Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-04

could see. 4 will rear stair against
it, and, once this wall climbed, shall
be almost there he said bravely and
worked. With his shuttle Of Imagina-
ton he dug out stones. but half of them
would not fit. and half months work
would roll down because those below
were i'll chosen. But the hunter work
ed on, saying always to himself, Once
this wall climbed, shall be almost
there, this great work endedv
AT last he came out upon the top,
and he looked about him. Far below
rolled the white mist over the valleys
Of Superstition, and above him tower
ed the mountains. They had seemed
low before. They were of an immeas-
urable height now, from crown to foun-
F dation surrounded by walls of rock
that rose tier above tier in mighty cir
cles. Upon them played the eternal
sunshine. He uttered wild cry. He
bowed himself on to the earth, and
when he rose his face was white. In
absolute silence he walked on. He
was very silent now. In those high re-
gions the rarefied air is hard to breathe
by those born in the valleys. Every
breath he drew hurt him, and the
blood oozed out from the tips of his
fingers. Before the next wall of rock
he began to work. The height Of this
seemed infinite. and he said nothing.
FTbn Nf 10 vt.
day upon the iron rocks into which he
cut steps. Years passed over him, vet
he worked on, but the wall lowered up
always above him 10 heaven. Some
times he prayed that little moss or
lichen might spring up on those bare
walls to be companion to him, but it
never came"
The stranger watched the boys face
"And the years rolled on. He count
ed them by the steps he had cut-a few
for a year, only few. He sang no
more. He said no more, I viii do this
or that he only worked. And at night
when the twilight settled down there
looked out at him from the holes and
crevices in the rocks many strange,
wild faces.
Stop your work, you lonely man,
pnd speak to u.s. they cried.
"'My salvation is in work. If l
should stop but for one moment, you
would creep down upon me- he re-
piled. And they put out their long
necks farther.
"'Look down into the crevlce at yocr
feet they said. See what lie there
white bones! AS brave and strong q
man as you climbed to these rocks.
And he looked UP. He saw there was
no use in striving. He would never
hold Truth, never see. her, never find
her. So he lay down here, for he was
very tired. He went TO sleep forever.
He put himself to sleep. Sleep is very
|. tranquil. You are not lonely when
you are asleep, neither do your hands
ache nor your heart And the hunter
laughed between his teeth.
"'Have l torn from my heart all that
was dearest? Have | wandered alone
in the land of night? Have resisted
temptation? Have dwelt where the
voice of my kind is never heard and
labored alone to lie down and be food
for you. We harpies?
"He laughed tiercely, and the echoes
Of despair skunk away. for the laugh
of a brave. strong heart is death
blow to them.
Nevertheless they crept out again
and looked at him.
do you know that your hair is
white they said. that your hands
begin to tremble like a child's? Do
you see that the point of your shuttle
is gone? 1t is cracked already. If you
should ever climb this stair they said,
it will be your last. You will never
climb another.'
"And he answered. 4 know it,! and
worked on.
1.-THE old. thin hands cut the stones
i'll and jaggedly, for the fingers We're
stiff and bent. The beautysand the
strength of the man We're gone.
Sat last an old. wizened. shrunken
face looked out above the rocks. 1t
saw the eternal mountain rise with
walls to the white clouds. but its work
was done.
1.-THE old hunter folded his tired
hands and lay down by the precipice
where he had worked away his life.
1t was the sleeping time at last. Be-
low him over the valleys rolled the
thick white mist. Once it broke, and
through the gap the dying eyes looked
down on the trees and fields of their
childhood. From afar seemed borne
to him the cry of his own wild birds,
and lie heard the noise of the people
singing as they danced. and he thought
he heard among them the voices of his
old comrades. and he saw affair off the
sunlight shine on his early home, and
great tears gathered in the hunters
eyes.
"'Ah. they who die there do not die
alone! he cried.
''rhcn the mists rolled together again,
and he turned his eyes away.
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