Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-01-18
XVII.
WE LEAP.

WE passed through the caves without
trouble, but when we came to the slope
Of the inverted cone two difficulties stared
us in the face. The first OF these was the
laborious nature of the ascent. and next
the extreme difficulty of finding our way.
As it was. we went along several times,
and once nearly fell into huge crack.
We rarely spoke, our hearts were to heavy
for speech, we simply stumbled about,
falling sometimes and cutting ourselves in
rather logged sort of way. So for some
three or four hours. | should think we
| Numbered on During the last two hours
we were completely lost, and began to
| fear that we had got in the funnel of some
subsidiary cone, when at last ! suddenly
recognized very large rock which we
had passed in descending but little way
from the top, and this proved our saliva
ton.
After this we gained the rocky natural
stair without much further trouble, and in
due course found ourselves back in the lit
tie chamber, where the benighted Moot
had lived and died.
But now fresh terror stared us in the
face. 1t may be remembered that, owing
to poor Jobs fear and awkwardness, the
plank upon which we had crossed from
the huge spur to the rocking stone had
been whired off into the gulf below
How were we to cross without the
plank
There was only one answer we must
try and jump it. or else stop where we
were till we starved One thing was clear
we could not attempt that leap in the dark
the only thing TO do was TO wait for the
ray of hight which pierced through the
gulf at sunset. How near to or how far
from sunset we nigh be- neither of us had
the faintest notion; all we did know was
that when at last the light came 1t would
not endure more than couple Of minutes
at the outside, so that we must be prepar- |
ed 10 meet it. Accordingly, we made up
our minds TO creep on TO the top of the |
We were the more easily reconciled to this |
course by the fact that our lamps were |
once more nearly xhausted-indeed one |
had gone out bodily, and the other was
jumping up and down. So by the aid of |
It's dying light we FASTENED to crawl out of |
the little chamber and Chamber up the side |
of the great stone.
As we did so the light went out.
The difference in our position was a suf-
ticiently remarkable one Below, in the
little chamber, we had only heard the
roaring of the gale overhead here, lying
on our faces on the swinging stone, we
were exposed to its full force and fury.
We lay there hour after hour in terror and
misery of mind so deep that will not at
tempt to describe it. Well, we lay and
listened, and while we were still upon the
rock thing happened that was 50 curious
and suggestive in itself.
1t will be remembered that when Aye
'ha was standing on the spur, before we
crossed 10 the stone, the wind tore her
cloak from her and whirled il away into
he darkness of the gulf, we could not see
whittier. Well hardly like TO tell the
tory, 1t is so strange-as we lay there up
10 the rocking-stone this very cloak came
loating out of the black space, and fell on
4eo so that it covered him nearly from
lead to foot We could not at first make
'ut what 1t was but soon discovered by It's
eel, and poor Leo for the first time gave
way, and heard him sobbing there upon
he stone
Shortly after this, suddenly. without the
lightest previous warning the great red
nife of light came stabblng the darkness
trough and through, struck the swaying
tone on which we lay, and rested its
harp point upon the spur opposite
Now forit, said LeO-"now or never"
"Who is to go firsty' SAID l.
do you, old fellow. answered Leo. Il
yIl sit upon the other side of the stone TO
eady it, You must take as much run as
on can, and jump high; and God have
lercy on you say
Good bye my boy" said, 81 hope
nat we shall meet again, wherever it is
nat we 60 to-"
The fact was did not expect to live
mother two minutes.
TO BE CONTINUED