The Washington times., 1905-11-12
CHAPTER V-(Continuedl

Ohi that rush through space Folk
falling thus are supposed to lose con-
sciousness, but can assert that this IS
not true. Never were my wits and per
oeptions more lively than while I trav-
eled from the broken glacier to the
ground. and never did a short journey
seem TO take d longer time. / saw the
white floor. like some living thing. leap
ing up through empty air 10 meet me-
then-finisi
crash Why. what was this? I stin
lived / was in water, for I could feel
its chill, and going down. down. til /
thought / should never rise again. R4t
rise ] did, though my lungs were nigh
bursting first. As I hoated up to-
ward the top remembered the crash.
which told me that I had passed through
Ice. Therefore should meet ice at the
surface again. OH 10 think that after
surviving so much / must be drowned
Ike a kitten and beneath a sheet of ice.
Aly hands touched it. There il was
above me. shining white like glass
Heaven be praised. Ny head broke
through; in this low and sheltered gorge
il was but film no thicker than pen
ny formed by the light frost Of the
previous night So / rose from the deep
and stared about me, treading water
with my feet
Then / saw the gladdest sight that
ever my eyes beheld. for on the right,
not ten yards away, the water running
from his hair and beard, was Leo. Leo
alive. for he broke the thin ice with mis-
arm as he struggled toward The shore
from the deep river. He saw me also,
and his gray eyes seemed to start out
OF his head.
-stm living. both OF us, and the
precipice passed." he shouted in a ring
ing, exuItant voice Il told you we
were led. +"
Ay. but whither2'' I answered as 7.
too. fought my way through the sim OF
ice.
Then 1t was ] became aware that we
were no longer alone. for on the bank
% the river. some thirty yards from US,
stood two figures. a man leaning upon a
tall staff and woman. He was q very
old man. for his eyes were horny, his
snow-white hair and beard hung upon
the bent breast and shoulders. and his
sardonic. wrinISied features were yellow
as wax. They might have been those OF
= death mask cut in marble There.
clad Ina an ample. monkish robe. and
leaning upon the stan. he stood still as
p statue and watched us. / noted Il
all every detail. although at the time
] did not know that ] was doing so. as
we broke our way through the ice to-
ward them and afterward the picture
came back to me. Also / saw that wom-
an. who was very tail, pointed 20 US.
Nearer the bank. or rather the rock
edge OF the river. its surface was free
OF ice, for here the stream ran swiftly.
Seeing this, we drew close together and
SWAN on side by side 10 help each other
II need were. There was much need
Tor ia the fringe OF the current the
strength that had served me so long
seemed to desert me, and 1 became
helpless; numbed. too. with the icy
coldness Of the water. Indeed, had not
Leo grasped nay clothes ] think that !
should have been swept away by the
stream to perish Thus aided. we
fought on a while. till he said:
II ana going under. Hold 10 tiil5 rope
end"
So I gripped the strip Of yak's hide
that was stiil fast about him, and, his
hand thus freed. he made a last splen-
did effort to keep Us both. numbered as
We were with the thick, eeaked gar