The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-08-27

tie earth. with a sensation as Of tipping
over backwards.
The movement, slight as - was, dis
lodged a elump Of stones and sand,
which went rolling and plungiHg down
at a great rate to the brook, the sound
Of whose waters 7yas now hardly audi
BE. No wonder the-man had given It
up Should go On. or literally back
down, as he had dOne2
Ny determination was stirred, and, al
though / heartily wished Fred was on
hand with his sympathetic courage, I
resolved TO complete what hsd be-
gun.
Il was tough work. Hands and knees
HOW-snd carefully placed every time,
at that.
Once / very nearly lost my balance
by the unexpected yielding Of q large
stone, which gave way under my foot.
How fearfully long it was before !
heard it smite on the powders belowt
I knew if slipped, or missed one step,
the impetus Of a yard would send me
after the stone. As I looked over my
shoulder, it seemed like elInging to the
slope Of a cathedral roof, where a puff
of wind might be fatal.
There was no question now ast0 the
course must take. It was Excelsior"
in sober eaTnest-ORly didn't have the
inspiration Of a maiden, with tear in
her bright blue eye, looking On.
Sleeper and steeperI I was painting
heavily in the rarifed atmosphere, and
trembling from exhaustion. It was. 80
terribly lonely. Nothing but the dark
forms of the trees, the waste of ice and
snow, and now and then bird, wing
ing its way silently over the gplf, until
my brain whirled as watched it's slow
fight,
By tomorrow they would miss me,
and organize a search, with Fred at
their head. They would find my foot
| prints beside the brook, where Ihad
leaped csrelessly across after pansies;
then they would come upon the black
ened traces Of the little FIRE, and the
loOsened gravel Of the steep bank; they
would look upward with a shudder, and
search the harder, Pretty soon one Of
them would lean over a orevies anong
the boWlders, shrink back with a cry OF
horror and beckon to the others. All
this il failed by one stepl
But still I worked on labOrioasly,
often pausing for giddiness OF a want
Of breath, and digging with my finger
nails little hollows in the hard bank
for my feet.
Once or. twice a long, tough root Of
grass saved me, and very soon, to my
| JOY, struggling bushes, strong enough
to support few pounds OF weight,
thrust their tops through the sand bed.
Then came scrubby trees, cedar and
fir, oftentimes growing straight Gut
from vertical face Of rock, and culver
ing from root to tip as I drew myself
cautiously up.
shall never forget the agony Of the
moment when one Of them came out
entirely, and letme fall backward. For
tunately its comrades were near enough
to save me, though it was with rough
hands.
To shorten the story, I climbed at last
out upon small, level spot, which
proved to be the longed-for path.
Following it painfully up for q few
rods, I reached a little hut, where
found a kind old French woman, who
refreshed me with food and drink,
helped to make my tattereS clothes
Presentable and held up her hands
after the demonstrative fashion of her
nation when she heard Of my climb.
Had anyone ever assembled to the
cataract upon that side?" asked.
"Jamais, monsieur; jamais, jamsisl"
! (NeyeT, monsieur; never, never.)
And could she tell me the height
from the yaIley2
A thousand feet! Well, I had had
mountain climbing enough for. one day.
and after q visit to the Cascade, which
was close by, 1 hobbled down the easy
path and back to the hotel, to read
"Redgauntlet" until bedtime.
When Fred got back and heard the
story, his eyes were round enough, as he
declared he would not leave me behind
again, to play Invalid, until we came in
sight of the Cunard wharf in East Bos-
ton And he kept his promise. - Golden
he