The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-03

10 us base by the way Of the tivei
bank. and to where the cascade pour
ed over the rocks, waking the solemn
echoes OF the otherwise silent rayine.
Their Instructions were to station
themselves near the rocks which bore
the Spanish legend-to keep a sharp
lookout on the face of the cliff and all
the way up to the grove of banana
trees that grew on its summit.
Billy the cabin boy was left in charge
oi the hut and boat, while Hislop,
with the rest Of us advanced toward
the ciin, up the sloping bank OF which
It's only accessible polnt-we pro-
ceeded to climb.
IL was, or is twelve months can
make no change) hundred and fifty
leet In height, as | have stated, ris-
ing sharply up from the side OF the
great mountain, and is covered by a
Jungle OF Wild shrubs that must have
neen growing there since the days Of
the deluge
The creepers with gummy branches,
the sharp serrated grass, the yellow
gourd vines, the wild tendrils and
plants of which we knew neither the
names nor the nature, were there in
terwoyen as closely as a herring net,
to the depth of seven or eight feet
from their roots.
Amid this jungle the hum Of the
myriads Of great insects which we
reused and dislodged was deafening;
while the black clouds of gad-fies and
cockroaches were very bewildering,
and, to say the least, annoying.
We foundered and fell as we waded
through this sea Of leaves and verdi
ure; but rose and scrambled on again,
pausing ever and anon, breathless and
exhausted, to sit and fan ourselves, or
to aid in pulling each other out of this
jungly network, for it resembled that
which sprang by magic spell around
the palace Of the sleeping beauty in
/. the old fairy tale to battle all intrud-
ers for hundred years.
Hislop, who had not yet recovered
! his strength, was among the first to
give in. and declare, when half way up,
that che could climb no furtherw
Two or three took advantage Of this
, admission to remain with him for a
time; but I, refreshed by a ripe ba-
, mana which had fallen from the trees
, at the top, and which l found just
at hand, pushed on. and being lighter
: than any Of my companions, got ahead
= of them all.
After half an hours severe toll, dur.
ing which my hands and knees were
i lacerated and torn by sharp blades o
gigantic grass, and by the quinn!
e creepers to which ones very flesh ad
hered at times, reached at last tn
banana trees, the foliage of which
waved like a gigantic plume on tn
5 summit Of this isolated rock.
The banana rises with a stem whicl
l. is about six or seven inches in diam
eter at the root, and from theme
10 tapers upward to the height of eightee
S, or twenty feet, to where the leave
lie spring like a bright green tuft, broad
b. wavy, feathery, and dropping, as thos
Of the palm do.
L
~ to my companions, announcing that
- had gained the summit before then
10 and armed with my only weapon, ii
20 lakewood spear, pushed my way TO
- ward between the smooth stems OF II
bananas, till 1 reached the abrul
ne brow of the cliff, from the verge
Up which saw, far down below, Il
lh- bright blue stream that rose on Il
ltn slopes of the great mountain, runnil
through the heart of the isle and gil
ad tering in the setting sun among grow
ot. and ravines, to where it poured
his foam upon the white sandy beach, al
lid mingled with the mighty Southern Sc
nd, l saw also the figures of Chute a.
i'd? Carlton, as they stood near the TO
the which bore the inscription, but tn
md could neither distinguish me nor he
ing nv shout, which gave fresh ardor
BIS those whom I had left halfway dow
inc and who now resumed their ascent.
,an ITO be continued.)