Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-01-12


 water dweller to drag me round the pool by, it is strong enough to hold you two, although it has seen some wear. only wish I had such another, for then this matter would be simple.''
 Then, working furiously, Otter hacked at the hard surface of the ice. The first two steps he hollowed from the top of the slope, lying on his stomach. After this difficulties presented themselves which seemed insuperable, for he could not hack at the ice when he had nothing by which to support himself.
 What is to be done now?" said Leon ard.
 keep cool, baas, and give me time to think" And for a moment Otter squatted down and was silent.
 II have it," he said presently, and -is- ing he took off his goatskin cloak and ut it into strips, each strip measuring about inches in width by 2 feet inches in length. These strips he knotted together firmly, making a serviceable rope of them long enough to reach to where Leonard and Juanna were suspended on the fragile handle of the spear. Then he took the stake which had always done him such good service, and sharpening its point fixed 1t as deeply as he could into the snow and earth on the border of the ice belt and tied the skin rope to it.
 ''Now, baas, " he said, "all is well, for I can begin from the bottom"
 And without further words he let him. self down till he hung beside them.
 'Is the Shepherdcss dead, baas,'' he asked, glancing at Juanna's pale face and closed eyes, ''or does she only sleep?'
 II think that she is in a swoon," an- swered Leonard. But for heavens sake bo quick, Otter, for am being frozen on this ice What is your plan nowP"
 This, baas-to tic the end of the rope your middle, then to undo the cord that binds you and the Shepherdess together and return to the top of the slope. Once there, I can pull her up by the hide cord, for it is strong, and she will slip easily over the ice, and you can follow"
 Good" said Leonard.
 Then, hanging by one hand, the dwarf managed, with such assistance as Leonard could give him, to knot the end of the lino which he had constructed from the skin garment beneath Leonard's arms Next he set to work to unite the hide cord, thereby freeing him from Juanna. And now came the most difficult and dangerous part, for Leonard, suspended from the frail shaft of the spear with one hand, must support Juanna's senselesS form
 
 drag himself to the summit of the ice, holding the hide line in his teeth. The spear bent dreadfully, and Leonard did not dare to put any extra strain upon the roughly fastened cord of goatskin by which the dwarf was hauling himself up the ice, for if it gave they must all be precipitated to tho dip below, there to perish misera- bly, since, without proper ropes and an ice ax, its ascent would be impossible. Faint and frozen as he was, 1t seemed hours to him before Otter reached the top and called to him to let go of Juanna. He obeyed and seating himself on the snow, his feet supported by tho edge of the ice. the dwarf put out his strength and began to pull her up. Strong as he was, it proved as much as he was able to do. Indeed, had she lain on any other material than ice, he could not have done it at all, but in the end he succeeded, and with a gasp of gratitude Leonard saw her | laid safe upon the snow.
 Now Otter, hastily undoing the cord | from Juanna's waist, made 1t into 8 run | ming moose, which he threw down to Leon ard, who placed it over his shoulders, and having lifted the spear from tho cleft In | which it stood commenced his ascent. His first movement cost him n pang of | agony, and no wonder, for the blood from wounds that had been caused by the fric- | tion of his flesh as he was hurled along | the surface of the slide had congealed, | freezing his limbs to the ice, whence they could not easily be loosened The pain, | sharp as it was, did him good, for it | aroused his benumbed energies and en- abled him to drag OF the goatskin cord with all his strength, while Otter tugged at that which was beneath his arms. Well for him was 1t that the dwarf had .,AN this second line, for presently Otter's stake, which had no firm hold on the icy earth, came out and slid away, striking Leonard as it passed and bearing gtheknotted lengths | of the cloak with 1t. Tho dwarf cried aloud and bent forward as though he were about to fall. By fearful effort he Ie- covered himself and held fast to the rope in his hand, while Leonard, suspended to 1t, swung to and fro like 0 pendulum on the surface of the ice
 Then followed the most terrible mo- ments of all their struggles against the difficulties of this merciless place. The dwarf held fast above, and Leonard, ceas- ing to swing, lay with hands and legs out stretched on the face of the ice
 Now, baas, " said Otter, "be brave, and when pull do you wrigglc forward"
 He tugged till the thin hide rope stretch, ed, while Leonard clawed and kicked al the leo with his toes, knees and disengaged hand.
 Alas! it gave no hold. Ho might as well have tried to climb a domo of plate glas: at an angle of GO degrees.
 Rest awhile, baas," said the dwarf whose breath was coming in great sobs "then make 0 little nick in tho ice with the blade of tho spear, and when next pull try to set some of your weight upou it."
 Leonard did as he was bid without speaking.
 Now" said the dwarf, and with ( push and a struggle he was two feet higher up the incline. Again the process was re peated, and this time he got his left hand into the lowest of the two steps that OtteI had hacked with the knife, and once more they paused for breath. A third effort the fiercest of them all, a clasping of hands and ho was lying trembling like a fright ened child above the glaciers lip.
 The ordeal was over, that danger wal done with, but at what a costl Leonard! .! nerves were completely shattered. H. could not stand; his face was bleeding: hi nails were broken and the bone of ont knee was exposed by the friction of thu ice, to say nothing of the shook to the sys tenn and the bruises which he had received when he was hurled from the stone. Ot ter's condition was a little better, but hi hands were cut by the rope, and he wa utterly exhausted with toll and the straiI of suspense. Indeed, of the three Juanni had come of by far the best, for she hat swooned at the very beginning of the pas sage of the bridge, and when they wer jerked from the stone, being lighter thai Leonard. had fallen upon him. Moreover the thick goatskin cloak which was wrap ped about her protected her from all hur beyond few trihing cuts and bruises. O their horrible position. when they wer hanging to the spear and the rest of thei , adventure including the death of Sos