The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-11
sTRANcE ADvENTURE.

was falling, He kept his face to the
rock, ard came down feet foremost. 1t
would he useless 20 attempt any de-
scription CT my feelings; ! would not 90
through that experience again for the
price of battleship. Yet it lasted less
than second. He had dropped not more
than ten feet when the fall was arrested.
All right he called. cheerily. No
harm done, 1t was only a Sip
But what slip, If the balloon had
not carried the anchor several yards
back from the edge it would have had
no opportunity 10 catch another hold as
it shot forward. And how could we
know that the second hold would prove
more secure than the first? Hall did not
hesitate. however. for one instant. Up
he went again. But. in fact, his best
chance was in going up, for he was
within four yards Of the top when the
mishap occurred. With sigh of relief
1 saw him at last throw his arm over
the verge, and then wriggle his body
upon the ledge. A few seconds later
he was lying en- his stomach, with his
face over the edge. looking down at me.
Come oni" he shouted. Its all
right
When 1 had pulled myself over the
brink at his side grasped his hand and
pressed it without word. We under
stood one another.
1T was pretty close TO a miracle" he
remarked at last. Look at this
The rock over which the grapple had
slipped was deeply scored by the IN
yielding point OF the metal, and exact
ly at the verge of the precipiee the
prong had wedged itself into a narrow
crack, SO firmly that We had to chip
away the stone in order to release it.
If il had slipped single inch further
before taking hold it would have been all
over with my friend.
Such experiences shake the strongest
nerves. and we sat on the shelf we had
attained for fully a quarter of an hour
before we ventured TO attack the next
precipice which hung betting directly
above US. 1t was not as lofty as the enc
we had just assembled, but it impended to
such a degree that We saw we should
have TO climb our rope while it swung
free in the airi
Luckily We had little difficulty in get
ting grip for the prongs, and We took
every precaution to test the security OF
the anchorage, not only putting our COM
binde weight repeatedly upon the rope, hut
Tipping and jerking ii with all our
strength. The grapple resisted every ef-
fort to dislodge it, and finally l started
UP, insisting on my turn as leader.
The height l had to ascend did not ex-
coed 100 feet, but that is very great Gis-
lance to climb on swinging rope, with
out a wall within reach to assist by its
friction and occasionally friendly pro)ec-
lions. In a little while my movements,
together with the effect Of the slight wind.
had impaired most distressing cscilia-
ton to the rope. This sometimes carried
me with a nerve-shaking bang against
prominent point OF the precipice, where
would dislodge loose fragments that kept
Hall lodging for his life, and then would
swing out, apparently beyond the brow OF
the cliff below SO that, as inyoiuntaTiiy
glanced downward, ! seemed to be hang
ing in free space, while the steep noun
tain side looking ten times sleeper Tran
It really was, resembled the vertical wall
of an absolutely bottomless abyss, as II
1 were suspended over the edge OF the
world.
avoided thinking Of what the graphic
might be about, and, in my haste TO get
through with the awful experience, l
worked myself fairly out of breath. so that,
when at last l reached the rounded brow
of the Cliff 1 had to stop and cling there
for fully a minute before could summon
strength enough TO lit myself over II.
When / was assured that the grapple
was still securely fastened signaled to
Hall. and he soon stood at my side, ex-
claiming. as he wiped the Precipitation from
bis face:
81 think I'll try wings next time"
But our difficulties had only begun. As
we had foreseen, il was case oil Alp ABOVE
Alp. to the very limit OF human strength
and patience. However, it would have been
impossible 10 go back. In order to descend
the two precfpices we had surmounted ii
would have been necessary to leave our
life-lines clinging to the rocks. and we had
not rope enough to do that. II We could
not reach the top We were lost
Having refreshed ourselves with bite
TO cat and little stimuIant We resumed the
climb. After several hours OF the most ex-
hausting work / have ever performed We
pulled our weary limbs upon the narrow
ridge, but few square yards in area,
which constitutes the apex OF the Grand
Teton. A little below, on the opposite side
of a steep walled gap which divides the top
of the mountain into two parts. we saw the
singular enclosure of stones which the ear
1y white explorers found there, and which
they ascribed 10 the Indians. although no.
body has ever known who built II. or WAL
purpose Il served.
The view was OF course, superb, but
while WIS admiring 1t in all its wonderful
extent and variety, Hall, who had imme-
diate!y pulled out his binocular, was busy
inspecting the Syx works, the top OF whose
great tufted smoke column was thousands
OF feet beneath our level Jackson's Lake.
Jeuny'g Lake, Leigh's Lake, and several
lakelets glittered in the sunlight amid the
male greys and greens of Jackson's Hole,
while many a bending reach of the Snake
hi, er shone amid the wastes Of sagebrush
and rock.
There suddenly exclaimed Hall. Il
thought / should find it,"
eWhat:-
Take a look through my glass at the
roof of Syx's mill. Look just in the CEN
ire
why, it's open in the middle" / cried
as soon as had put the glass to my eyes. |
There's big circular hole in the centre !
of the roof
Look inside. Look insidei' repeated |
Hall impatiently.
Il see nothing there except something |
bright
do you call it nothing because it Is |
bright
We'll, no." ! replied laughing. What
! mean is that ! see nothing that / can
make anything OF except a shining OBJ
feet, and all / can make of that is that IL
Is bright
You've been in the syx works many
times haven't your
Yes
'Did you ever see the opening IN the
roof"
Never"
did you ever hear CT it?'
Never"
Then Dr. SIX doesn't show his visit
ors everything that is TO be SEEN
Evidently not. since, as We know. he
concealed the double tunnel and the room
under the furnace
DIR. Syx has concealed a bigger secret
than that" Hall responded. land the
Grand Teton has helped me TO a glimpse
II it."
For several minutes my friend was alb