The Washington times., 1905-10-29
Continued from Page Ten.)

Now at last we were alone, and with
out wasting an instant. began our ascent
of the peak. 1t was many thousand feet
high, and in some places steep enough.
but the deep. frozen snow made climb
ing easy, so that by midday we reached
the top Hen the view was magnifi-
cent. Beneath us stretched the desert.
tically shaped, snow-clad mountains,
hundreds and hundreds of them: In
front. to the right. TO the left, as far as
the eye could reach.
They are just as / saw them In my
dreams SO many years ago. nuttered
Leo: the same, the very same"
And where was the fiery light?" /
asked
''YondeT. 1 think And he pointed
north by east.
We'll. 1t IS not there now" 1 an
swered. "and this place is cold
So, since It was dangerous to linger,
lest the darkness should overtake US on
our return journey, We descended the
peak again, reaching the cave about sum-
set. The next four days we spent in
the same way. Every morning we
crawled up those wearisome banks of
snow. and every afternoon we slid and
tobogganed down them again. till I grew
heartily tired OF the exercise
On the fourth night. instead OF COM
ing to sleep in the tent. Leo sat him
self down at the entrance to the cave.
asked him why he did this, but he
answered fmpatiently. because.he wish
ed it. so left him alone.
In the middle of the night I was
rarr lx l.G Nv hi "a
ing:
Come here: L have something to
show you"
Reluctantly enough I crept from be-
tween the rugs and out OF the tent
To dress there was no need, fo- we
slept IN all our garments He led me
10 the mouth of the cave and pointed
northward- / looked The night was
very dark; but. far, far away appeared
faint patch OF light upon the sky.
such as might be caused by the refiec-
ton OF a distant fire
What do you make Of it?'' he asked.
anxiousiy.
Nothing In particular" / answered.
IL may be anything. The moon-no.
there is none; dawn-no. It is too north
erly. and, II does not break for three
hours. Something burning. a house, or
a funeral pyre. but how can there be
such things here? 1 give it up
Il think 1t Is a reflection, and that
If we were on the peak we should see
the beam Of light said Leo slowly
We'll. we are not and cannot get
there IN the dark"
Then. Horace, we must spend a night
there
1T will be our last in this incarna-
tion." 1 answered with a laugh: that
is. If 1t comes on to snow
I'VE must risk 1t. or 1 viii risk it.
Look, the light has faded:" and there
at least he was right. for undoubtedly
1T had. The night was as black as
pitch.
Let's talk it over tomorrow 1 said
and went back to the tent. for 1 was
sleepy and incredulous: but Leo sat
on by the mouth OF the cave.
AT dawn / awoke and found break
fast already cooked.
Il must start early Leo explained.
Are you mad?' l asked. How can
We camp on that place?"
II don't know, but 1 am going
must go, Horace
which means that we both must go.
But how about the yek?"
Where we can climb. it can follow"
he answered.
So we strapped the tent and other
baggage. including good supply of
cooked meat. upon the yak's back. and
started. Reaching the summit at
length, we dug a hole, and there pitched
the tent. piling the excavated snow
about it. BY this time 1t began TO
grow dark. and having descended into
the tent. yak and all. we ate our food
and waited.
For some hours We watched. as in
deed we must. since 10 sleep would
mean to die. yet saw nothing save the
lonely stars. and heard nothing in that
awful silence. for here even the wind
made no noise as II slid across che
SHOWS. Accustomed as I was to such
exposure. my faculties began to grow
numb and my eyes TO shut, when sud
denly Leo said:
Look. below the red STAR
l looked. and there high in the sky
was the same curious glow which We
had seen upon the previous night There
was more than this, indeed, for beneath
it, almost on a line with us and Just
above the crests of the intervening
peaks. appeared a faint sheet OF fire and
revealed against it something black.
While we watched the fire widened,
spread upward and grew in power and
intensity. Now against its flaming
background the black object became
clearly visible. and 10. IL was the top
of a soaring pillar surmounted by a
loop. Yes. we could see its every out
line. II was the crux ansata, the Sym
boil OF Life itself
The symbol vanished. the fire sank
Again it blazed up more fiercely than
lanfr nj hA
then once more disappeared. A third
time the fire shone, ana with such in
tensity, that no lightning could surpass
it's brilliance. Then II was gone as
swiftly as it came. Gone, too. was the
symbol and the veil OF fame behind II.
only the glow fingered q little on the
distant sky.
For a while there was silence between
us. then Leo said:
do you remember. Horace. when we