Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-07-14
CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXI.
II knowed it must 90 one day. How
fares it, parlner?' called Brace from
the opposite ledge.
Looking across, I saw him sitting
on the boulder binding his arm with
his neckc!oth.
Lola is hit. The villain has done
his work. said.
"He'l! never do no more" Brace
answered, pointing up the ledge.
Van Hoect had tried to escape the
way he came. after shooting Lola, and
had got some distance along the ledge,
when the great rock opened and slid
away.
He stood on the narrow path now,
a CHASTITY spectacle. \ piece OF quartz
had struck him on the head; a thin
stream OF blood was trucking down
his cheek. In one hand he held the
Great Hesper; in the other he grasped
his rifle
But he dared not move from the
position he had reached when the
roof tilted up; for the light that burst
in had blinded him once more. The
pupils closed over the sensitive retin-
as, and the blank, sishtless eyess stared
wildly round, incapable OF seeing.
1t was possible FOR Brace to reach
him by going along the ledge.
"Will you save him?" l asked.
"Not 1, pardner,' he replied. II
leave him to Providence, be his end
what it may. The shot he fired at
my poor youngster started the con-
sarn, and brought the whole thing
down. It's God Almighty's iudg,
ment Let it be"
Van Hoeck left the rifle slip from
! his hand; how insignificant to us SEEM
ed the sound that came up from be-
low, as the weapon struck a rock,
after the mighty discord that
and yet to him how terribly signif-
cant!
We could see his hand quivering as
he CROPPED along the edge OF the wall.
in yain now he strained his eyes to
see the ledge by which he had followed
Us. Yet he could not stand forever
there.
He found crevice for his fingers,
and made q step forward; he adj
vanced again. but the rock he put his
foot on was piece OF the debris that
| had fallen upon the ledge. 1t rolled
under his weight. He staggered back,
swinging his arms in the vain attempt
to gain an equilibrium, then he shot
forward, and fell heallong down,
down, down into the abyss.
| | held my breath; it seemed
minutes before that hollow pong"
lt.i +hI,
that Van H Deck was gone forever, and
the Great hesper with him.
There was cord, and to spare, in the
coils. Weishting one end with stone,
| threw an end across to Brace; and,
when the cut ropes were knotted, and
a bridge once more formed, he crossed
and knelt down by me over poor
| Lola.
He examined her wound, and shook
MS head in silence: the. was no hope.
We made a mattress O. the rugs on
the smoothest part OF the rock, and
ATTEMPTED to lit her upon it, But
the movement gave her pain, and she
n1otonei us TO desist. Then pointing
upward, she made signs Tor us to leave
! her
"Not while you are with us, my
poor GEL said licr father, with more
tenderness than L had ever heard in
| his voice.
We had the flask, and some food in
wallet We ate when we We're
hungry, seated beside Lola.
Then exhausted with fatigue. and
the terrible strain we had been sub
iected to- we unconsciously fell asleep,
with our backs resting against the
rock. The last thing OF which was
conscious was the pressing OF Lola's
lips upon my hand.
Brace touched my arm.
"Pardner." he said, in a tone OF
awe, "the Kids gone"
Hooked where had seen her lying
with her face to my hand. She was
gone literally. There was a little stain
OF blood upon the rock,-a drop furth-
er on, another close to the edge OF
the platform. Shehadkept her prom.
! ise,-she had been good; and now the
sutferings OF her short life were ended.
"She knew it was no good our wait
in; poor little cuss."
/! l felt something INN hand; opening
it, found a rim: had BOUGHT for Lo.