The Morris County chronicle., 1905-02-14
CHAPTER XIX.
Continued


Braces voice was startlingly dis
tinct when he spoke.
You tell me the thing is on the other
side of the ropes, my gel" he said.
She answered yes, and we went slow
ly forward and downward along the
narrow and jagged ledge, our faces
toward the gIittering quartz, seeking
interstices and projections for hold to
our hands.
We were passing away from the fall,
but at certain point the natural path
returned toward 1t in zigzag along a
lower projection. At the angle which
offered little wider standing space
we stopped
This here hole was fust showed me
by the Kids mother" said Brace;
s'it had served her father for cachette
in quite the early days of this country's
glory"
"a cachette,' he explained. sis a
place where you keep things snug.
Almost every miner before the Vigil
ance Committee nomenated me judge,
had a cachette. This was mine, and
many a ounce I've brought down here;
fur you see, barrin' accidents, it's
won'erful safe. You will allow that
no one could find his way down here
in the dark" q shuddered at the
thought Of any one attempting such
fearful venture). "And from here. right
up to the hole is fair straight line,
so that no light could come down with
out it's bein' seen; but that amt the
only safeguard, as you shall see.
Come SIR
We made our way foot by foot along
the narrow ledge for some distance,
still descending When Brace again
halted the light of his torch revealed
the yellow stream falling silently
through space, a few feet before him.
That silent fall impressed me with
sense of the awful depth of the gulf
beside us.
The ledge ended abruptly where
Brace stood; a recess in the wall al
lowed ample standing room for us
three.
"The greaser never got no furder
down than this; but it weren't fur
enough for me-" said Brace II had my
idea of gettin' right down to the bot
tom of this hole, where these waters
must have carried tons of gold.'
But the ledge ends here"
ut do; but" he added, lifting his
torch, ut goes On again over there"
The light fell on the jutting. projec-
ton of quartz upon the opposite side
of the chasm distant at least twenty
feet.
But you cannot leap that"
Correct. and amt going to try"
He laid upon his face, and stretched
his arm down the chasm; when he rose
he had cord in his hand Pulling
this in, he drew up two coils of stout
rope.
AS he drew them in / saw that their
other ends were attached to rocks upon
the opposite ledge, one above the 9TH
er. with about four feet between.
1--WE must hitch 'em tight-give us
a hand, SIR he said.
/ helped him to make the ropes taut
and fasten their loose ends upon the
projecting crags that he had long en-
ployed for that purpose.
"There, sir,' he said, taking his
torch from Lola and holding it over the
black gulf, there's as pretty bridge
and handrail as the heart of man could
reasonably desire"
For all that, / held my breath as
saw him step out on the lower rope and
make his way, holding by the upper
one, across the black abyss. My turn
came, and with the blood humming in
my ears. 1 stepped out upon the rope.
1t swung to and fro in the middle. and
was seized with that irresistible sug-
gestion of self-destruction which af-
fects the imagination of most people
in looking down from an extraordinary
height.
Lola began to cross before was well
Off. and when we stood all three in
safety on the ledge fervent "Thank
Godr' rose from my heart.
wal, we've got to git back agin."
observed Brace, as if my thankful
ness were little premature; "hows-
ever, 'tain't bad to think of Providence
when you're in danger; now, my gel.
it's for you to lead on"
you can stay mere; you're too heavy
for where I'm going said she, taking
the torch from his hand
With swiftness that terrified me,
she went down the side Of the preci-
pice, finding foothold where we, look
ing down from the projection, could
see none.
''They don't know danger kids
don't" said Brace, in low tone.
END" he added, looking into the
depths about him uneasily, II wouldn't
mind feeling the same myself First
time ever felt skeery down this hole,
and I'm blamed if it sha'n't be the last.
I'm gettin' too old TO enj'y risky work. =
could not take my eyes from the
light below. as it passed in jerks from
point to point At last it stopped, and,
after minutes pause, to my great
relief, it began to return.
Quicker and quicker the light danced
along until ] felt sick and giddy with
fear for the girls safety; ana then,
with one last bound, she stood upon
our shelf Of rock holding the Great
Hesper in her hand.
"Am ! good?p she asked, earnestly,
nesting up to my side.
or a I,rrTaR Xxx