San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-17
did de Herr want anytn1ngl-


on our way back, was my answer. and
with that we drove away.
In about half an hour, proceeding by
unfrequented roads, we came in sight OF
Kohlstein. 1t was a vast four sided
mass of gray rock, scanned with deep
clefts and assures running horizontally
and vertically, so that it appeared to
have been built of gigantic blocks of
stone. 1t was considerably over one
hundred feet in sheer height, and 1t
stood upon rising ground of shifting
sand. Slender trees grew here and there
out of the creviees of its headlong sides
and struggled markedly along its level
summit, outlined against the sky. 1t
was an ideal place for robber strong.
hold; impregnable, certainly, to any at
tack save that of the heaviest, modern
artillery.
"Wemust get out and walk from here "
remarked Mr.. Birchmore. There's only
one way of getting to the top. and that's
on the other side. | have got a touch
of my rheumatics today and hardly
think shall be able to do the climbing
However, that needn't interfere with
you young people, of course"
| exchanged covert look with Kate
as helped her to descend from the car
riage, and she pressed my hand and
smiled. | admired her courage as much
as lainerted the apparent lack of it In
her father. The horse having been un
harnessed and tethered where some cool
grass grew beside stream, we struck
off across the sandy upland: Slurk car.
rying the big basket, Mr.. Birchmore
walking with rather feeble step near
him, and Kate and in front. 1t WAS
an even hotter day than yesterday and
the tramp was a wearisome one. By
the time we arrived at the foot of the
Stein, we were quite ready to rest few
minutes in the shadow of the rock. for
GOODNESS and breath.
mo, can't do itr' said Mr.. Birch,
more, wiping his forehead and glancing
hopelessly up at the narrow white foot
path that seemed to mount almost
straight upward to the distant summit.
Just leave me here, with few sand
witches and bottle of hook, and shall
do very comfortably till you come back.
1t was certainly very arduous work
clambering up that ladderlike path
and doubt whether Rates determine
ton and mind would have held out had
the motive which urged us been merely
one of curiosity. But the top was gained
at last, and we threw ourselves down ON
the dry grass to rest and to be famed
by the welcome breeze that blew there
Slurk placed the basket in little mol
low where some bushes kept off the dl,
rect rays of the sun and stretched HIM
self at full length beside it.
Now let us walk about" suggested
Kate, at length, in an undertone: I'VE
must see what there is to be seen"
We had already arranged all the steps
by which we were to proceed to the
achievement of our purpose and we felt
that the sooner it was ended now the
better. The surface on which we
stood, though preserving general level
was full of irregularities and uneven
ness: it was overgrown with low bushes
and parched grass, with perhaps half Il
dozen starved and meager trees. Here
and there the naked rock Jutted forth
from the thin soil, crumbling and
weather worn, its surface stained i'll
places with dry hchens. The entire
table was scarcely two-thirds of an acre
in area; and more forlorn and uncon
genial spot it would be hard to find. even
in the midst of summer. The cave III
which the robbers lived was somewhere
lower down; we had passed it's entrance
on our way up; but it was here proba.
bly,, that an outlook was kept over the
country, to spy out the approach of VIC
TINS or of enemies 1t struck ne that II
was hardly worth while to be bandit.
if one must put up with such bleak and
unattractive quarters in which to carry
on the business.
Kate and wandered over this barren
summit hand in hand The moment
was now very near that was to make a
great change in the world for both Of
us, We felt, somehow, rs if we were
taking leave of certain part of our
lives then. At least | remember gazing
out across the wide expanse Of sunlight
country that stretched far away on
every side and wondering whether il
would look the same an hour hence.
Slurk all the while lay beside his basket
and appeared to be asleep.
We came to the brow of sort of shelf
or shallow declivity, descending which
we found ourselves on lower level by
some six or seven feet: and so much of
the area as lay behind us ceased to be
visible. Advancing few PAGES farther
we paused abruptly on the edge OF Il
dark, profound cleft, which gaped right
at our feet Il WAS SO narrow that one