Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-08-23
HE GOT His REWARD.

main routes between the eastern states
and California, following out the scor-
lac apex OF a deep, rugged, conical
elevation, is the crater Of an old vol
can0.
One day a small party Of adventur-
ouS ladies and gentlemen. leaving their
riding aud baggage mules at The base
Of the steep ascent, cIambered up its
jagged sides TO the summit, where an
extended view over picturesque land
! scape was their first reward.
one Of the party was bright. viva
! ciOuS, ventUres0me girl, who was both
| the pride and the worry Of her accom-
! panyins parents, the latter because she
was so full Of romping, giddy, daring
! life.
/ Ada Widen, quick Of motion and
/ light OF foot, 50 skinned over the
| rough, hOney-combed surface OF the
! scoriac pile that she soon put consider
able distance between her and her par
entS, and now, instead of needing her
| mothers call to come back to her, she
began to recede along the edge OF the
| crater, finally mounting what seemed
to be topping crag, and standing
! up clear against the BACKGROUND Of
shimmering sky.
The next moment there came a pierre
ing shrek from the same quarter, and
the treacherous lava and daring 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 cann' cried Il voice, to
which all the others gave ready con
sent.
The speaker was young man, SUP
posed to be very partial to Ada, and
TO him the distressed father turned,
with mOurnful hope.
1T will be necessary to go down into
the water to find her." he said.
"Oh, I could not do that" replied
the young man, shrinking back. The
water might poison ne. Besides, the
cliff here is beetling, and there is no
way, safe or otherwise, that one could
climb down to the pool"
And this was the young man who
had wanted Ada-if he could secure
her with no more exertion than is re-
quired to pick a rose from the parental
bush.
But when it came to 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 Wildens
company now glanced at him with the
contempt which gentle women feel
for cOWardice in men.
AS for the other men, they looked at
one another. Many Of them would
have started to the rescue if they could
have shared the peril together, but
solitaire is ever so much more difficult
to play in the game of heroism.
who will venture?" said Mr.
Widen. wildly
No one answered,
A minute afterward a young, hand
some stranger, in the garb Of a hunter,
with a rife over his shoulder was
seen approaching the group with
light, quick step.
The catastrophe was quickly and
eagerly explained to him as he looked
down from the fated spot.
eFT'II on dawn and 10 ho5u 40
said in a quiet, positive tone.
In a few moments the daring hunter
had arranged a 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
descended, young Randolph boldly
swung himself over the abyss amid
the catching respirations and gulping
EXPLANATIONS of the ladies, and went
quickly down, hand over hand, his
legs and feet also clinging to the sup
porting rope.
AS if he saw something that those
above could not see, he stepped back
a few PAGES, gave a running jump and
swung out of sight under the beet1ing
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
it's 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 a moment or two she stared at
the strange hunter, then quickly at the
black lake below and her desolate
surroundings, exclaiIning:
Where am I? And who are your
He explained everything In a few
seconds.
"Yes," she answered, with a little
shudder; Il was so venturesome, and
I remember feeling awfully scared as
was going down. | suppose my par
ents will never get done scolding me
about it. It's nicely romantic, though,
isn't it? And you've happened along
Just in time to rescue mer'
you are not quite rescued yet, Miss
Ada" smiled the amused hunter.