Amador ledger., 1906-06-15
BY. WALTER. BURR.

we come ter the Burnin' Hills. Peers as
though / could feel the heat right now.
There! Look yonder!'
ing good view of the lower hills, and as
they looked down into the darkness they
could see distinctly long lines of glowing
RED, streaking the earth like the trails OF
fiery 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:
coward, an all thet. Mebbe so. 1t may a
bin all ghost story, too. But there it is,
an, We got ter cross thet place.
The brave young man was getting really
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.
"1-l-wish we had started back sooner"
ne managed to say. "l-I-had no idea
it was so bad"
eyer might a had purity good idea,' she
answered; "but it amt a-goin' to do no
good ter git scared now. Come along
a.By,ot By this time they were nearing the
forward her foot to take step, she realized
instinctively that it was not finding a solid
roofing as soon as 1t should A sudden and
another instant the faint glow was seen,
showing her chasm, with the further
Drink some three feet away. Leaping across
sRe sRe called He'd to ~ her companion, Mind yer
now the master and he the slave.
What is it?' he asked, as he neared the
place Just then he took the fatal step,
quick. Suddenly reaching out her arm, she
grasped him by the hand and fairly drag
ged h him across the chasm:
That's something awful, don't you know.
say are there many more like that?"
Come on, an quit yer talkin'," was the
but l say, 1wo-bits, it isn't safe ie ftp
he called after her.
'I amt afeard," she answered; 'If you
are, why stay where you are, or go back
an fnd the highest peak
BLAST the little imp," he muttered. 81
wonder if she's going to go away and
leave me out here all alone. Perhaps II
would serve me right. for I suppose it's all
my own fault. But really. had no idea
there was any truth in what she said
leave me all alone!'' And there nH came into into
ms ssr tnroat something very like a sob.
Look out there!' he heard her call; and
IN tne darkness he saw her some five feet
ahead of him. Don't try to walk thar or
yeF1i yer If fall In, sure, It's wide, tell yer,
cant stay here all night"
but Menoe TTa onY yer could could jump across, did
enid was beginning to see that the young
man would need every incentive she could
oHer to get him to put forth his best ef-
iorts. She had no doubt of her own ability |
to clear all the chasms, but she was quite
sure that her companion was not accus-
toned to such tricks. Now, he stood like |
scared child on the opposite side of the
ditch. If the situation had not been SO
serious, 1t would have been comical.
We'll, yer comin'?'' she asked, i'm
patiently.
He stepped back for run, but when he
came TO the edge again he stopped short
and looked ruefully at the red glow beneath
hlm. He held out his hand and drew it |
back suddenly, as he felt the intense heat
Then what little courage he possessed for |
SOok him, and he began to whimper.
-! just can't make it, Two-bits. Whatever
shall L do?''
WALL" drawled the matter-of-fact girl, |
Il 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 fun of |
yer, though"
"Biast the funT he cried. "Hurry I'D
and get me out of this, most anyway
''All right. Stay where you are, and I'll |
be back 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 it was penetrated by that un- |
canny glow from down below. Then, as he |