Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-11
A STUDY IN SCARLET.
By A. CONAN DOYLE.
CHAPTER Y.

them to regain the track u,C' more When mor:iuS broke. a >etnc ~ lar velous though savage beauty lay before them. In every direction the great snOw capped peaks hcmmed them in, peep ing over each others shoulders to the far horizon. So steep were the rocky banks on either side of them that the larch and the pine seemed to be sus. pended over their heads and to need only a gust of wind to come hurling down upon them. Nor was the fear en- tirely an illusion, for the barren valley was thickly >trewn with trees and powders which had fallen in a similar manner. Even as they passed n great rock came laundering down, with Il hoarse rattle which woke the echoes ill the silent gorges and startled the weary horses into gallop.
 As the sun rose slowly above the cas-: ern horizon the caps of the great noun. tains lit up one after the other like lamps at a festival until they were all ruddy and glowing. The magnificent spectacle chCcrCd the hearts of the three fugitivcS and gave them fresh energy. At a wild torrent which swept out of q ravine they called a halt and watereG their horses. while they Partook of a hasty breakfast. Lucy and her father would fain have rested longer, but lief ferson Hope was ineXurable. They will hc upon our track by this time, ' ho said. Everything depends upon ouI speed Oncp safe i'll Carson, we may rest for the remainder of our lives.
 During the whole of that day they struggled OH through tho defileS and by evening they calculated that they wcro moro than 50 miles from their ell emies. At nighttime they chose the base of a lcetliuG Crag where the rocks offered some protection from the chill wind, and there, huddled together fol warmth. they enjoyed a few hours sleep. Before daybreak, how ever, they were up and on their way once more. They lad seen no signs of any pursuers, and Jefferson Hope began to think they were fairly uQt of tho reach of the ter rib}2 organization whose cnnlity they had incurred Ho little knew how faI that irvn grasp could reach. or how su1I 1t WIS t1 close upon them and crush th,ln
 About the middle of the second day of their flight their scanty store of pro- visions began to run out. This gave the hunter little uneasiness, however, foI there was game 10 be had among the mountains. and hc had frequently be fore had to depend upon his rifle for the needs of life, Choosing a sheltered nook, ho piled together a few dry branches and made a l.aZing fire at which his companions might warm themselves, for they were now nearly 5000 feet above the sea level and the air was bit ter and keen. Having tethered the horses and badc Lucy adieu, he threw his gun Ov,r his shoulder and set out il search of whatever chance might throw i'll his WAY. Looking back he saw the old man and the young girl crouching over the lllH2inE fire. while the threo an imals Stuod r.utionless in tho back ground. 1@,n the intervening rocks hid them from lis View.
 He walked for couple of miles throug! rnc lavine after another with out sucrysS, though from the mark: upon the bark of the trees and other in.
 
 numerous ucars ill the vicinity. At last after two UT three hours fruitlesS search. hr WAS thinking of turning back iu despair when. casting his eyes up wGri, he saw 2 sight which sent q thrill of plru>urc through his heart. On the edge uf q Juttiug pinnacle 500 or 4oC feet above him there stood creature somewhat reSl mbling sheep in ap pcaranC". bUt armed with n pair oi gigantic horns The bighorn-for so it Is callctl-was acting probably as a guardian over a flock which were invis, ihlr to the hunter. but fortunately il Was heading in the opposite direction and l;.l Hot perceived him. Lying on his birk, he rested his rife upon n rock and tuck long and steady aim before drawing tine trigger The animal sprang into Iiic air, tuttrred for q moment unoa the edge uf the precipice and then came crashing down into the valley be. nuath.
 The creature was too unwieldy tT hit. 90 tho hunter contented himself with cutting away une haunch and part of the flank. With this trophy over his shoulder hr haStened to retracc his steps, for the cv, ming Was already draw ing in. He had hardly started, however before he realized the difficulty which faced him In his cagerness he had wandered far past the ravinCS which were known to him, and it was no easy matter to pick out the path which he had taken, The valley ill which he found himself divided and subdivide6 into many gorSrs which were so like each other that il was impossible to dis tiugui<h one from the other He follow. cd one for mile or more until he came to 2 mountain torrent which he was sure that he had never seen before. Con. vinccd that he had taken the wrong turn, he tried another, but with the same result. Night was coming on rap idly, and it was almdst dark before hC at last found himself i'll q defile which was familiar to him. Even then it wa: no easy matter to keep to tho right track for the moon had not vet risen, and tho high cliffs on either side made the ob | scurity more profound Weighed dowr | with his burden and weary from his ex ertious, he stumbled along. keeping uI his heart with the reflection that overI step brought him nearer to Lucy. anC that he carried with him enough to in sure them food for the remainder o their journey.
 HC had now come to the mouth O the very defile in which he had lef them. Even in the darkness he coult recognize the outlines of the cliffs whicl bounded it They must, ho reflected, b awaiting him anxiously, for he hal been absent nearly five hours. In tn gladness of his heart he put his hand to his mouth and made the glen re-ech to a loud halloo as signal that he wa coming. He paused and listened for al l auSXvCr NOua cana Sava his own Cr-v