Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-06-01
The Great Hesper.
CHAPTER XvIII-CoNrINuEn
BY FRANK BARRETT


Van Hoeck, with the frantic excite
ment OF a man achieving at last the
object OF his life, as he attacked the
upper rope with his knife. "Die,
and know that all you cherish in the
world shall be mine-wealth, and
the woman you love. DIE"
And with that he severed the last
strand, and | swept down through
space. Clinging with desperate en-
ergy to the rope in my hands, |
swung, cramping myself together in
anticipation OF violent shock
against the side OF the precipice.
Happily, the rock above projected a
little, so that the blow was less Sc
we're than / expected. | rebounded,
and swung TO and fro like Ia pendu
lum in the pitchy darkness. For in
order 10 get frmer grasp upon the
rope when | saw his intention OF
cutting it, had dropped the torch
which fell like a spark of a rocket
into tho depths below.
What was 10 do? Idared not try
TO pull myself hand over hand up the
wet rope. for the slightest relaxation
on my hold might allow the rope to
slip, and / should DO lost assuredly.
Dear, are you still there?" Lola
called from above.
Yes" replied.
Here is the rope-when call you
can trust yourself to it"
At the same time | felt the kaotted
rope dangling against my shoulders
Now" she called.
1t was not an instant too soon /
felt the wet rope slipping through
my hands. Leaving go with one
hand, clutched out wildly for the
knottcd rope, and by the happiest
chance succeeded in Selling it.
/ got cross-piece between my
feet and l was comparatively safe. il
Lola had strength to hold on for a
few moments. But that | might not
tax her too greatly, | still grasped
the wet rope.
Saved, :" | called out to her.
Not for long, shouted Van Hoeck
from the opposite side, and | heard
the snap OF the spring as he closed
the breech-loader, ana then the
''clickn as he cooked the piece.
Z,
asked myself in that moment
He fired. and the ringing shot was
followed by a sharp cry OF pain from
above, and the cross piece on which
stood gave little jerk, but no
more. She must have escaped, de-
spite that cry, or she could not still
have held on to the rope.
But terrible as these thoughts that
passed through my mind in those
brief moments were. they were ban
ished from my mind by yet moro
terrific appeal to my senses.
Following almost Immediately
upon the crack of the rifle and Lola 5
cry, mass of rock, probably dis
integrated by the frost, and started
from its place by the reverberation
of the shot, slid down the face OF the
precipice, hurled against rock. and
some moments after fell with deep
pong into the water below.
But as il this had been the key
stone of the fabric that upheld the
mighty weight of the enormous rock
that covered the chasm, its fall was
followed by tho crumbling away and
precipitation of others at intervals
rapidly decreasing, their fall eventu-
ally becoming a continual downpour,
marked now and then by louder
crash as some large: block gave way.
The roar OF artillery, the peal
OF thunder, was not to DO compared
with the awful din as the great rock
ierked downward as the quartz
splintered and gave way under it.
shattering and grinding the oppos.
ing rocks, and bursting away huge
fragments that struck from side to
side as they hurtled down. tearing
and splitting the very heart OF the
mountain as IL seemed.
This fall was most violent at sofnc
distance away from us further down
the ravine; only an occasional block,
ground under the great mass as il
ierked down, was shattered to pieces
and fell in dust and rubble about us
The awful eruption had continued
for some moments-scarcelys so lons
as one might take to read this de
scription-with increasing intensity,
when suddenly, with an appalling
crash. the great roof tilted up
saw the earth slowly gap open above
me, letting in the binding sunlight
and then the upper lip OF jagged
rock reaching its highest elevation
shot sidelong away, making visible
the long strip OF blue heaven between
the towering peaks Of the mountain
One last pong" as the rocl
wedged itself afresh lower down tn
precipice. and then all was still
The sight of the blue sky, the sens
OF relief. we're too much for me.
trembled violently, and for momcn