The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-06-13

OF smoke lazlly ioated upward against
the blue Italian sky. Thurston, with
two other young Americans of about
his own age, was doing" southern
Italy. walking whenever it was pos
slble. and employing guides only when
1t was absolutely necessary to do so.
The three pedestrians were now seated
on the veranda of the Quislsana, at
Castelammare, having just finished
breakfast.
"The path is plain enough on the
map" continued Harry, "and l, for one,
don't care to have 'Pietro' or 'Jaco-
po' tagging after me all the way up"
1T looks like the beginning of clear
day." said Bob Crothers. refiectively.
81 don't really see how we could lose
our way
"Come on"' urged Dick White. 1t
was Dick who usually got the party in
TO scrapes, and Crothers who extrlcat-
ed it, Harry, in either case, simply
helped form majority.
Two hours later the trio started out
from la Maison Blanche" a small
inn at the foot of the mountain, 1and
attacked the foothills of Vesuvius it.
self The sun was shining brightly.
the air was clear and sweet. but the
district across which the path lay
was so drearlly desolate that by de-
grees the gay talk and laughter of the
boys languished.
They had climbed the Mount Wash.
ington brdle-path the year before. but
how different were their surroundings
now, In place of balsam frs, dancing
brooks, messy slopes bright with Grim.
son berries and starry flowers, they
looked out over an unbroken stretch
of volcanic rock, dead lava and black
dust
IT'S like a nightmarer' exclaimed
Harry. breaking long silence, during
which they had been plodding onward
and upward. I'D give something for
drink of New Hampshire spring wa
ter
~ suppose" observed Bob, "the
moon looks something like this when
you get there. Just q burned-out
cooled-off, drled-up volcano"
well" said Dick, 'let's get on
There's a sort of restaurant up there
at the end of this path, where we can
rest before taking in the final cone and
the crater"
1t was a long, hard, hot pull for
them, experienced walkers though
they We're, and they were glad enough
for the brief halt for refreshments at
the foot of the funicular railway-the
very one which inspired the popular
Neapolitan song, "Funiculi, funicula."
And now arose a discussion as 10 the
method of completing the ascent. Dick
was for continuing Oh foot, following
the IT. cks of the regular porters up
through the knee-deep ashy dust which
covers the steep SIDES of the conc.
Crothers, however. advocated taking
the car.
'Ifs of no use to lire ourselves all
out" he said, "wading through that
stuff up a slope like the roof of house.
It's all right coming down, but II you
fellows ever tried to climb a hill with
two feet of snow on it, you know how
1t feels. And it's hot, too"
Harry sided with Bob, and the three
were soon -eated comfortably in the
little car, gliding upy;Grd along the
rails Of the funicular.
Near the upper terminus of the rail-
way there was a cabin, where a num-
Der of guides were waiting to conduct
tourists to the edge of the crater.
They pounccd upon the boys eagerly.
- in IL 10
Ing Off nc oil his tormentors. mo
guide for us! We go alone-see?"
One '-ord alone was ineligible to
the Italian, the last, which he under
stood as ESP yes), and affairs grew
still more mp'icated. At last Bob,
who knew little Italian, said firmly:
"Andate pei fatti vostri' (Go about
your Iusiness); adding, "Faremo n
modo nostro" 1--WE shall do MS we
please, md pushing through the
screaming circle, lie led The way up
the path.
The guides sullenly fell back and
gave up ne contest, mutterlng cx.
pletlyes in the Neapolltan patols,
which fortunately the Americans could
not understand.
Bob Crothers told me long after
wards that he had not taken a dozen
steps when he felt q sudden misgly.
ing, and halted irresolutely. After all
would 1t not be better to take an ex.
perienced guide? ,f he had only
obeyed his premonitlon of dangerl but
DICK bounded up ahead, shouting
Come OIL. fellows We've got clear OF
them at last, and we're going to have
the time OF our lIyesp'
SO the lads kept on, up the stec,
ascent, until they stood on the small
irregular plateau forming the summit
OF Vesuylus.
Inc view was marvellous. Far AWAY
Jay the city Of Naples. tawny crescent
Dathed In sunshine; vineyards and
gardens stretched away from the foo
OF the mountain, dotted with yiilas
and little hamlcts; and to the west Ia,
the wonderful Mediterranean, a perfect
turquoise In color. with shadlnps OF
deeper blue where the breeze touched
tne shimmerlng surface. In the dis
lance slept the fair island of Capri.
But the boys were more interested
IN tneir Immediate surroundings tbar
III the dreamy Italian landscape raj
below aud beyond them.
Just In trout OF them yAuasd th,