The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-06-28
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THE SHADOW;
OF DEATH.
DON'T see why we need guides"
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

i the dark bulk of Vesuvius, from
the summit of which a few curls
Of smoke lazily foated 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
sible, and employing guides only when
it was absolutely necessary to do SO.
The three pedestrians were now seated
on the veranda of the Quisisana, at
Casteilammare, having just finished
breakfast.
"The path is plain enough on the
map" continued Harry, land l, for one,
don't care to have a 'Pietro' or 'Jaco-
po' tagging after me all the way up
"It looks like the beginning of clear
day." said Bob Crothers. refectively.
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 extricat-
ed it. Harry, in either case, simply
uelpSu 10TH udJOlilS.
Two hours later the trio started out
from LA Maison Blanche" small
inn at the foot of the mountain, and
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 drearily desolate that by de-
grees the gay talk and laughter of the
boys languished.
They had climbed the Mount Wash
ington bridle-path the year before, but
how different were their surroundings
now! IN place of balsam frs. dancing
brooks, mossy 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 nightmare" exclaimed
Harry, breaking a long silence, during
which they had been plodding onward
and upward. "rd give something for
4 drink Of New Hampshire spring wa
ter!w
II suppose" observed Bob, "the
moon looks something like this when
you. get there. Just burned-out,
cooled-off, dried-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 were, 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 discussion as to the
method of completing the ascent. Dick
was for continuing on foot, following
the tricks of the regular porters up
through the knee-deep ashy dust which
covers the steep sides of the cone.
Crothers, however, advocated taking
the car.
'It's of no use to lire ourselves all
out" be said, "wading through tha:
stuff up a slope like the roof Of d house.
It's all right coming down, but if you
fellows ever tried to climb hill with
two feet of snow on it, you know how
it feels. And it's hot, too."
Harry sided with Bob, and the three
were soon ~eated comfortably in the
little car, gliding upward along the
rails Of the funicular.
Near the upper terminus of the rail
way there was a cabin, where mum
ber of guides were waiting to conduct
tourists to the edge Of the crater
They pounced upon the boys eagerly
'No. nor said Harry in English, siak'
ing off me OF his tormentors. INC
guide for US! We 60 alone-see?"
One .-ord alone was ineligible tc
the Italian, the last, which he under
stood as 'si'' Ges), and affairs grew
still more complicated. At last Bob
who knew little Italian, saiG firmly:
"Andate pei fatti vostri" 60 about
your 5usiness); adding, "Faremo q
modo nostro" eve shall. do as we
please), ind pushing through the
screaming circle, he led tie way uI
the path.
The guides sullenly fell back and
gave up he contest, muttering ex
pletives in the Neapolitan patols
which fortunately the Americans coulC
not understand.
Bob Crothers told me long after
wards that he had not taken q dozer
steps when he felt a sudden misgiv
ing, and halted irresolutely. After all
would it not be better to take an ex
perienced guide? # he had onl!
obeyed his premonition of danger! bu
Dick bounded up ahead, shouting
"Come on, fellows! We've got clear Of
them at last, and we're going to have
the time of our lives"
So the lads kept on, up the steer
ascent, until they stood on the small
irregular plateau forming the SUNNI
OF Vesuyius.