Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-03-01
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oOiNlAs
81 will be your sister, Mercedes"
cried Ii y, itnpulsively.
80 you shall, dear" said |. "Ahl
there Is lachcco homrward- bound with
fine string OF lsh," and waylnyinq
the child's father, | told him our plans
respecting Mercedes, to which h. ravc
ready consent
There was quito u gathering OF ma
tvcs about the hotel in tho morning 10
wish MS "Bucnos dias" as our cavalcade
set out, led by Mexican Joe, u vcncr.
able ISLANDER, who was TO act in the ca.
pacity o, cook and general utility man.
We were to make the trip by easy
stages, stopping over night at the In
dian mounds, place had long con-
templatcd visiting
Juc assured me that he knew the
mound locality well, and confident that
rich harvest would reward tho dill
gent cNplorer-ior stone implements,
bcals, bits OF wampum, and even tho
skulls and bones OF departed warrior,
had been uucarthcd by tho ISLANDERS
! added pick and shovel to our camp.
ing outfit
The trail, following the coast, was
Ccuaing and sometimes wound peril
| ously near the edge Of the Cliff Look
ing down hundred feet or more, one
could SEQ the foaming breakers dash
ing ON the rocks below Everything
| delighted tho children; they laughed
and chattcd and sang until we caught
| their merry mood, and gay party wc
were. indeed.
la tv,
when we arrived ut the mounds. so,
with oppcutes made keen by the long
ride in the brnciug morning air. We set
about preparing the midday meal Old
Joe litnpcl away TO gather nrcwood;
my wife summoned the children, who
were culling the golden peoples that
| grew In profusion along the cliffs cdrc,
| T. help upplclS the lunch, while |, iug
In hand, made for canyon near by in
search OF water | found tricl,linr
stream dripping from the moss-clad
powders, and tho jug was soon filled.
IL might have been fifteen minutes be.
fore left the canyon; IA soon us came
In sight OF camp ! knew that some.
thing was umiss Old Joe ran toward
me, shouting and motionmg wildly; ON
the verge OF the cliir saw my wifo
knccling, Mercedes beside her, but
whore was Lily2
In an instant ! realized tho worst
Lily had fallen from the cliff. MY
brain rcclel with the horror Of tho
Thought, and ! called to my wife be.
sccching her to leave that awful place.
Why did she still lSnecl and gaze down
upon the manglcd form lying ON the
cruel ruclis2
'Senor," the old Mexican was say
ing, "thc child not hurt-she cling TO
the ledge We must have ropesi'
Alivcl | graspcd sturdy root and
swung myself over the ABYSS. Far be.
low, upon u narrow, crumbling ledge.
Lily lay, her fall arrested by dense
growth Of brush.
"QuiclSl the ropesr' shouted to Joe.
Those used IN lashing the burro's
pack In place were all We had. Joe
was rapidly knotting them together.
"Pray God they may not be too shortr'
gnsped the child's mother.
"Ahr' the Mexican exclaimed. "thc
rope too old, II the senior go down II
break"
"Listcnl" cried Mercedes. 1.-THE rope
will hold me. will 90 TO her"
Even as she spoke we slipped the
moose under her arms, and, US we
graspcd the rope, swung OFF the rock
would not live those moments again
for wealth untold.
Would the rope reach Lily? Would
II bear the weight OF both2
These were the thoughts that almost
stopped my heart. beats, while inch by
inch was lowered the brave child, per
haps 20 her death.
At length tho strain on the rope
ceased
"shc has reached the ledge" brcathed
the trembling mother. "She slips the
moose from her body and fnstens II UNI
der Lily's arms. Pulll Pull"
And we pulled, slowly. steadily, un.
I'll loving mother arms reached out and
drew the unconscious child from the
very brink OF death, her tiny hand still
clenched about the brilliunt-hued pop
pies that had so nearly proved her de-
struction.
And now for one more effortl Would
the frayed strands part under the
heavier weight In breathless silence
the rope was lowered, and we waited
the signal TO pull up.
remember how, even at that mo-
ment, the beauty OF the scene appealed
10 me.
The golden sunshine flooded sea and
land.
Above us bent the cloudless blue OF a
tropic sky; and could but wonder II
our Father, who made all things so
fair would suffer the sun TO shine and
the birds 10 sing II that brave young
life was TO be sacrificed.
That Of which write occurred many