Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-09-21
KIDNIAPP I Ed,
BEING MEMOIRS or THE ADVENTURES OF DAVID
BALFOUR IL THE YEAR ISL.
By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
CHAPTER XX.-Continued.)

singing in my ears; | had this good eX-
ample fresh before me, and just wit
enough to see that if | did not leap at
once, | should never leap at all. bent
low on my knees and flung myself forth,
with that kind of anger of despair that
has sometimes stood me in stead OF cour-
age. Sure enough, it was but my hands
that reached the full length. these
slfpped. caught again, slipped again; and
I was soldering back into the lynn,
when Alan seized NE, first by the halr,
then by the collar, and with great
strain dragged me into safety.
Never word he said, but set Off run
ming again for his life, and l must stag
ger to my feet and run after him. nad
been weary before. but now L was SICK
and bruised, and partly drunken with
the brandy; / kept stumbling as L ran'
r had a stitch that came near TO over
master me; and when at last Alan
caused under a great rock that stood
there among a number of others, 1t was
none too soon for David Balfour
A great rock, | have sad; put by rlshC
# was two rocks leaning together at the
top, both some twenty feet h1gn, anu a.
the first sight inaccessible. Even Alan
1thouph YOU may say he had as good as
four hands, failed twice in an attempt
to climb them: and it was only at the
third trial and then by standing on my
shoulders and Ieaping up with such Torce
as | thought must have broken my COZ
lar-bone that he secured a lodgmenC.
Once there. he let down his leather glr-
die: and with the aid of that, and a pair
of shallow footholds III the roch'
scrambled up beside him.
rrhen | saw why he had come there;
for the two rocks, both being somewhat
hollow on the tor and sloping one to the
other. made y kind of dish or saucer
where IS many as three or four men
might have lain hidden.
An this while Alan had not SAD
word. and had run and climbed WIN
such a savage, silent frenzy OF hurry.
that 7 knew he was III mortal fear OF
some miscarriage Even now we were
on the rock he said nothing, nor SO much
as relaxed the froWning look upon ms
face. but clapped fat down, and keeping
oniv one eye above the edge of our place
of shelter, secuted all round the com
pass. The dawn had come and quite
clear: we could see the stony sides OF the
valley, and its bottom, winch was oe
strewed with rocks, and the river, Wnlch
went from one side to another, and maze
white falls but nowhere the smoke OF
hnuse nor. any living creature but some
eagles screaming round Cliff
Then at last Alan smiled.
CAV" said he. ''now we have a
chance" and then looking at me with
amusement, Ye're no very gleg lbrlskl
at the jumping" said he.
At this | suppose I cclored with mort1-
fication, for he added at once, "Hoots.
small blame to we! To be feared OF
thing and yet to do it, is what makes
the prettiest kind of man. And then
there was water there, and waters {!
thing that dauntons even me. No, no.
said Alan, its no you that's TO DIANE
it's me"
l asked him why.
f'Why," said he, Il have proved myselI
a general this night. For first Of all |
take the wrong road, and that in my own
of Appin; so that the day has
caught us where we should never have |
BEEN and thanks to that, we lie here
in some danger and malr discomfort:
And next (Which is the worst OF |
the two, for man that mas |
been so much among the heather as my |
self3 l have come wanting water oottle'
and here We lie for a long summers day |
with naething but neat spirit. Ye may
think that small matter; but before 1t |
comes night, David, yen give me news
of it."
was anxious to redeem my character,
and offered if he would pour out the
BYandy, to run doyn and fill the bottle
at the river. -,
Il wouIdnae waste the good spirit
,itlpr." saws he. ITS been a good friend
% Won this night, or in my poor opinion,
We would still be cooking on yon stone.
And what's mair," says he, ''ye may
nave observed you that's man or so
much penetration that Alan Brock Stew
art was perhaps walking quicker than
ais ordinar c.
10 burst Z"
was I 500" said he "Well, then, ye
NAV depend upon it, there was nae time
20 he lost And now here is enough sad;
sapg you to your sleep, lad, ana III
watch. ~
Accordingly, | lay down to sleep; lit
he neaty earth had rifted in between the
ton az the two rocks, and some bracken
grpw there, to be a bed for me; the last
filing | heard was still the crying OF the
eagles.
inp when I was roughly awakened, and
fo1ad Alans hand pressed upon my
.'Wheest!' he whispered. 'Ye were
Well" said I, surprised at his anxious
ans dark face, land why not.
Tie peered over the edge of the rock,
ard signed to me to do the IKE.
IN was now high day, cloudless, and |
a g,cture. About half a mile up the |
water was a camp of red-coats; big ire
blazed in theic midst, at which some
were cooking; and near by, on the, top |
OF rock about as high as ours; there
stoad a sentry, with the sun sparkling on |
his arms All the way down along, the
riverside were posted other sentries; here
nesr together, there widelier scattered:
sonsp planted like the first, on places OF
ronl4nand, some on the ground level, and
marching and counter-marching, so as to
meet half way Higher up the glen, |
where the ground was more open, the
chain of posts was continued by horse
soldiers, whom we could see in the dis
trance riding to and fro Lower down,
thp infantry continued; but as the stream
was suddenly sweled by the confluence
of a considerable burn, they We're more
widely set and only watched the fords
and stepping stones:
toolt but one look at them and ducked
again into my place. 1t was strange m
decd 10 see this valley, which had lam
50 solitary In the hour of dawn, bristling
wi}f arms and dotted with red-coats and
brooches ~