Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-13
: In the Glaciers Keeping
B> ALAN MANDEvILLE

l
 "A Max"
 The speaker was tall Englishma1 of perhaps 50 but looking as hard an( tough and generally fit as most mer of half his age.
 Yes, sir said the guide, who stood before him at the inn door; and wei have to start early if we are to gel back the same day"
 | Sir Robert Ballard turned and re- entered his room. From a desk he pulled out a sheet of paper, and, pick. ing up pen, sat down at a table ant 1 began letter.
 My dear Harry" he wrote. T am afraid l have not been quite fair tc you. Thinking over things again, 1 can see that your foolish pranks, which so much offended me, may have beer indeed, no doubt were-the results oi sheer youthful high spirits. am therefore, again altering my will, and instead of my cousin. James Rennie being my residuary legatee, you will find the bulk of my property will eventually come to you. I trust this will have been a lesson to you, and that you will grow up a man worthy of the trust I am reposing in you Your affectionate uncle, Robert Ballard" | Sir Robert sealed and stamped the letter, and then on sheet of foolscaI proceeded rapidly to redraft his will It seemed all easy enough matter and took but few minutes. You would hardly have imagined the amount in question was something like GS0,000 The rapid pen ceased flying over the paper and Sir Robert touched the bell Gall Max Schneider he said to the waiter, and you, too, come in. I want you to witness this signature for me. ,
 He signed the document, the two men affixed their signatures, and then he folded it, placed it in an envelope and slipped it into an inner pocket of his Norfolk jacket.
 What time do we start tomorrow Max" he asked.
 Not later than half-past three, sir, answered the guide.
 Very well, then. I shall go to bed at once, and I suppose you'll do the same.'
 And 20 minutes later he was sleep ing like boy.
 Great luck having such lovely weather-eh, Max"
 Lovely indeed, Sir Robert; but pray ! don't say anything about it till we're clear of the ice. It's the worst of bad luck. sir
 Sir Robert laughed-the laugh of a strong man who is thoroughly pleased with himself.
 Indeed he had reason to be pleased Few men had ever climbed the beetling cliffs of the Aiguille Vert at all. Few CT still could boast of having accom-. plished the feat within the hours of g single day.
 Half an hour later they reached tho edge of the ice. The sun had now set and the air, chill with approaching night, was no longer clear as 1t had been. Pale wreaths of smoky mist hung in light bands, which seemed to shift and change kaleidoscopically though no breeze was felt
 Still roped together, as they had been during the entire time, they crossed the moraine and started steadily tramping across the rough ice. whose surface was broken by a hundred deer rifts and lumpy, yawning crevasses.
 The fog closed and fell thicker and thicker.
 Some three hours later that night one of the guides burst into the kitch- en of the Montvert inn.
 His face was white and drawn, and : he was almost speeches. with excite ment, misery and fatigue.
 At last he managed to gasp out his piteous story-how they had missed their way in the fog; how he had heard a sharp cry of warning from Max. who was leading the party; how next he had been jerked off his feet by a tre- mendous pull at the rope round his waist; and how he had desperately saved himself by driving his alpen- stock into the ice. Next thing he knew he was alone-alone on the edge of a giant crevasse. whose misty depths yawned silent as a grave.
 The instant they understood him a rescue party was formed. Inder the guidance of Herman. the innkeeper.
 All night the devoted men worked and most of next day. But if was use. less. The glacier does not easily give up its prey.
 A big. broad-shouldered. good-look- ing young fellow of about eight-and- twenty was sitting in a dingy little room in Bloomsbury. answering a let ter he had just received.
 Harry Ballard had been looking out for a chance of accompanying a read ing party abroad during the long vaca- ton, and by good luck an even better billet had come his way. An olt friend of his father-a Mir. FfOlkes-had writ ten to him 10 engage his services as tutor and general bear leader to his sen. young Eyerard Ffolkes, during a forthcoming Swiss tour.
 He had always wanted to get abroad and now the chance had fallen his way he was resolved to make the most of it. Young Eyerard. his pupil. was a I..I