Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-07-19

up at the foot Of Ben Lomond and we
dfsembark. Remembering that our good
guide, = kindly old man with bushy
gray whlskers, has not told Us his name,
10 answer to the query he said, ''Robert
McDavit Duncan" "A right royal
name, but l shall call you Dlvit for
short" "Ay, men," he smilingly re-
piled, "Cali me anything but early"
tNo fear, friend Davit, that shall ever
call any body early" was the reply, and
90 we begin the ascent Of famous Ben
Lomond, and for this little excursion IL
is not you and /, dear reader, but DAvit
and l, for I'm afraid you will be fright
ened.
At first the ascent was not particulrly
formidsble-steep grassy slopes Scared
with water channels where could
readily be found foothold, Davit gal
lsntly lending the aid Of his strong arm
aud alpenstock whenever II was too
scrambiy to get along alone. Finally we
came to a little plateau and found room
enough to sit down and rest moment
DAvit, evidently thinking his companion
was tired Of II, asked IL We had not
better return, rs It grew very rough
shove here. "0h, no, not till We reach
the top" va, the reply. He laughed,
but seemed TO approve the Yankee grit
just the same, and so we moved upward
But now the pathway grew more
difficult, In fact there was no pathway,
he taking the lead and occasionally
reaching down his stick to haul up his
fellow-traveler over the rough stone
stairway. There were no longer any
soft, refreshing outlines, only the sharp
angles OF sterile rock, heaped one upon
another aud apparently rising perpen-
diculariy into the sky. But the top was
In sight, so we struggled upward and
fought z ,llantly, for there was now no
bit of level on which to rest, nothing but
the continuous iudomitable strain, the
feet clingiug TO the slippery stones, the
black rocks all around.
As we got farther and farther up into
the awful solitude, and seemed TO b.
leaving the world below, Divit suddenly
hslted. saying. There's something
gathering, tho where It came frae
dinna ken. There was nae a cloud when
we started. But ye can ne'er tell about
these Hielan' storms. Dinna We notice
how dark II isy" "Yes IL il dark, I can
scarcely see you, Divit." But we kept
on and on. for that was all We could do,
for as yet no foothold had been found
large enough to stand on; but
the darkness had now become so in-
penetrsble, growing more and more
intense each instant, that even the figure
Of the guide was scarce discernible.
Suddenly he reached out his hand and
said, s'Stsnd perfectly still-dinna
move" Evidently the top OF something
had been reached, for the limbs en-
countered no obstacle, and apparently
his instinct had told him we were In
danger.
Scarcely had the words left his mouth
when there came short, sharp crack
behind US, as though q pistol had been
fired at the back OF our heads, and in-
volu ntarily the hand was raised TO see II
hole had been shot through the head.
''That was pretty close" said Davit,
"but did ns see the fash. He had
hardly spoken when q wild glare cut
through the black cloud OF mist, and
binding lurid light shone all around US,
but showed Us nothing but itself, for II
blOtted out the whole world. Then
came thrilling rattle overhead, and
quick succession Of snaps and cracks, as
II gigantic boulders were being torn In
pieces and hurled against one another
directly over our heads, and when these
frightfully appalling explosions ceased
for moment the ruiiled and muiiled
echoes repeated themselves again and
again, booming and rsttling away
through the awful silence, and then We
could hear a thunderous rumbling go
rolling and echoing through the unknown
depths and dying away In lessening and
ever lessening reverberstions. Then
there WAS another wild glare all around,
but in the midst OF II there WAS \ ball OF
white fire seemingly hurled down TO the
ground just Ia front OF us, and instantly
there came sudden, terrific, esr-split-
ting, hesd-splitting crash that shook the
old mountain from keel to topmast.
In the excitement | had grasped
Davit's arm, which was shaking and then
seemed to drop lifeless at his side, and
the stick In his hand dropped and ratified
down the mountain side. could feel Ia
the darkness that he was swaying to and
fro, almost to falling. "Whst Is ity" |
cried In terror, fearing he must have
been hurt, never thinking-till after
wards-of what would have become of
his companion II Davit had been struck
by lightning He did not answer for
moment, or II he did, his voice was
drowned In the tumult, but at last, oh,
welcome sound, 1t came through the
hideous abyss Of darkness, "Dinna be
afraid, lass, It's nothing but little
shock Of electricity. | suppose the stick
was the conductor"
But now the first heavy drops began
to fall, and In the inky darkness some
thing was wrapped around me, and ]
knew that Davit had taken of his out
side jacket and put 1t around his charge.
This act Of gsllsntry and solicituie
touched q tender spot, but 1t WAS none
too soon, for now the rain was coming
down In Sheets straight resistless
downpOur that seemed to press down
the clouds aud mist around our feet and
hold them like wise to the rocks.
How long this continued It Is impos-
sible to say, but fortunately we encoun-
tered no more fireballs-and the rain was
lessening, and the clouds were-not
lifting, but dropping away from US like
garment that has been unloosed +; and all
Of a sudden 1t seemed as II the rock on
which We stood was lifted up out OF this
ghostliness Of vspor, and first our heads
appeared from out the black and i'm
penetrsble mass.
We quickly looked up, and behold the
zenith was pale, clear purple, perfectly
cloudless and serene. The light increased,
and when this black pail had entirely
fallen from US, rolling and tumbling to
the valley below, and revealed to us our
feet, out Of the black gulf around US had
arisen sterile crag, silent and awful,
on whose arm, which overlooked
frightful precipice, we were standing. SO
close to the edge that one step-hdif a
step, would have sent Us to eternity.
looked at Dsvit and perceived the color
recede from under his shaggy beard, as
he said with trembling lips, 1.-The guide
Lord has preserved u.s., and would have
gone do wn on his knees had there been
room. He knew OF the existence of this
appalling abyss, but 10 the darkness did
not know we were approaching it.
It was the wonders that were occurring
around US that claimed attention nov,
startling and bewildering US with dumb
sense OF awe, for out Of that vast
witches csuldron below US, SCARED prec-
ipices and ragged peaks slo Wy revealed
themselves, as II called up by the wand
of some mighty magician. We seemed
to be looking on at the crestion Of new