The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-04-16

XV vlW thought he
had made q mistake, and their opin.
ion was shared by Mrs. Bruce, who
always delicate, shrank from the
hardships and suffering attendant
upon the pioneer lie.
But Milton Bruce was naturally
determined, and once decided upon q
course OF action, he was not easily
turned from his purpose; and urged
on by the fattering reports from
that section, he had in due time set
tied with his wife and only child,
Sally, then nine years of age, in the
mining country Of Colorado and
midway down the side Of one OF these
spurs( they branch out at regular in
tervals all along the Rocky Noun
tain r'inge), over the bare summit of
which ran rough trail towards a
mining town beyond. He built his
primitive cabin OF rough logs taken
from the belt of timber near by.
Into it Sally, now girl offourteen
and her mother were moved from q
little mining town or camp" in the
valley on the other side of the noun
tain, seven miles away, where they
had been staying, waiting for the es-
tablishing Of their home.
The way over the mountain trail
had been wearisome and full of peril,
the road rough, winding up and on
above the timber into the region of
ice and snow; II crooked line, treach-
erous with many chasm, growing
fainter and fainter till lost in the per-
Ills OF the pass at the summit. trail
ing sinuously along the height, and
gradually dropping on the other
side. From it zigzag trail led away
and down the long, broken slope to-
ward the miners cabin.
The pass could scarcely he called
such in the accepted meaning of the
term, ms it is scarcely more than a
shelf in tho crest Of the mountain.
fianked bygiddy precipices of ice and
rock, where the snow lies all the year
and the winds are never still.
Over this wny even the brnvest min
ers dread to cross in winter save in
calm weather.
The cable, staunch but small. con-
tanned two rooms, with n great rude
chimney and fireplace of stones and
mud at one end, over which the min
er's wife and daughter cooked the
frugal meals and sat around it on
winter nights, listening to the wild
winds which swept across the slope,
driving the snow like white mist
clouds before it or Kissed and roared
down it's wide thrOnt.
The long trail, zig-zngging up the
slope, possessed n fascination for
Sally's adventurous spirit, and il
was gazed at with keen eyes in all
its tortuous windings with a wistiul
longing, till she knew every turn of
the way.
After n while she sometimes nc
her father ove- to the
town, and once in summer even
made the journey alone, SO much
confidence did Milton Bruce place in
bis daughters ability to tnke care
of herself And this self-dependence
md determined character stood him
in very good stend later on.
The Bruccs had been ut the cabin
two umrners-sumners filled with /
bright, cloudless days and cool, dew
ess nights, and now second winter
mad crept down upon the bleak
with wind and storm
and dark, lowering skies.
Mrs Bruce had taken the last long
Quincy, and was laid in the shadow
,t q great gray boulder upon which
the had sat with Sally and knitted
md planned wonderful schemes, or
woven bright day.dreams of future
prosperity and happy meeting with
he dear ones away beyond the sun
Use.
Now Sally was left alone to keep
he hearth warm and cheer the lovely
nan who still delved persistently at
he rocky drift" believing he would
ome time "strike ore"
Butas the months had dragged on
md no fortune had come of all his
abor, the people OF the town had
,iven him well-meant advice to
lbandon his place and try another
md more promising locality.
1t has been mild November, but
ownrd the last OF December there
anne heavy SHOWS, and Milton Bruce,
about prospecting, as was
lis won't, in sheltered ravines out of
he reach OF storms, at length threw
Town his pick in the gathering dusk
If the short day, his usually detected
ace overspread with an expression
lnrd to describe, and with anxious
yes peered into the snow-clouds far
Up along the long slope.
Heaven forbid that anything
should happen tonight he mutter-
ID, and long after Sally had gone to
bed in the curtained corner OF the
sitchen that night, her fathers rest
ess footsteps sounded upon the
rough floor of tho next room.
Wearied at length, Sally fell asleep,
while upon the mountain u inysteri-
ous, weird movement was going on
n A.. II. a..