The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-24
A LOVE STORY.


another day. while he, Farley, took n
last ride round the country which he and
Carter had worked together. The old
bushnan raised no objection; and So. In
the carly morning. sunlight, when bright
pearls OF dew. fragrant with tho rich per-
tume OF the bush night sparkled over all
tho cuuntry's face like foam washed Jew
els I'm meTmaids hair, Ronald Farley
rCdo out alone toward One ! rec Gap. the
PLACE from which Bob Carter had been
won't 70 start on bis prospecting trips.
1.-The damp laughing babyhood OF day
disappeared, aud then tho throbbing.
sparkling youth of morning gave place
10 the lusty glare Of mondays manly
yrme, while Farley still rode dreamily
ON. Later on, the seusuous glow OF after
noon held all the bush clasped IN its
sleepy embrace, and Farley raising his
eyes suddenly as he woke from rapt aD-
srractiOn, noticed that ho was riding
through part of tho country ho had not
hafCre visited Ho turned sharply TO the
right and regan To follow the winding
course of dry creek bed. Half an hour
passed, and something caused Farley TO
rein I'm his horse. with "a muttered ex-
camatiOn Of surprise. Sitting there, with
ono knee raised on To the pommel of his
saddle the man who had lost his friend
gazed up and down the desolate gully
that stretched before him.
Huge gray boulders lay scattered
about like unused materials In one OF
Naturo's foundry yards Away down In
tho center of tho gorge, giant iron bark,
withored and splintered by lightning,
stocd with its upper half. held balanced
horizontally across the top of its lower
stem, the whole forming "a rude but very
striking picture of Il cross Close oy
Farley's side ragged blue-gum raised
its wrinkled knOtted arms toward
heaven. as though in supplicatioD, and
,t., h.,,.. z,1 M ha N 10 m
had never before seen ree-trunk blazed.
Farley raised one hand TO his hot
forehead, bali in fear that he had not lost
the remains of his fever for his brain
seemed reeling through mist OF half
realities. God he muttered; where
have read of this place or seen 1t, or
cruciix in iron bark, and gray
boulders all round A blazed gum, and
Hush Come quickly, Ron
Great Heavens it was Bob-dear old
Bob The night l was hurt. he came TO
the door. and l followed him into tho
bush. Then he must have - Farley
wheeled his horse round so sharply as to
almost throw the startled brute, and, with
spurs pressed homo and his head bent
low, he galloped furiously over the stony
ground. by the way no had come so
loisurely.
1.-TWO hours brought him to the front of
his humpy, though he had spent SIX In
he shouted, as he sprang from the saddle.
The old bushman came out into tho sun
light with his hands TO his eyes, for he
had been DOING Come with me quickly
said Farley, Il want TO find Bob Carter:
Ii was not him we buried That was all
"a mistake-some ono like him. Bob came
TO me- and / followed him into tho bush,
the night was hurt. Come on
~ he old man followed the young one,
with half articulated expression of regret
for having left alone one who hnd owl
IDENTIFY fover still In his blood. An, man,
YOU don't know. said Farley, as they hur-
ried along toward the scrub. i tell You
spoke TO him-touched him. and heard his
voice though no was mad. sec, here's tho
tree that fell on me. lsu't IL SOY
Z" Yes, said the old man wonderinFly.
well, and here Bob was walking
backward in front of me-
Z" Backward, did you sayT queried Web.
ster.
Farley nodded.
"'Ahl that explains the track. Lord,
but it's queerl And the old man dropped
on his knees, touching the grass doitly
with one hand like a black tracker.
Hold onP he shouted. Don't walk
about I've got those tracksV
Rain had fallen some few hours before
Ronald Farley's accident had occurred,
and since then the summer drought had
been unbroken. So 10 happened that, 10
the old bushman's eyes, those tracks In
the grass were as clear to read ns any
printed page. Step by step bo followed
tbcri, tearing away the dc twigs OF the
fallen black b-hutt till no reached tho spot
whcro he could detect tho hollow made by
Farley's body in the ground There you
lay, sonny, no said, looking up at Farley
who was gazing Mt him anxiously.
Yes. there i lay; but go on, Webster
For Gods sake what happened to bobY
hon fur
along among the dead and scattered twigs
puzzled sometimes for IA minute. but
again quickly picSinR up the trail. My
oath, muttered tfc old man. you'd think
he must'vc known what was coming. ny
tie way he jumped from horel
"At last, his eyes still following tho
trail, Webster crept SO close TO the edge
OF the deep gorge behind tho fallen tree,
that Farley was forced To lay q warning
hand upon his shoulder Never fear.
sonny: | won't go that way; but-lm III
sorry, mortal surry-but that's the way
Bob Carter wcntV
"There was no mistaking tho old mans
meaning look over his shoulder, and.
without glnncing at the side OF the gorge.
Farley shivered as mo runemhored the
sheer prccipico OF rock, which ran down To
a stony hollow hundred and ilfty feet
below Together the two walked round
tic side of the rayine ana found thor
way TO the bottom. There they hunteu
over every inch of ground, but not sign
Colld they see Of anything suggesting
what they felJ must have occurred. Weary
and disappointed they turned at last To
leave TIE desOiate place, and then, happen.
ing TO look upon tie side nearest the
Iallen acs-butt,, Jack Webster caught
sight of "A iutting, scrup-covercd shell of
rock. sloping upword almost In parallel
line with the siGc OF tho gorge. and rising
To within n few feet of It's summit
" Snakes' CALCULATED tho busbmnn
Come up hcre with me. sonny And,
hurrying up the far slGp of the ravine, the
two men made their way lack To the piaco
where the fallen Tree lay. While Farley
waited wonderlngly. Webster ran across
90 the humpy, aud returned carrying on
his arm a coil of stout green hide. Ihon
Farley saw ttc DRIFT uf "a all. and insisted
on bcing himself the first 60 descend on
10 that iuttIng shelf OF rock SO Webster
lowered him slowly down-the distance
was not more than twice the length ~ "a
mau--and, nlier a minute or two had
elapsed, the bushman lashed his green hido