy AkA-S AOGn nhbG1 W. ilSkNk
passed In descending but n little why from
the top. 1t is n marvel that I should have
recognized 1t, and, Indeed, we had already
passed 1t going at right angles to the proper
path. when something about it struck me,
and 1 turned back and examined it in Az
idle sort Of way, and, as it happened, this
proved our salvation.
After this we gained the rocky, natural
stair without much further trouble, and
IN due course found ourselves back in the
vffkv0 nh0rn1Nor syf,ap thu 1Nns,fr1.{nl Nrnk
had lived and died.
But now II fresh terror stared us in the
face. 1t may be remembered that, Owingto
poor jobs fear and awkwur,lness, the
plank upon which we had crossed from the
huge spur to the rockins-stons had been
whirlcd off into the gulf below.
How were we to eros; without the plank:
There was only one anSwer-,ve must
try n jump 1t, or else stop where we
were till we starved. The distance in it.
and twelve feet. I should think-and 1liavc
seen Leo jump over nineteen when he was
ayoung fellow ut college; but then, think
OF the conditions. Two weary, worn-out
men,. ono of them the wrong side Of forty,
a rOckfng-stone to take off from, a tre,n-
bling point of rock some few feet across to
land on, and q botto:nless gulf to be cleared
in o raging gale. It was bad enough, God
knows, but when pointed outthese things
to Leo, he put the whole matter in a nut
bJleAl ny replying, iuGEClleS3 us GuS CilOlCe
was. we must choose between the certain
ty OF lingering death in tine chamber and
tko risk of q swift u in the air. Oh course
there was no arguing against this. but one
thing was clear, we could not attempt that
leap in the dark: the only thing to TO uTas
to wait for the rag of light which pierced
through the gulf at sunset. How near To
or how fur from sunset we might be neither
OF US had the faintcst no.ion; all we did
know was that when mt last the light came
1t would not endure more than Il couple OF
minutes ut the Oh. side, so that We must be
prepared to Mcetit. Accordingly we made
up or minds to creep on to THE top oil the
rOcklng-stOne mi lie there iii readiness.
We We're the mere easily recolcilel 10 this
hrse by the fact That u lamps were
nee more nearly cx:llnstcM-iuaeed, one
had gone ont bp lily, and the Other was
Jumping up anil down, :s the flame OF %
lamp does wie.l tie OIL j. dn:;e. 50 by f's
aid Of its dying light wc fastened to crawl
out OF the little chamber and Chamber up
thes side of the great stone.
As we did 50 tho light went out.
The difference in DIR position was a suf-
fciently remarkable one. Below. in the
little chamber, we had only heard the roar.
ing Of the gale overhead; here, lying on
our faces on the swinging stone, we were
exposed to It's full force and fury. MS the
draught dreWfirst from this direction md
then from thu, bowling the mighty
precipice and through the rocky cliffs like
ten thousand despairing souls. We lay
there hour after horr in terror md misery
OF mind 20 deep that I will not attempt to
describe II, and listened to the Wild Storm
voices ct that Tartnrns, as set to the deep
s1ldert9ue Qt the spnr opposite, against