The morning call., 1894-02-25

NO question at all" rejoined that Off
Ger, rising. land therefore. young man.
pay attention to dreams, whether they be
your OVID or those OF your better half.
Wnich shonld be, a fortiori, better and
more reliable than YOUR own Goodnight,
genllemen. It's past l o'clock and we
nave an early start before u.s."
In Ten minutes more silence and dark
ness reigned 10 the smoking-room of Bal
maquidder Lodge.
Next morning The men of the party we're
up and stirring betimes. AZ left my bed
room. candle IN hand, heard voices prO-
ceeding from the apartment occupied by
Mr.. and Mrs. Everton. "Ah. ha." thoncht
|. Toms curtain lecture is not over vet"
However. our friends absence was forgot
ten In the enjoyment of a substantial
Highland breakfast, and by the time the
sun asserted his power against the mist
we were bravely breasting steep noun
tain side. spurred on by the hope of good
DAYS sport.
Only one incident occurred at our start.
Sir Alan was setting his face against a
steep brae when he was stopped by the
bare-legged gille who acted as our guide.
"Dnna gaze yon gait, Sir Alan. We must
win over by the brig below"
Cant we get across by the stepping.
stones at the ford?" inquired our host i'm
patiently. THE bridge is mile Of e.
round"
81 dinna ken that the stanesli be over
muckle safe. Sir Alan. forbye We Gamma see
then at a WI the white water swirliug
over them and The pool may be Ten feet
deep close in under them. We mought win
over recht enoo. an again we Eought
Da-yOu KEN
We'll go round by the bridge. gentlemen.
There's flood IN the river it appears-a
cheerful habit the Balmaquidder has
when You least want it or expect it.
by the bridge accordingly we went and
when L saw the brown water whrlng
down the swift eddies | was thankful that
we had not attempted the stepping-Stone
1t was evening aud fast growing dark
when we reached the glen on our return.
wet, tired and hungry, but thoroughly sat
Ished with the days result. We were
stepping out briskly, for we knew we
were close to home, when big mountain
hawk swooped right i'll front of us. Jones.
who had not drawn the cartridge from his
rifle, let fly on the instant. without remem-
bering how small was his chance with a
bullet at quarry on the wing. We were
amusing ourselves chatting Jones as the
bird flew off untouched, when Colonel
Eyre. who was few steps to the rear,
pulled up short and raised his hand to
signal for silence.
We ali heard Ii then--a shrill lamenta-
bic voice ringing sharply from the hillside.
Ihere was no mistaking the purport of
that appeal-it was a cry for help. But
the mist was beginning to settle and the
echo baffled US. For moment we looked
biankly at EACH other and around, not
knowing whittier to turn.
Again the cry Help! helpl heIpw with
note OF agony in it that stirred the blood
like trumpet. God guide US. Ills at
the fOord above you" cried the gillie, and
tired as we were none of us was far be-
hind him when he reached the stepping
stones.
They were hidden by mass of swirling,
broken water, but just below them lay the
pool OF which the guide had spoken-calm
by comparison with the ford, but agitated,
nevertheless. with q swift current that
flashed between steep banks faced with
granite, as ugly place for an accident as
might be found in the whole length of the
Drawing Balmaquidder.
And an accident had happened, plainly
enough: On one Of the granite powders
knelt Mrs. EvertOn. leaning back with all
her might against the drag of a plaid, one
end Of which she held. while the other
was lost in the black shadows of the pool.
She heard our footsteps as we ran up,
but did not turn her head
Help, helpw she cried again. 81 can't
hold on much longer, and he-oh-"
She broke of with a sob. as strong hands
relieved her of the extemporized lifeline,
and Colonel Eyre, bending forward. peered
down into the obScurity of the pool |
was one OF those who had grasped the
shore end Of the plaid, and the strain told
me that whoever was below still main
tanned his grasp.
Can you hold on another moment"
asked the colonel, Then, without waiting
for reply, Cling close for dear life
Now. boys. gently does IT, A steady, slow
puli-no jerking" and in another moment
the dripping. half-senseless form of Tom
Eyerton was drawn out on the hank. his
drowning grip of the plaid still nnloos-
ened, and laid beside the fainting form of
his wife.
1T was this way" Tom explained some
hours later. when we were all assembled
for our usual smoking-roOm symposium.
Il dare say L was pretty cross all dav,
thinking OF the sport You fellows were
having, and all | was missing, and toward
evening my vile suggested that we should
walk out and try to meet you. We kept
along the river up to the stepping-stones,
but the crossing there looked so bad that
my wife would not hear of my attempting
it, did not think it so very dangerous.
but dare say I'd have let her have her
own way"
"As you usually do" interjected Jones.
- when all of sudden Iheard shot
close by on the other side. Then l started
over at once. I've been across the ford a
dozen times. but before l had taken three
steps L found the stream was too strong
for me. tried to turn back. but the cur
rent seemed to whirl me right off my feet.
| went sliding over the slippery stones
and IN two seconds | was soused well over
my head into the pool below, and spinning
round like troll in brook. tried to
grasp hold of something on the bank. but
that was the only resut"-showing his
lacerated bands-"and think must have
been very close to kingdom come, when
something or another flapped in my face,
| clutcbed il and hung on like grim death.
1t was Jenny's plaid, which she had the
presence of mind to fling me and the pluck
and strength to hold on to till YOU came To
help. God bless her. | say"-Tom's voice
faltered a little-"she's a wife tn be proud
of. and the next time she has dream and
wants me to stay at home she shan't have
to ask NE twice"
'Ob, by the by. the dreami" broke In
Sir Alan. SIS this accident to Tom to be
regarded as the fulfillment of his wife's
dream or not?"
Mrs. Ever,on's dream was a warning"
said the colonel. 81 should say that, hay
ing profted bv the warning"
But stay" [ argued, did she profit bv
the warning? She persuaded her husband
to stay at home. Now, if he had gone
with us he would have crossed by the