Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-03-18

lodges OF rock that formed the pier my
heart beat quickly with conjecture and APP
prehcnsion, for II was plain that II crisis
was at hand. To ruess what 1t might be
WINS enough TO make the stoutest treuible
The black precipices, the yawning csyerns
and hoause roar Of warning waters were Of
evil suggestion. but Of far darker import
than any menace or ugllness Of nature were
the lowering fnces Of my companions
These men had shown during the day bya
hundred expressive tokens that they resent
ed my presence among them, and now | fan.
ced caught them casting sidelong looks
at one another, then at their weapons, then
Mt ME, AZ II settling by such glances OF in
teligence the manner Of getting rid OF me.
With quaking limbs and tue worst fore
holdings fell into Inns at the biddingof the
captain, and we struck, single file, into
n craggy path. mt its best no broader than a
sheep run In the highlands and Ia places no
narrow as scarcely to afford foothold for
weasel. Looking upward from the bottom
one could not imagine how 1t scaled the
darkeninR precipioes that frowned upoE us
in vast dwellings aud outings with the say
age. solitary pride of the inaccessible. II tue
ascent did not prove utterly impossible, it
was because every man Of MS had the feet
Of goat and the sinews and agility Of
monkey,
Our ribbon of path wound in crazy coil
ings and twistings, now rising vertically in
steps higher than our heals. now dropping
ircacherously at critical point oeasing
suddenly and again appearing beyond some
perilous projection That chamois would
hardly have attempted to pass Often we
hhd 70 go on our bands and knees, scraping
with toes and clutehing with finger mills
I.I al
like ants on the polished knob Of glacier
or scrambled up n Jagged rock, the point OF
which cut and rent like Ahnrpened hints, or
slid down, fnce inward, twice cur own
length 10 scarcely perceptible oreyioe
forming fresh starting point.
wis hunter and knew what It was to
trend dizzy ways hnd followed the fox
to his lair when tho hounds had turned
tail and robbed tho euglc's cyrio when tho
hardest Of my companions stood holding
hia breath ia awe But the self possession
aud free spirit Of Rudaclty which prompted
TO such hazards and gave them relish were
utterly gene To sneak the truth shiy-
erei Ike one suddenly taken with IN Rgue,
IL was not the terror OF the place alone
that appalled, me 10 go lenplng aud
scrambling on hair line along the brink OF
n tumbliug, Kissing gulf that sent the
spumes OF itswrath high up In clouds, with
no outlook or hope OF escape, was indeed
disooncerllng enough, yet scarcely OF itself
sufficient TO tnko tho heart out OF born
mountaineer. This tremors aud shnkings,
the alternate spasmA OF heat md cold, were
duel trust II 80 not cowprdly To confess
it--not 10 the threRtenings Of cliff and
ehasm but TO tho hostile wenpons that
CLEANED in front and rear md might at
any motneut be dyed In my blood.
How ensy II would be 10 prod me there
and send mo topping MORALLY wounded
into the ahysa. TO be ground rs between
millstoneH at the bottoml A sudden stab
In the back, push, giddy, hendlong fall,
and thedeed would be done, aud no word
Of II need ever get to the outside world.
More than once AZ my mind dwelt on thiE,
chung TO the roeksahp iderinE like child
In mortal fright. The gruwsomenoss of tho
situation was enhanced, too, by the eerie
shadow OF light Here aud there buttress
and luttinR promontory flushed into rose
and shonn Ia gold and amethyst, but these
points Of radiance only gave a hldeous
emphasis TO the prevailing gloom OF the
gorge, They were like the CHASTITY mock.
cries Of world | had once known, but
WIS never TO know again.
am no judge Of how long or how fer
we had struggled when upon turning "a
sharp angle VIC oameupon an open space, or
circular ledge Of the Dimensions Of small
room. Here we stopped our sides heaving
like the nnnks Of q spent hound, aud the
best OF Us glad 10 breathe himself.
Whether by accident or the unsnspect0d
design OF those about me, stood On the
outer rim, the very edge OF the wall that
! fell 90 tathoms sheer, hesurglng, unsonnd'
cd depths hsneath. Under that unaccnunt-
able species 81 faeclnatlon which lures n
man 20 gase on the horrible aud awful, /
bent forward aud looked into the black pit
ut my feet, With swimming head drew
back to feel myself seized roughly from
behind. IN ley sensation thrilled through
NV NV, s8.e sTea. sosp, ehu mn my knses
$500 T hs'S s ~ 'Vu.lui
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nanus 70 IVY fsp' ;''t .nus '',,.ue nvl pies'
Wv ilie s'',uu'us' snus NY 'ips ''stV At',i
my eyss ",so "'sno,'kh ens5 M',u covered,
Wu """'uV" NNe 'av'l ehius. "nu siuuy
Whlll in,o apeVy wv = WIZ Nas sPoNsn'
iy'eH.'' lnV 'u1s's o. su,,yhss .Iu 'ne rat
vlu ~ "1uls' anu away p',oW ny Suileh,
nuuiN NV'ue u .ne ssn' 9uU usust Nouhu
tnefe was noh~ INC ~ poNlnN sllehee was
more tesshyi"k unn INC nen"''n- tongues
OF y hunuteu eheniics, =. WIS the very eN'
.rrlniIy OF torture TO nave my 9ap'ors MAKE
tneir Ar,ahsesen's ief aisPoslhs OF me
win sueh Aeveleny seereey'
~ eno ess"u..s .osis .nn ,'s''.,'4ens "a.