Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-11-13

ANA AAAENs
Each person is bound aboutt the waisi
to his guide. The front guide cui
every step Of the way with a pick, ant
each Of the fourteen persons steppet
exactly in his tracks all the way. Soor
however our party divided. Our Mex
lean Manager with his guide led th,
way; then followed Mr.. and MrS
ouderdonk; then Miss Chicago ant
Mr.. Boston and last Of all Mr.. Caro-
lima and Miss MiSsouri-each person
with his own guide. OF the thres
American couples, n out Of each
reached the top, Mrs O. was the first
to fan by the way, too faint to go an
other step, she deeended with hel
guide, while her husband plodded on.
Then our Chicago lady dropped like a
corpse TO the ground, and after lying
for an hour OF more almost uncOnSei.
Gus, she too descended with her guide.
Finally even my own good brother
deserted me. He Frustrated himself
on the snow and propped his feet
against his climbing stick. / threw
his serape over him, hade him and his
guide Adde'S . and toiled on with my
faithful old Tomas" Ny Carolina
friend waited here II hours expecting
every moment that l, too, would give
up and return with him; but, finding
me determined 10 reach the summit,
he also descended with his guide and
went into camp The three gentle
men above me looking back and find
ing me resting so long, concluded that
/, too, had given up the chase; SO they
went on and left me all alone in my
misery. But was not to be 'downed''
I told my guide "the top must be
reached He encouraged me all he
could, but l am sure he never dreamed
that l would make it. About every
eight or ten steps l would throw my
self down on the snow and give up,
almost losing consciousness; but
after a few moments rest l would re-
Yive a little, and take a few more steps.
Once the good old soul picked me up,
strapped mt on bis back, and carried
me quite a distance. He would have
taken me to the Crater, but it was
almost as uncomfortable for me as for
him.
Within about an hour Of the top we
met the Others coming back. They
were thunderstruck when they saw me
still at it." / had just taken a little
juice from an orange, which my guide
had brought for me; this together with
the almost no atmosphere, and exhaus-
tion, had made me deathly sick. /
way paying this little mite Of an in
ward contribution to Popo, vigorously,
when the others reached me. IL must
have been a ridiculous sight 10 have
seen me pointing up 10 the Crater, be-
tween my contributions" and long
iBg-Ohl 50 longing, to make the rest
OF the way. ! Just couldn't make IT,,
and yet l just couldn't give up. was
carried back in memory 10 a similar
occasion, on the Mediterranean Sea at
high tide, two years ago, when two
hundred people we're on board a large
steamer bound for the Blue GrOtto.
The thoughts Of 1t make me sea sick
now. lean see my father as, lifting
his deathly white face over the rail-
ing OF the deck, and pointing with his
trembling finger TO the wonderful
Grotto we had talked and read so much
about, he said: 81 would not go into
that hole for sJ0."
Gallant Mr.. Blake, Of Boston, bless
his SOUL shall never forget him for
this; exhausted and sick as he was,
took pity on me, and returned with
me 70 the crater. l felt better after
being relieved Of the orange, and after
finding company in my misery, and
journeyed on, about four steps at a
time, for three quarters Of an hour,
when Bravo. Gloria. Excelsior All
Of a sudden we stood on the rim Of the
Crater, and looked down into the green
lake Of sulphur, and saw the 200 or
more blow-hOles or little wells Of
sulphur smoke, Tuning out from the
walls OF the Crater. Two years before
l had stood at the Crater Of Old
Yesuvius and was almost stifed with
the smoke and sulphur fumes. Here
the wind was more favorable and We.
had a clear, grand view Of everything.
OF course the kodak come into play,
and my friends at home may see me,
If they so desire, sandals, sacking,
boomers, serape, six-shooter, guide
and all, standing on the very edge Of
the Crater-l7,7 s4 feet above sea
level; 5000 feet above Pixies Peak, and
far above any peak Of the Alps-way
up in the heavens.
Then the descent. Talk about sick
'1Aho- 1DN hhb bANN W EaN lUt ~
hours; not n wink OF sleep for 81
hours; that terrible climb above the
clouds with nothing to breathe; the
excitement Of getting to the top" all
over. l gave up completely, threw
myself on the snow, and asked my
friend please to finish the work. with
his six-shOoter. l sure did think my
hour had come. | do not know how
long | had lain in this condition, when
my friend and guide both shook me,
and announced that they were coming
for us with the 'petatis." These are
little square pieces OF mating used for
t0boggan slides.) Thank Goodness, "
/ said, 81 believe the Good Man him.
self sent them" No i~rreyerence was
meant, but / had 10 break into a
laugh when my friend looked at those
Did raggety mats and eKclalmede
Perhaps the Good Man sent thin,
but he sure bad a peculiar taste In his
selectionl"
Down we sat on the little squares
Jne behind each guide-our feet