The Progress., 1892-08-06

riage. and she pressed my hand a,
smiled. admired her courage IA Inn.
as lamented the apparent lack Of
her father. The horse having been n,
harnessed and tethered where some N,
grass grew beside a stream. we stro,,
off across the sandy upland; Slurk ca,
ryiny the big basket. Mr. Blrchuy,,
walking with Il rather feeble step ps,
him. and Kate and III front. II ",
an even hotter day than Yesterday s,l
the tramp was wearisome one. A
the time we arrived at the foot Of n.
Stein, we were quite ready to rest a r.,
minutes in the shadow of the rock \,
coolness and breath.
mo, can't do it," said Mr. Birn
more, wiping his forehead and glanrv
hopelessly up ut the narrow white f,,I
path that seemed to mount allne
straight upward to the distant sunur
Just leave me here, with Il few san
wiches and bottle of hook, and shs
do very comfortably till you come hars
1t was certainly very arduons Won
clambering up that ladderlike lart
and doubt whether Rates determn.I
ton and mind would have held oat hs !
the motive which urged us been merpl
one of curiosity. But the top was gains
at last. and we threw ourselves down
the dry grass to rest and 10 be tannu
by the welcome breeze that blew thin.
Slurk placed the basket IN little hi
low where some bushes kept oil the q
rect rays of the sun and stretched hin
self at full length beside 1t.
Now let us walk about" suggess
Kate, at length, i'll IN undertone: vi
must see what there Is to be seen"
We had already arranged all the stvs
by which we were To proceed TO N
achievement of our purpose and we n
that the sooner 1t WIS ended now d
better. The surface Oh which III
stood, though preserving Il general leve(
was full of irregularities and uneya
ness: it was overgrOwn with low BUSH
and parched grass, with perhaps bali I
dozen starved and meager trees hr[
and there the NAKED rock lutted fon /
from the thin soil, crumbling al
weather worn, its surface stained ID
places with dry Echcns The enirI
table was scarcely two-thirds of IN and
in area. and il more forlorn and uncOa
genial spot it would he hard To find eva
in the midst of summer. The cave
which the robbers lived WAS sOmewhe
lower down. we had passed its entzDu
on our way up. but it WAS here prOa
bly,, that an outlook was kept over u
country. TO spy out the approach Of VI
TINS or of enemies. 1t struck me that
was hardly worth while TO be n bandr}
if one must put up with such bleak ~
unattractive quarters in which to carr
on the business.
Kate and | wandered over this hard
summit hand i'll hand The mJmr
was now very near that w;ts to make
great change in the world for both
us. We felt. somehow, rs if we w'a
taking leave of Il certain part Of
lives then. AT least | remember ganf
out across the wide expanse of sunIls
country that stretched far away
every side and wondering whether
would look the same I'M hnur hend
Slurk al the while lay beside his basE
and appeared to be asleep.
We came to the brow Of a sort OF sh
or shallow declivity, descending whi
we found ourselves on Il lower level
some six or seven feet; and 50 much
the area as lay behind us ceased 10
visible. Advancing few PAGES farthf
we paused abruptly on the edge Of
dark, profound cleft. which gapei n
at our feet. 1t was SO narrow that
might easily leap across it at Its wid7
part; but it was So deep that. for
that | could see. it might descend TO \
very base of the Stein. Peerlng dow
ward earnestly, however. my EYES
coming accustomed to the gloom cvrf
dimly discern what seemed to he an
tom 1T a depth of not more than twsH'
feet,