The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-08-29
cHApTEP XXIu-(Continuedl

CHAPTEP NNIII.-(Continued
The day dawned upon the plateau; Il
few struggling rays Of the sun illumina I
ed the great glacier above and turned it's
dead gray snow and ice into n pure, warm
white, while the mists rolled away from
the high mountains keeping watch above;
and below on the smaller glacier, and at
the edge of Il yawning crevasse, lay the
body of Philip Smerdon,
Two guides, proceeding over the pass
10 meet a party OF mountain climbers.
reached the plateau at dawn, and sitting
down upon the stone TO eat piece of
bread and take a draught Of cold coffee,
saw his knapsack lying beside 1t.
What does it mean" the one said 10
the other.
1t means death" his companion re-
piled, THE railing is broken. Some one
has fallen
Slowly and carefully, and each holding
to one Of the upright posts, they peered
over and down on the glacier, and there
they saw what was lying below.
whispered word sutfced, q direction
given by one TO the other, and these
hardy mountaineers were descending the
moraine, digging their sticks deeply into
the stones, and gradually working their
way skillfuIly to the glacier.
is he dead, Carl2" the one asked Of
his friend, who stopped over the PROSTATE
for mand felt OF his heart
No; he lives. How has ne ever fallen
here without instant death? But he must
die. See. his bones are all broken and
as he spoke he lifted Smerdon's arm and
touched one of his legs.
" hat shall we do with him. the other
asked.
We must remove him Even though
he die on the road, it is better than to
leave him here. Let us take him to the
house Of Father Neumann. 1t is but tC
the foot Of the glacier"
cry gently these men lifted him II
their arms, though not 50 gently but that
thfy WTung groan Of agony from him
as they did SO, and bore him down the
glacier 70 where it entered the valley; and
then, having handed him to the priest
who lived in what was little better than
hut. they left him.
Late that afternoon the dying man open
cd his eyes, and looked around the room il
which he lay
4 his bedside he saw a table with =
cross land upon it. and n the window OF
the room an aged priest sat reading q
Rreviary.
IVY here am = he asked in English.
Tn" priest rose and came to the bed
aad then spoke to him in German.
My SON he said, what want of your,
can / supply"
Tell me where / nm, Smerdon an
Swered in the same language. ''aud how
long | have to i've"
You are III my house, the house Of the
Cure Of Sa>tratz. For the span of your
life none can answer but tod. But, my
son, ! should ID i'll If / did not tell you
thar your hours are numbered. The doc
tor from ST. Christcph has seen you"
Give me paper and ink"
My son. You cannot write. and
Il will write" Sm"rdon said faiaIly.
even though die in the attempt
The Cure felt his right arm. wtich was
not broken like the other, and then lac
brought him paper and ink and holding
tine former up on his Breylary before tn
DYING man, he put the pen in his hand.
And slowly and painfully, and with eyes
that occasionally closed Smerdon wrote:
Il am dying at the house Of the Cure Of
SaStratz. ncar the Schwarzweiss Pass
from a fall Tell Gervase that ! alone
murdered Walter Cundall If he win
come 20 me and | am still alive, | viii
t"Il him all PHILIP SNERDON''
Then he put the letter in an envelope
and addressed it 10 Ida Raughton. And
ere hn once more lapScd into unconscious
ness. he asked the priest To write another
for him to his mother. and 10 address 1t ia
an hotel q, Zurich.
They viii be sent at once" he asked