The Red Cloud chief., 1897-01-29
The Great Hesper.
CHAPTER NNIII-CoNriNrED
by FRANK I,NRKETT.

Nuu IltcCh. Will lnt lTdlllC tNClJt-
ment OF u man achieving at last the
object of his life, as he attacked the
upper rope with his knife. ''Dic,
and know that all you cherish in the
world shall be mine--wealth, and
the woman you love. DieH'
Aud with that he severed the last
strand, and ! swept down through
space. Clinging with desperate en-
ergy to the rope in my hands. |
swung. cramping myself together in
anticipation of u violent shock
against the side of the precipice.
Happily, the rock above projected u
little, so that the blow was less Sc
vere than | expected. l rebounded,
and swung to and fro like a pendu-
lum in the pitchy darkness. For in
order to get q tirmer grasp upon tho
rope when | saw his intention OF
cutting it, | had dropped the torch.
which fell like a spark Of q rocket
into the depths below.
What was | to do? dared not try
to pull myself hand v hand up the
wet rope. for the slightest relaxation
On my hold might allow the rope to
slip. and | should be lost a~ssuredly.
Dear, are you still there?" Lola
called from above.
YES" | replied.
'.Here is the rope-when call you
can trust yourself to it,"
At the same time | felt the knOtted
rope dangling against my shoulders.
Now" she called.
1t was not an instant too soo |
felt the wet rope slipping through
my hands. Leaving go with one
hand, | clutched out wildly for the
knotted rope. and by the happiest
chance succeeded in Selling 1t.
| got q cross-piece between my
feet and l was comparatively safe. II
Lola had strength to hold on for a
few moments. But that | might not
tax her too greatly, | still grasped
the wet rope.
Saved" l called out to her.
mot for long" shouted Van Hoeck
from the opposite side, and heard
the snap of the spring as he closed
the breech-loader, anu then the
.'click' as he cooked the piece.
Would he shoot me or the girlP |
asked myself In that moment.
He fred. and the ringing shot was
followed by q sharp cry OF pain from
above, and the cross piece on which
stood gave a little jerk, but no
more. She must have escaped, de-
spite that cry, or she could not still
have held on to the rope.
But terrible as these thoughts that
passed through my mind in those
brief moments were, they were ban.
ished from my mind by a yet more
terrific appeal to my senses.
Following almost Immediately
upon the crack OF the rifle and LOla's
cry, a mass Of rock. probably dis
in%tegrated by the frost, and started
from its place by the reverberation
OF the shot, slid down the face Of the
precipice, hurled against a rock. and
some moments after fell with a deep
''pong" into the water below.
But as IL this had been the key
stone of the fabric that upheld the
mighty weight of the enormous rock
that covered the chasm, its fall was
followed by the crumbling away and
precipitation of others at intervals
rapidly decreasing, their fall eventu-
ally becoming "a continual %downpOur,
marked now and then by a louder
crash as some larger block gave way.
The roar of artillery, the peal
OF thunder, was not to be compared
with the awful din as the great rock
ierked downward as the quartz
splintered and gave way under it.
, SCATTERING and grinding the oppos-
ing rocks, and bursting away huge
fragments that struck from side to
side as they hurtled down, tearing
and splitting the very heart OF the
mountain as it seemed.
This fall was most violent at some
distance away from us further down
the r~avine; only an occasional block,
ground under the great mass as II
ierked down. was shattered to pieces,
and fell In dust and rubble about us.
The awful eruption had continued
for some moments-scarcely so long
as one might take to read this de-
scription-with increasing intensity
when suddenly, with an appalling
crash, the great rOOf tilted up.
saw the earth slowly gap open above
me, letting in the binding sunlight
and then the upper lip of jagged
rock reaching its highest elevation
shot sidelong away, making visible
the long strip OF blue heaven between
the towering peaks OF the mountain
One last pong" as the rocl
wedged itself afresh lower down tn
precipice. and then all was still
The sight OF the blue sky. the sens
of relief. were too much for me.
trembled violently, and for a momen