New-York tribune., 1905-12-24
OVER THE PRECIPICE.

OVER THE PREClP1CE.
Early IN the morning Jake Tollin and two strong
fishermen brought the trunks up the Gifts, ana
found room for the largest which they named the
- in q drv cavern of the rock below the house
Captain Hariot had used this cave as a storehouse
It was as large the cottage, and was suIclehIis
light when the sliding door at the entrance was
omen II was easily accessible from the cottage
and a broad ledge OF rock in front of it gave sure
foothold.
Tho captain might have lived here and saved
the trouble ol building" remarked Ivan. NliiieI"
and engineers in the Far West live in natural c',,S
or IN rlaces they have followed out IN the tochs'
I'VE might use it for a schooiroom' suEsese ,sTI
I7-+.e mfr jacques Charpenter hopes we VII
have a class after the fishing season cioses. ~,t
year he helped the boys and girls 10 pIf0 p.,4. -
ing on white birch bark There are qua
bark in the valley good for writing ana orawIts. ~
+,o,,h the trees don't grow large or suasH'
enough Cor building canoes 1.
NO more school for me-" declared Ivan
a8roeted well enough for old Labraoor-- ! Il So
90 ono Of nv schoobooks in the ark HeTe
- $50 sea stories and other interesting DOCKS
"a +el,e 70 tha house; I'll make hanging shelFeS -ol
+baro and the magazines Mr. Sinclair leit "et-
yrant this chessboard. too, and the domlnoeS
perhaps you'll change your rnino "a soUrI .'~
,,ool when YOU get tired OF fishing, SAID urea
.>-o+ Jacoues is a regular crank about STUDY
; but I'm not built that way. He pores over
dictionarv tha; Captain Hariot gave hnl' ana ne
1is+ons tc every word you say and tries TO SPEAK
like you - - ,,, =
I-irica laughed merrily: IhlnK o. NY ''iis :"
model for any oHe!' 10,
on Sunday morning the twins at'ehoeu &C. 10
a. the fish stage, where logs and stones serNeU io
peu-s 1t was quiet day. with soft airs ana "
calro sea The fisher people were of different oe-
,o,,inarions but all listened with reverence Whlle
Mr. Sinclair read prayers of the Church OF ENG
land. and Protestant and Roman Cathohc JoHleu III
tho HYMNS for which Paul Charpenuer pla!ed d
,-io1in accompanir2ent. After the service MI Sin
1rfc nd
air,er and compimented the young housekeeper
on her skill. 49,
.eTbts soup and the peas from the cans that
you left protested Ulrlca-
.T37,t Won fried the fish and made the scones, ana
this cloudberry sauce for the rice is excellent.
She brought cook books with her SAID wan
but they need all sorts of things that we ooh
have We are learning very fast to 90 "lClou'.
Peonle here don't use tableCloths and sheets anu
they live nearly all the time in the same c!othes-
'It is long since dired with q tablecioth peloie
mo" said the agent ''and it is delightful; but l
advise you to econonliZe in the use OF sucH ldA"-
ries Miss Ulrica- Your arms are not s'rols
enough for laundry work Cover your taole WIN
oilcloth as the Frenchwomen here do. gu can
easily wash It off and save yourself much 4epor'
ITlrfca looked wistfulIy at her white cloth: 1
suppose I must give IT up; and as long as the
flowers last we can make the table look pretty
She glanced at a vase filed with the miniature .
mountain laurel Of the north and at bank OF
mosses in a rustic basket. The basket hung ne
tween the window curtains, which Ivan had put
IN under her direction. agent saw the glance
and smiled: TT is easy TO see woman IS mana
here The place IS transformed"
On the following morning Mr.. Sinclair LETT W d
bistan and Ivan went to work at the hsherS'
Jlrica tried to become a skilful laundry woman
with the pool for a tub and the rocks unoer inc
sunlight as a drying yard. but the unaccustoned
toll wearfed her she could not go TO the shore'
as she had promised. For many days Ivan left the
house after early breakfast. dined with the
fishermen and returned in the evening for supper
Sometimes Ulrica went down TO the hsh stage
hiIt as her brother had stipulated that she shouiu
take no part in the work there she could olily
watch IN silence; the women were too busy TO taiK
to her For a time her housework helped her 10
banish thought of her and loneliness, pul
on an afternoon when anxiety haunted her she
ernined to set off by herself TO explore she had
heard there were no beasts Of prey in the neIgnO1d
hood and she foresaW danger The rocks pe,
came higher she went inland. but she clanpeIeq
her vision she walked for a long distance in,
terested in the bright colored moses ana owaf1t9 @
she sat down to rest She was reclining WeariIg rz
hsh 9hn she n Tai behed baek 8 body moving Behind
ciump of trees She was convinced IT was a
hardly 1' daring to breathe once more she heard
the growing noise and believing the creature @ was was
ran ran not daring to look behind until. gasping
for s RTsd abged ad Tfe to Stand sfi e foT She
gave quick backward glance and and saw p@areq OF
Then She went on; she knew gIf not where sba
brink of a chasm. As she looked down hundreds
Of feet into the black water her head swan, she
felt herself slipping and tried to grasp something,
but the slender shrub gave way with her weight
and she fell. Her cry of terror echoed far but no
The rocks were Jagged. the descent was almost
rerpendicular, yet followed ledge not far below
fpendcular, yet one followed ledge not far below
stretched out a shelter to receive her ~ had
caught washings of sand from the heights and was
fhickIy grown; therefore when Ulnca aroused
from a brief Inconsistencies she found that she
Was scratched and bruised. but not seriously hurt
No immediate danger threatened, but even II she
fallen she dared attempt it, for dread Of the
creature from which che had escaped 10 remain
tinon the ledge would mean death by starYatlon or
eTpoe7Ire No one would seek her there her 1ool-
stems had made no imprint the hard rock
She gazed downward but with a Shud0er: A
descent to the water was her only nope. Ferhaps
fbeTe was a beach along which she could walk
to +he sea The precipice seemed to offer no foot,
hold but here and there trees had sprung, and
+beir roots must be fastened IN rocky cleTts Sne
5-euy daep duivering breath. then swung herself
F-oyo fl1e ledge. For few moments she clung 10
81 her feet dangling while they sought the rock
when thew rested upon it she let go the ledge with
go baDd and clutched the top of a dwarfed pine.
a.,TiIv IL was we'll rooted and sturdy and in a rev
-ooInents she was cnging TO it while she let herseIf
- sr+her More than in that terrible descent
go - ncbes she had caught broke short. and she
iITro5 TIIt recovered her footing There We're long
s.,ISoL[cbes oP rock without tree. but she found
t1f+ne points by which she held. until at
ian1+1 with bleeding hands and torn clothing; she
roacJ1e5 fhe bottom She found there a large
tone IIpon which rest, but. alas! there was.
@ -o' heac7 and the near the entrance OF
= coDirg cavern. The water seemed 10 De oh