Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-07-29

1--WE can do nothing now till daylight,
then we must try to climb the cliffs and
get over to Hemphill's; that's the nearest
place to find grub" said Allan Smith, as
he tried to trim the sickly yellow lamp,
fastened to projection of the clay chimney.
Had Hemphill's ranch been farther off.
or had there been other places of refuge
nearer, still it would have been the first
place to suggest itself TO young Smiths
mind, for Sol Hemphill and his wife al
ways made him as welcome as their own
boy, now away to the Twin lakes, and the
pretty face of Lucy Hemphill always glow
ed with a more than friendly light when
he was near.
About gittin up them cliffs, Allan, let
me say it amt in any Rocky mountain
sheep to climb up COO feet of jagged, sllppy
wall; and if big horn couldn't make it,
how can II" and Dick Gross, with lugu
brious expression, looked at his short, fat
legs.
We've got to leave here, and that right
Off See! the water is up to the door,
shouted a powerful, middle aged man,
who up to this time had been sitting in
moody silence.
you are right, Bulger; the logs are
shaking Let everything go but what
can be carried without troubler' said
Allan Smith, as he strapped his pistol belt
about his waist.
Bulger secured the buckskin bag that
contained the washings of the past six
weeks, while Dick Gross made a plunge
for the bag containing their limited sup
ply of bread and meat. Sim jerks thought
there was no need of loading himself down
with anything, so he threw his pistols rife
and mining tools into crevice in the rocks
back of the cabin.
Already the water was knee deep in the
cabin. To help each other and to keep
from parting / the inky darkness they
held on eac rope, jerks going ahead
as guide ant .,..an Smith bringing up the
rear.
They had but just left the cabin when it
went down with crash. On through the
inky darkness climbing over slippery
rocks, they kept till they reached the
dreaded cliffs which walled in the valley.
At the foot of the cliff roared torrent
that half mile farther down leaped
into the profound canyon of the Arkansas.
Bulger was just ahead of Allan Smith.
The latter slipped in the ascent, but before
he could recover, by the light of light
ming flash that darted down, he saw the
CLEAN of a knife; the next instant the
young man was rolling down the cliff
with the severed end Of the rope in his
hand.
, He struck against loose rock which
broke his fall in part, and the rock slipped
from its moorings and went laundering
down to the torrent beneath. Clinging
with desperation TO slippery point that
, overhung the yeast Of waters. Allan Smith
had time for world of whirling thoughts
He felt sure that Bulger cut the rope
What he had long suspected he now plain
J ly saw. The man hated him. and that
b hatred had it's foundation in Lucy Hemp
= hills rejection of Bulger year before.
Gradually Allan's hold ON the rock loos
t ened He fell sheer down, with a prayer
/. to heaven for mercy Oh his lips.
i The others struggled up through thu
= crevice, guided by jerks, and at length
: stopped for breath on little plateau Co
+ feet above the flooded valley. They dis
r covered that Allan Smith was missng-a
t least two of them did Bulger appeared
: to be as much alarmed as the others 70
i the fate of their comrade, but it was not
time for regrets. They waited on tn
n plateau till morning, when the rain turne'
into snow and the men were chilled to tn
bone
Sim jerks, who had behaved so nobl
a the night before, was stiff in every mus
# Gle and his hands were cut by contact wit
d the rocks, while Dick Gross, hungry an
e exhausted, declared his inability to go OF
e Telling jerks and Gross to stay wher
i they were while he went off to look for tn
l. trail, Bulger examined his pistols and riff
Is with unnecessary care, his companion
thought, and then started off.
Il don't nuch like the way Bulger
actin" said Gross when the man was OF
n of hearing.
l. And it's my opinion that he's cusse
h murderer" replied Sim jerks, as he e.
e hibited the end of the rope that had bee
e cut.
It The friends were still looking at the roI
al when bangi bang! bangl came the repo
of a pistol from the rocks above, and Il