Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-10-10

"no heemen 80 quiet sudden gust Of
WIND tore her hat from her head and In an
instant whirled 1t out Of sight into the all
surrounding gray.
With short Stand quite still, please. .
he hurried after It,
How odd It was to be there all ajonel
There WAS something so solemn, 80 awful
ID the silence, the Isolation and the som.
Derness Of the placed To he able TO see and
ieel nothing save the rocks at her feet and
the noiseless mist floating by; 10 hear moth.
ing put the moaning OF the wind, to real
ize that she might be within few feet Of
precipice and not know It'll
1t was like standing upon impalpable
ar ana grasping at 1t helplessly with the
worid slipping away into the distanceI
Maage shuddered. and there must have
been something in the look that she Turned
upon Bob, who had appeared out OF the
gloom at her side so suddenly and noise
iessiy ~ 10 almost startle her, that showed
the reiief she felt in having him with her
again, for his face, that was set and seri
Gus. softened into reassuring smile, and
che swift, eager glance OF the eyes that she
Lad noticed once before during the after
noon might have warned her that he, al
least, was on dangerous ground. But II
only caused strange little Huttering OF
her heart as she replaced her hat and took
his arm without word
In utter silence they trayersad now wba,
seemed to Madge to be long distance
IT had been but a short time since the
change had taken place, but already the
wind had risen to a gale, and the gloom
had dcepened into black wall around
them, while in the distance could be heard
the roar and rattle and crash Of the an.
preaching storm, that was already heralded
by few wandering flakes Of snow that
were whirled along too fast to find a rest,
ing place
Their pace had unconsciousIy slackened
ana now they were simply cropping their
way over the logs and stumps, around the
powders and between the swayipp pines
that arose one after another through the
mist like struggling column of retreat,
ing soldiers, when suddenly Bob uttered a
surprised exclamation and stood still. Not
five feet in front of them arose solid wall
OF perpendicular rock. its boundaries los,
In the mist.
Madge's glance Of interrogation revealed
to her the perplexity, anxiety and irrita
ton outlined in Bob's face and caused her
to ask earnestly:
why. Mr.. Barker, have you lost your
wayi"
Her only answer was jagged, quiverina
glare that seemed to enyelop them from
every side, Frightening up the scarped cliff
in front and showing them upon its surface
the cold, dank tufts OF dark green moss be
tween which the moisture was slowly trick
ling to the base. The very earth under
them trembled. the air recoiled in terror
and the mountain seemed to split to its
base with the almost Simultaneous crasI
that followed
The storm had overtaken them!
Madge tried to smile after she had relin
pushed her hysterical grasp of Bob's arm
but there was no answering smile from
him, and vague fear swept over her.
II don't recognize this rock" he NUT
tered in a low tone. II seem to have losl
the trail. Let's work our way along the
face of this little"
Once more the slow and hesitating march
was resumed.
The huttering flakes eff snow had changed
to tiny hailstones that were rapidly whiten
ing the ground The first grand rush o.
the wind was over, and it had quietet
| down into sullen moan that was merely
an undertone to the great orchestra oil
heaven whose reverberating notes were
ringing from peak to peak and rolling ma
jestically down the valleys.
Faster and faster beat the hail, now
rapidly changing back to snow; colder ant
colder moaned the wind as they wearil,
and silently picked their way along in tn,
shadow of the dreary cliff.
| Madge shivered perceptibly, and Bob
turning quickly, tore off his coat, and will
| a peremptory Put it on, please" threw il
over her shoulders and buttoned it around
her neck, paying no attention to her mild
expostulation-
She did not persist in it, for his manner
and voice allowed no refusal. She felt by
| this time that they were in some danger
| though she could hardly tell how or why
| True, it was growing very cold and wa.
showing heavily. but such a combination
was not new to her, although she wa:
| rather lightly dressed. And what if they
| had temporarily lost their way! The storm
would probably soon be over, even If they
didn't find the trail before then. Sh,
might catch very bad cold. And tina
would have been about the extent of he
anxiety if it had not been for her compan
| IONS actions.
She had never before seen him so quie
| and preoccupied. Heseemed to avoid look
| ing at her, which was certainly very un
| usual for him. His almost constant smil
was gone and his mouth firmly set H
seemed to be watching and listening iik
an animal who knows there are enemie
ahead. If he would only talk to her reas
| suringly it would remove this vague un
easiness.
| She could stand it no longer, and sh
asked, rather timidly for her, who ha'
| been used to the most childlike franknes
and directness with him:
''Mr. Barker, is there much danger, d
you Think"
He did not turn his head, but answered
with deliberation which only increases
her anxiety:
Not at present; but we are certainly los
| for the moment and | am afraid we ar
simply making circle and returning t
| the spot we started from. hope to fin
| the trail again in a moment"
"How can YOU find it when the snow
covering it all upt"
The question came from her impulsively
and somehow she felt sorry the momen
| she asked it,
| Poor Bobl
| He had not deliberately lied to her, bu
| he hadn't told the whole truth; and she ha
given utterance to the very question tina
was in his own mind.
| 81 think could easily find my way b
landmarks if the cloud would lift" he al
swered evasively.
She suspected now that he was conceal
| ing the truth from her, and her temper an
courage rose with the crisis. She said er
ergetically:
at is very unfair of YOU Mr.. Barker, t