The Greeley tribune., 1906-06-14

we come ter the Burnin' Hills. Peers as
1nough could feel the heat right now.
There! Look yonder.'
They were now on an eminenCe command.
Ing good view of the lower hills. and as
they looked down into the darkness they
could see distinctly long lines of glowing
merry serpents. The redness pulsated like
thing OF life. and as it did so the very
ground about seemed to heave up and down.
Then suddenly all was darkness again.
Yer see she continued, II may be a
coward. an all thet. Mebbe so. 1t may n
bin all ghost story. too. But there 1t is,
an we got ter cross thet place.
The brave young man was getting really
scared. He had never before been out in
the mountains in the night time, and the
awful stiffness, broken now and then by
unpleasant sounds peculiar to the mountain
country. awed and frightened him. His
teeth were fairly chattering.
"I-l-wlsh we had started back sooner =.
he managed to say "l-l-had no idea
1t was so bad"
eyer might had purity good idea she
answered; '.but 1t amt a-goin' to do no
good ter git scared now. Come along
BY. this time they were nearing the
dreaded place, suddenly, as she reached
forward her foot to take step. she realized
footing as soon as II should. A sudden and
uncommon warmth came upward. and In
another instant the faint glow was seem
brink some three feet away. Leapingacross
she called to her companion, Mind yer
sye!" They had changed places-she was
nov the master an and he the saye lay the
place. Just then he took the fatal step
and felt himself falling. But the girl was
quick. Suddenly reaching, out her arm, she
grasped him by the hand and fairly drag
ged him across the chasm:
"Well. ] nevcr,'' he exclaimed in fright
That's something awful, don't you know
I say are there many more like thatg
pre-emptory order.
"But say. 1wo-bits 1t isn't safe, is it?'
Il air't afenrd," she answered; ''lf yon
are. why stay where you are, or go back
an find the highest peak.
"Blast the little imp" he muttered. -!
wonder II she's going to go away ana
leave me out here all alone. Perhaps Il
would serve me right. for l suppose it's all
ny own fault But really. had no Idea
Hello. Two;bts;. Don't run away ;n.a ana
leave me all alone!' And there came into
his throat something very like sob.
in the darkness he saw her some five feet
ahead of him. Don't try to. walk thar, or
yerll fall In. sure. It's wide. tell yer.
and it's hot, too
81 can't stay here all night.
'.Mebbe yer could jump across. ! did
hut I'm only coward" She was becoming
sarcastic. but. not without purpose. The
child was beginning to see that the young
man would need every incentive she could
offer to get him to put forth his best ef-
forts. She had no doubt of her own ability
to clear all the chasms. but she was quite
sure that her companion was not nccms-
toned to such tricks. Now, he stood ike
scared child on the opposite side of the
ditch. IL the situation had not been so
serious, 1t would have been comical.
'.weli. yer comin'?' she asked. I'M
patiently.
came to the edge again he stopped short
and looked rucfully at the red glow beneath
him. He held out his hand and drew II
back suddenly. as he felt the intense neat.
Then what little courage he possessed tor-
sook him, and he began to whimper.
II Just can't make 1t, Two-bits. Whatever
wv ALI" drwled the matter-of-f fact girl,
81 s'pose could go ahead an git some OF
the fellers from town ter come out an help
yer across. They'll make no end OF run OF
"R,ast the fun" he cried. Hurry up
and get me out of this. most anyway, -,
"Aii right. Stay where you are. and h,i1 ~
be hack after a while:" and she bounded
away like a deer, leaving George Casey
sitting there In the night alone.
Minutes dragged like hours, and the dark
ness seemed to grow thicker every moment
except when 1t was penetrated by that um
canny glow from down below. Then' as he