Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-06-26

them 10 take Fan, whose instinct mfgnr
prove exceedingly useful to them, and the
Intelligent animal was consequently in.
cluded in the party.
A quarter Of an hour after their depart.
ure the four lads had disappeared from
view il the belt Of woods which was rapid
ly trayersed. Edible birds of divers kinds
were flying about under the trees. but as
the party had no tine to lose, Donovan.
though not without an inward struggle,
refrained from shooting them, and even
Fan finally realized that it was not worth
while to waste her strength in rushing
madly to and fro, and remained quietly
with her masters.
Their route lay along the base of the cliff
until the cape at the northern end of the
bay was reached, then after climbing TO
the top of that and descending on the op-
posite side they were to march straight
toward the body of water seen by Brian.
This route, though perhaps not the short
est, had the advantage of being the safest
and surest, and mile more or less does
not matter to a party of sturdy lads
Donovan, after making two or three
futile attempts to scale the almost perpen-
dicular cliff, made no further objection to
the plan, and when they had walked on
for about an hour without finding any
other practicable path, and it seemed al
most certain that they would be obliged
to proceed as far as the cape, Brian begar
TO wonder if the rising tide had not alread-
covered the narrow strip of sand between
the reef and the cliffs. In that case half
day must needs be lost in waiting for low
tide.
Let US make haste" he remarked, after
rAfa 90 la, 81
spot in advance of the tide.
'Bah!' responded Wilcox, lit won't do
US any harm to wet our feet little'
Our feet and our breasts and our earsp
replied Brian; the water rises at least five
or six feet, and we have no time to lose
Where is Service?"
And he called
''Servicel Servicep'
That youth was nowhere to be seen
however, having vanished from sight
few moments before in company with Far
around projection in the cliff about
hundred yards to the right of them. AL.
most Immediately loud shouts and the ex
cited barking of dog resounded through
the air. Could it be that Service was in
danger?
In an instant Brian, Donovan and vii
cox had rejoined their comrade whom they
found standing before a huge assure in
the cliff. Either by infiltration or by the
disintegrating action of heat and cold upon
the chalky cliff, sort of tunnel had been
formed from the crest of the cliff to the
ground below. All along this gorge, the
slope of whose inner walls did not exceed
forty or fifty degrees, were inequalities
which afforded sufficient foothold for an
agile and supple boy who could easily
reach the summit Of the cliff if he en-.
cOuntered no other similar fissure in his
ascent.
Though it was risk, they did not hest
tate. Donovan was the first to spring upon
the pile Of rocks at the base.
''Wait! waitI' cried Brian. at is not
well to be rash"
But Donovan would not listen, and as
his vanity always made him anxious tC
excel his companions-Brian especially
he was soon halfway up the gorge, and
his comrades below were careful not to
get directly under him lest some fragment
of rock detached in his progress might fall
upon them.
All went well, however, and Donovan
had the satisfaction of setting foot on the
summit some minutes in advance of the
Others When they joined him he had al
ready Drawn the glass from us case and
was surveying the forest, which extended
eastward as far as the eye could reach
1t was the same panorama of forest and
sky which Brian had beheld from the top
of the cape, though trifie less extensive.
for the cape dominated the cliff by at least
one hundred feet.
"Well, do you see any water?" asked
Wilcox.
'None whatever" replied Donovan.
ITS my turn to look now" cried Viii
cox.
Donovan handed the glass to his com.
rade. There was a look of evident salts
faction on his face.
Il don't see the slightest sign of water,n
remarked Wilcox, lowering his glass.
''Then it is more than probable that
there is none in this direction, :" said Dono
van. You can look now, Brian, and ]
feel sure that you will perceive your er-
ror."
at is not worth while" replied Brian:
al am sure that | was not mistaken"
Nonsense; we see no water, l tell YOU.
Ito be continued.)