Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-06-01

far, though exciting and novel, their jour
Dey had been comparatively safe, for the
path was broad and the ice perfectly
smooth. Its terrors were to come Look
ing forward, Leonard saw that they were
Mt the commencement Of a decline so steep
that, even had it offered good foothold,
human beings could scarcely have stood
upon it, and measuring 400 or 500 yards
in length. As yet the tongue of ice was
so PAGES or more In width, but it narrowed
rapidly as it fell till at length near the
opposite shore of the ravine 1t fined away
to point like that Of great white needle
and then seemed to break off altogether.
Now they were we'll under way, and
now they sped down the steep green ice at
pace that can hardy be imagined, though
perhaps it is sometimes equaled by an
eagle falling on its prey from some vast
height of air Indeed it is possible that
the sensations of an eagle making his
hcadlong descent and those Of Leonard
may have been very similar, with the I'M
portant exception that the bird feels no
fear, whereas absolute terror are the only
words wherewith to describe the mental
state of the man. So smooth was the icc
and SO PERCEPTIONS its pitch that he felt as
though he were falling through space, un-
supported by anything for travelling at
4 that speed the friction of the stone was
impcrceptible. Only the air shricked as
they Glove 1t, and Juanna's long tresscs,
torn by it from their fastenings streamed
out behind her like veil
Down they went, still down, half--two-
thirds of the distance was covered; then
he looked again and saw the horror that
lay before them. Already the bridge was
narrow barely the width of small room.
A hundred yards farther on it tapcrcd to
so fine point that the stone would almost
cover its breadth, and beneath it, on either
side, was that unmeasured gulf wherein
| Nam was lost with the jewels. Nor was
this ALL for at its narrowest it was broken
| away for a space of 10 or IL feet, to con
| tinue on the farther side of the gap, for
few yards at a somewhat lower level, and
then run upward at a steep incline to tho
breast of SHOW where Otter sat in safety.
On they whizzed, ice beneath them and
before them, and ice in Leonards heart,
for he was frozen with fear. His breath
had left him because of the rush of their
progress, but his senses remained painfully
| acute. Involuntarily he glanced over the
| edge of the stone, saw the sheer depths be-
low him and found himself wondering
what was the law that kept their sledge
upon this ribbon of ice when it seemed so
easy for it to whirl off into space.
Now the gap was Immediately in front
Of them. "God help usl'' he murnured,
or rather thought, for there was no timo
| for words, and they had left the road OF
ice and wero flying through the air as
though the stone which carried them were
a living thing that, seeing the peril, had
gathered up its energies and sprung for
ward for its life.
What happcnedP Leonard never knew
for certain, and Otter swore that his heart
came and stood before his eyes SO that he
could not sec. Before they touched the
farther point of icc-while they were in
the air indeotl-they, or rather Leonard,
heard "a hideous scream and felt jerk so
violent that his hold of the stone was loos-
ened, and it passed from beneath them
Then came shock, less violent than
might have boon expected, and, LOT they
were spinning onward down the polished
surface of the ice, while the stone that had
borne them sped ON i'll front like horse
that has thrown it's rider.
Leonard felt the rubbing of the ice burn
him like hot iron. He felt that his ankle
was freed from the hand that had held it,
tnen for some minutes he felt no more
for his senses left him. When they re-
turned, it was to hear the voice of Otter
crying: Lie still, baas; do not stir for your
life. / come
Instantly he was wide awake, and NOV
ing his head ever so little saw their situa-
ton. Then he wished that he had re-
manned asleep, for it was this:
The impetus of their rush had carried
them almost to the line where the ice stop
ped and the rock and snow began, within
some 10 feet of it indeed. But those Is
feet were of the smoothest ice and very
sheer, so smooth and sheer that no man
could hope to climb them. Below them
the slope continued for some IS or IA
yards till it met the corresponding incline
that led TO tho gap in the bridge. On this
surface Of ice they were lying spread oaglcd.
For moment Leonard wondered how it
was that they did not slide back to the
bottom of the slope, there to remain till
they persisted, for without ropes and prop
er implements no human being could scale
it. Then he saw that chance had befallcn
them which in after days he was wont to
attribute to the direct intervention of
| Providence.
1t will be remembered that when they
started Leonard had pushed the rock off
with a spear which Olfan had given them.
to move, placing it between his chest and
the stone, for he thought that it might be
of service to him should they succeed in
crossing the gulf. When they were jerked
from the stone and left to travel along the
ice on the farther side of the gap in obodi-
ence to the impetus given to them by the
frightful speed at which they were travel
Ing, the spear, obeying the same laws Of
motion, accompanied them, but being Of
less specific gravity Jagged behind in the
race, Just as the stone, which was heaviest
outstripped them.
As it happened, near the top of the rise
there was fissure IN the ice, and in this
assure the weapon had become fixed, its
| weighted blade causing it to assume an
Upright position. When the senseless
bodies of Leonard and Juanna had slid as
far up the slope as the unexpended energy
of their impetus would allow, naturally
enough they began to move back again in
accordance with the laws of gravity. Then
it was, as luck would have it, that the
spear, fixed in the creyicc of the ice, saved
them from destruction, for it CHANGED that
the descent of their two forms passing on
/ either side of it was checked by the handle
of the spear, which caught the hide rope
whereby they were bound together. All
of this Leonard took in by degrees; also
he discovered that Juanna was either
dead or senseless, at the time he could not
tell which.
What are you going to do?' he asked
of Otter, who by now was on the verge Of
the ice some Is feet above them.
''Cut steps and pull you up, baas," an
swered the dwarf cheerfully.
1T will not be easy said Leonard,
glaneing over his shoulder at the long
slope beneath, and If we slip or the rope
breaks
do not talk of slipping, baas," re-
piled Otter as he began TO hack at the ice
with the priest s heavy knife land as for
the rope, if it was strong enough for the
water dweller to drag me round the pool
by, it is strong enough to hold you two
although 1t has seen some wear. l only
wish l 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 followed 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 nowf" said Leon
: ard
Keep cool, baas, and give me time to
think And for moment Otter squatted
down and was silent
Il have it,' he said presently, and ris-