The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-30

! the last way OF safety, IA led
There was fresh pause while both
the French guide and the English
tourist looked death in the face and
racked their brains in rain for some
| device By which the imm inent END
might be averted. Every thing was
still; the clouds ware bic cbing, the
snow had begun to fall, and there was
! no chance that any one would bring
/ them help.
Then the voice o. the lznglishman
was heard calling fro N the chasm,
"Gaspard.''
"Yes, monsieur"
''Cut the rope, Gaspa-rd.
al must not, monsieur T, 1 must not"
It IS the unwrittnn, but most
stringent rule of mounts lin climbing. A
man may cut the rope to save friend,
but not to save himse If. But Harry
Richards, hanging in the crevasse, was
not bound by rules. Hc' called again:
''Gaspard."
"Yes, monsieur"
"You cannot save me, Gilspard?"
Il fear not, monsieur"
''Then cut the rope. I can't cut it
myself because my knife has been
jerled out of my pocket. Cut it for
me
Then there was a silence-a silence
as of the grave-while 'iaspe I'd La
iargue battled with himss If. lie was
no coward. All the Swiss guides are
brave; and he was among the bravcst
of them. At ChamOuuix and at Cour-
1nayeur there still 1ingcr stirring
stories Of his pluck He had stood in
just such q peril as This was once be-
fore. The watch he carried in his
pocket had been given TO him by an
English Alpinist whose life he had
saved at hideous danger 10 his own; he
had been covered with glory for his
courage IN the columns Of the Alpine
journal. And he had been brave
without thought of the glory, merely
because it was his duty rs a mountain
guide.
Now. too, he coS.;d be- as brave as
ever, but for a single thought-the
thought of Nannette, with the laugh
ing eyes, waiting for him at the Mont
Cervin and wondering why he did not
come. Through the mist and the snow
he seemed TO see the smile of mingled
love and pride with which she always
welcomed him back after his perilous
excursions. Again he pictured her
anxiety deepening into terror as the
hour grew later and ne did not return;
her sobs, bitter and inconsolable, when
the search paEty found the bodies and
told her of his end.
Never to see Aannette sgainl Never
to see Nannette again.
He said the words softly over to him
self, and they unnamed him. The
thought was more than he could bear.
Straining every muscle TO save himself
from being drawn, even now at the last
moment, into the icy cavern. he pulled
the knife out of his pocket with his left
hand and opened it with his teeth.
For Nannette's sake" he murnered,
as ne drew the blade across the
strands.
The strain ceased, and he was free;
and then q fresh thought began to
trouble him. The first sense of relief
only lasted for a moment; the sip of
brandy that he took to revive his cir
culation hardly prolonged the moment,
and then he was overwhelmed with the
inevitable horror at tho thing that he
had done. For brave man who plays
the coward. or who merely does what
the convention Of his class has settled
to be cowardly, must needs pay for il
afterward.
Gaspard remembered the case OF
Peter Taagwalder. They bounded
Peter out Of Zermatt on the mere sus-
picion-the unjust suspicion as most
think-of having cut the rome. But, in
his own case. as Gaspard knew. it
would not be a suspicion. but certain
u. There were the proofs resting at
the bottom OF the crevasse, where they
must presently be found. but where
he could not descend 70 tamper with
them.
They did not love him. those Zermatt T
guides, AID what a handle he had /
given them. lie pictured his home 4
coming and his reception: the ques- 1
ton wba. he had done with his Herr; /
the inevitable answer that he had left f.
him on the mountain; the search that
be himself would be expected % direct;
tie awful discovery otthe truth. How /
they would look a. him and scorn hirr,
" hat stories they would spread 4 him
stories that Naunette perhaps would
Dc TIE first u hear.
Yes. that was the worst thought: =
all How ccul5 De face Naurette
again with that shame behind him2
And how could Na1nette 70 on loving Z
Eln when TINS tele ran rot IN the VII
ia-c. and be could not de1y T. Bet
ter surely. never % s-e her a. I'll than
- see le-. feeling Il only for Der con
tempt.
- his thoughts ran Is he stood hall
cszsd amid the binding snow
80 no. he said Il esuuot 70 bark.
! d1 not dare % back Better % die
here. alc-e. Trhli= M one know
Then ae c-e-,- uD - the eGge - tho
r-evas=e and er5uescd there de felt +
a5 impulse - throw himself into - =
-nla cea- aat seek vlol-u; death
when esl-l and peaceful aesih can ~
s-tal--a a. e1-llT- Eat D. threw aiu.-
=-if '.avn 1poa th- re-~ verge - the
.--r1 ls-lf whore the Her Izr buried.
End che cold stiEece3 oct t.s Iiuns
IND il= -zeE 42AeeS ts- - - a.