The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-06-16

place Wnere you keep JnlnIS snug
Almost every miner, before the Vigil
ance Committee nominated me Judge,
had o cachette. This was mine, and
many an ounce Pve brought down
here; fur,you see, barrin' accidents, it's
won 'erful safe. You willallow that no
one could find his way down here i'll
the dark" | shudder at the thought
of any one attempting such fearful
venture), land from here right up to
the holo is u fair straight line, so that
no light could come down without it's
bein' seen; but that amt the only
safeguard as you shall see. Come on
sir"
We made our way foot by foot
along the narrow ledge for some dis
tance, still descending. When Brace
again halted, the light of his torch re-
vealed the yellow stream falling silent
ly through space, few feet before
him. That silent fall impressed me
with a sense OF the awful depth OF the
gulf beside us.
The ledge ended abruptly where
Brace stood; q recess in the wall al
lowed ample standing room for us
three.
Tine greaser never got no furder
down than this; but it weren't fur
enough for me-" said Brace. II had
my idea of gettin' right down to the
bottom of this hole, where these wa
ters must have carried tons O. gold. /"
"But the ledge ends here"
"It do; but" he added lifting his
torch, cit goes on again over there. "
The light fell on q iutting projection
OF quartz upon the opposite side OF
the chasm, distant at least twenty
| feet.
"But you can not leap that"
Correct, end l amt going to
try"
He laid himself upon his face, and
stretched his arm down the chasm;
when he rose, he had O. cord in his
hand. Pulling this in, he drew up two
coils of stout rope. AS he drew them
in, saw that their other ends were
attached to rocks upon the opposite
ledge, one abov, the other, with
| about four feet between.
ave must hitch 'em tight,-give us
a hand, sir" he said.
I helped him to make the ropes
taut, and fasten their loose ends
upon the projecting crags that he had
| long employed for that purpose.
"There, SIR" he said, taking his
torch from Lola, and holding it over
the black gulf, "there's as pretty a
bridge and hand-rail as the heart OF
man could reasonably desire"
For all that l held my breath as l
saw him step out on the low rope,
and make his way, holding by the up
per one, across that black abyss. My
turn came, and with the blood hum
mingin my ears, l stepped out upon
the rope. 1t swung to and fro in the
middle, and / was seized with that If
resistible suggestion Of self-destruc.
tion which affects the imagination oi
most people in looking down from the
extraordinary height.
Lola began to cross before l was
we'll off, and when we stood all three
in safety on the ledge, n fervent
"Thank God" rose from my heart.
oval, we've got to git back
agin," observed Brace, as If my
as! thankfulness were little prema ,5
to think of Providence when
you're in danger; now, my gel, it's
for you to lead on"
"You can stay here; you're toe
heavy for where I'm going" said she
taking the torch from his hand.
With swiftness that terrified me-
she went down the side OF the
precipice, finding foothold where we
looking down from the projection
could see none.
'They don't know danger,-kids
DON'T" said Brace, in. low tone
end" he added, looking into the
depths about him uneasily, %
wouldn't mind feeling the same myself
First time l ever felt skeery, dowr
this hole, and Pm burned ifit sha'n't
be the last. Pm gettin' too old tc
emily risky work"
| could not take my eyes from the
light below, as it passed i'll jerks from
point to point. At last it stopped
and after a minutes pause, TO my
great relief, it began to return.
Quicker and quicker the ight danced
along until l felt sick and giddy will
fear for the girls safety; and then
with one last bound, she stood upo1
our shelf of rock, holding the Great
Hesper in her hand.
cam I good?" she asked earnestly
nesting up to my side.