The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-08
BY FRANK H. STOUT
A PROFESSIONAL VISIT.

It was bitterly cold, and the two fig rres threading their way down the noun tain side bent to avoid the slanting par ticies of ice that stung their faces. Yet only the day before the sun had shone and May flowers had opened their petals to soft breeze. safe. hurry," implored one of the figures. shouting in order to be heard above the wind, and the other figure, strong and ward s oTe fl h vn to overtake the old man, who was plung- ing on ahead. Hurry! hurry! hurry came back to him as part of the wind It's ten miles yet, an she may be dy- Only a few hours before, just as the storm was bursting. the old man had appeared at the door of small isolated hotel in the mountains and demanded q doctor and when assured there was not one within twenty miles he had thrown up his hands with despairing,- An she may be dyin'! She may be dyin' V ! had asked harshly to be shown the road to the nearest doctor At that moment ! the young man had appeared.
 T am not dCctor," he had said, but studied medicine two years before de- cidii upon the ministry. l have only | just arrived, so know nothing about the | loca ton of doctors herc. As you are il | nuJTy, l may Dc bt tlttE tidh IN'iS, anu | am at your service.
 | HaIdly a word had been spoken since tftn, except the intermittcnt Hurry hurry Down slopes they had plunged, dodging trees and bowlders, slipping and | stu nbling. ard up slopes they had climb- cd and scrambled. clinging by sheer force of fingers where they would often have fallen back. their one thought to covG' distance as rapidly as possible. Mile af- ter fell away behind them and still they lent their faces to the slanting particles of ice, the young man unable to sec where he was going. but following his cf fatigue or pain.
 But suddenly as they hurried on the old mans foJt caught in some projection and he was thrown violently forward. his feet again and pluuging on. nut only for few steps: then he tottsred and fell.
 Hurry! hurry he called. I've broke my ankle. and can't keep up. Foller the trees on enc side, Kee- through 1t. and then turn to the right. My cabins in the oak scrub beyond"
 "Bat you, protested the young ma, man Let me attend 10 your ankle first"
 "No; no. no"' screamed the old man harshly. "Go on, I tell ye. There's no time for me; I'm all right an know every foot O these mountains. If my ankle is broke, I can hobble along, an will get there most as soon as you. Go on, tell ye! Hurry. hurry! fOr mer- cy's sake. hurry! She may be dyin'!' The young man sprang away obediently. Along the ridge and down the gulley he hurried lodging the trees and rocks when he could see them, and bruising himself against them when he could not the storm still beating in his face. but the bitter cold unnoticed in his haste. At the end of the gully he heard the rush and roar of turbulent waters. and pres entity came to tho bank of stream. ttir- ty or forty feet wide, whose current was broken into white ridges by It's force against the roughness of the river bed The old man had not spoken of this Doubtless he kn.w of fordlng place and had expected himself to lead the way across
 There was no time to look for a ford now, and without hesitation the young man flung himself Into the icy water. He was strong swimmer, but when he drew himself laboriously up the opposite bank he was breathing heavily. Another ten feet of the whirling icv current he felt would have been more than he could have overcome For moment he lay panting and trefi- hifng; then roce stiffly to his feet. In his wet garments he would soon freeze ualc=. he kept moving.
 Far up the sicpc he could see the ecr,1b oaks and among them was doubtless tho