Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-08-10
HE GOT HEREWARD.

and California, following out the scor-
lac apex of a deep, rugged, conical ele-
walton, is the crater of an old volcano
One day a small party of adventurous
ladies and gentlemen, leaving their rid
ing and baggage mules at the base Of
the steep ascent, clambered up its jag
ged sides to the summit, where an ex-
tended view over a picturesque land
scape was their first reward.
One of the party was bright viva
cious, venturesome girl, who was both
the pride and the worry Of her accom-
panying parents, the latter because she
was so full of romping, giddy, daring
life
Ada Widen, quick of motion and
light of foot, so skinned over the
rough, honey -combed surface Of the
scoriac pile that she soonp ut consider
able distance between her and her par
ents, and now, instead of needing he-
mothers call to come back 10 her,
she began to recede along the edge of
cd to be topping crag, and standing
up clear against the background of
shlmmoring sky.
The next moment there came pierre
ing shrek from the same quarter, and
the treacherous lava and 1aring girl
went down together TO the awful
depths below.
When the fearful spot was reached
nothing OF the missing girl could be
seen, but 100 feet below some Of the
debris Of the fallen crag was visible
along the edge of the black, stagnant
water
"All Of us will help. We will do
everything we CAM cried n voice, TO
which all the others gave ready assent.
The speaker was Il young man, sup
posed to be very partial TO Ada, and
TO him the distressed father turned,
with a mounful hope.
ut will be necessary TO go down into
the water to find her." he said.
"Oh, l could not do that" replied the
young man, shrinking back. The wa
ter might poison me- Besides the cliff
here is beetling, and there is no way,
safe or otherwise, that one could climb
down TO the poo"
And this was the young man who had
wanted Ada-if he could secure her
with 10 more eXertion than is required
10 pick a rose from the parental bush.
But when it came 10 risking his life
for hers-ah! that was quite different
matter. There were plenty of rose
bushes and roses.
Several of the ladies who had noted
the persistency with which he had
thrown himself into Miss Wilden's COM
pany now glanced at him with the
contempt which gentle women feel for
cowardice in men.
AS for the other men, they looked Mt
one another. Many of them would
have started TO the rescue IL they could
have shared the peril together, but soli-
taire is ever so much more difficult to
play in the game Of heroism!
"Who will venture!" said Mr.. Wild
Ell, wildly.
No one answered.
A minute afterward n young, hand
some strlI ger, in the garb Of a hunter,
with rifle over his shoulder, was seen
approaching the group with q light
quick step.
The catastrophe was quickly and Gag
erly explained to him as he looked
down from the fated spot.
III go down and get the body" he
said, in quiet positive tone.
In few moments the daring hunter
had arranged rope and signals for his
perilous descent
One end Of the line was secured to
an immovable lava rock and the other
about the body Of the venturer.
Then lowering the rope, double,
about half way, so that it would not
have TO slide over the verge as he de-
scended, young Randolph boldly swung
himself over the abyss amid the catch
ing respirations and gulping exclama-
tons of the ladies, his legs and feet
also clinging to the supporting rope.
AS If he saw something that those
above could not see, he stepped back Il
few PAGES, gave a running jump and
swung out Of sight under the beetling
cliff.
In fact. he did see something those
above could not see-the fair girl her
self lying still on the little shelf to
which she had bounded when the mass
that took her down struck another in
its descent and threw her off.
He swung himself to her and found
her in the act of opening her bright
blue eyes in wonder.
For moment or two she stared at
the strange hunter, then quickly at the
black lake below and her desolate sur
roundings, eXclaiming:
Where am /? And who are you-''
He explained everything in few sec
onds.
YES" she answered with n little
shudder; II was so venturesome, and |
remember feeling awfully scared as /
was going down. l suppose my parents
will never get through scolding me
about it. It's nicely romantic, though
isn't it? And you we happened along
just in time to save mev'
You are not quite rescued yet Miss
Ada" smiled the amused hunter.
But j shall be, Mr."
Randolph
IL shall be. Mr.. Randolph, of course.
You are not going to miss the reward
father offered for meT'
'If ] save you, Miss Ada, IL will be
for Yourself and not the pecuniary re-
ward"
us papa worriedT she asked.
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