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

to their feet, and here and there yvere
crevices coated with bright yellow sui.
phur and giving forth hot fumes of
nauseating gas.
"Whew!' exclaimed Harry, with a
disgusted face. II can't stand this
long! Let's"
lie was interrupted by a hollow roar
from the volcanic depths, like the dis
charge of ships broadside. A shower
OF red hot stones flew upward, to fall
back again into the crater. while q
cloud of black smoke drifted away
against the blue sky. The boys had
started back, and were good deal
shaken.
Lets hurry round the thing, and
then so down." said Dick. 81 never
thought of its being so awful, did
you?'
They cautiously circled the great pit
carefully avoiding the steaming cracks
in their path, and then paused for a
last look.
wouldn't it be horrible to tumble
ln! shuddered Dick, as they crept a
little nearer the edge and peered down
into the black, steaming depths.
They say an Engl.shman went
down a few years ago" said Bob.
He got too near and-Dick! Dick!
Come back~ he screamed, springlng
backward, with Harry beside him.
Dick was little in advance of the
others. AS Crothers spoke, crack
appeared in the Stag, and a moment
later, just as Dick started to his feet,
a section of. the edge crumbled down
ward, carrying the boy with it. His
two companions gazed at each other
with blanched faces. 1t was too awful
to be believed. A moment ago there
were three of them, talking merrily
enough; now-now thee were but two!
"What-what shall we do?" gasped
the trembling Harry. 30 Bob, he's
gone, he's gonew
At that instant a faint voice was
heard as If from somewhere far away.
Harry! Harry! Bobp
The two boys dropped fiat on the
earth and wriggled to the edge Of the
crater. There, some twenty feet be-
low them, they saw their comrade. He
had fallen on his back, and gllded
helplessly downward with the mass
of loose ash until his feet touched
layer of the underlying karGened lava,
on the very brink of the sheer precipice
which formed the real crater.
Digging his heels in, he had sue
ceeded in Gr1esting his progress, and
lay there with upturncd face, knees
slightly bent-he dared not straighten
out his legs-and outstrctched hands
clutching the Stag on each side. The
loose ash almost covered his hair, mis-
hands and his feet.
Hold on tight, Dickw screamed
Harry, hardly knowing what he said.
We'll get you out. Hold on for your
lifer
Dick heard the voice of his friend
calling TO him. although lie could see
nothing but the opposite wall of the
crater, the ascending steam, and
piece of blue sky above. He closed
his eyes as he hung there within six
inches of horrible death, and nerved
himself to wait After a pause the
voice came again:
"Bob has gone for help. must keep
back from the edge, for fear it will
crumble agnin. Hold on with all your
might, old fellow 1t will only be a
few minutes!'
The air was filled with slckening
fumes of sulphur, and the hot sun
beat down pltllessly on Dicks white,
upturncd face. To keep his senses. he
tried to imagine himself on the green
banks of a certain trout-brook in
Maine; then he repeated, without mov-
ing his lips, the multiplication table;
after that the twenty-third Psalm,
which he had learned as a child.
Just as he reached "the valley of the
shadow OF DEATH" he heard an in
creased rumbllng in the volcano, far
below him. A new terror beset him.
Tie crater was about to belch forth
volcy of stones again. Would the
concusslon shake him from his POSI-
ton?
"I-I--wlll f-fear no evilv stam-
mercd poor Dick, in whisper.
Then the crash came, and the column
Of black smoke rolled upward. He
was indeed In tho Shadow of deathv
The stones ratified sharply against the
rocks round him, and fragments of Stag
slid past, disappearing in the abyss
Sti.l the projection against which his
heels rested did not give way. Half-
suffocated with nauseous gases, his
limbs crsmped and aching, he grlmly
held Oh.
Meanwhile Bob Crothers tore down
the path TO the hut, where he found the
guides half asleep.
When the white-fnced lad came rush
Ing among them, they listened at first
sulkily enough; but as soon as they
understood the real nature of the catas
trophe they sprang to their feet, and
sna,ching a coll OF rope from a hook,
hurried up the cone, headed by Bob.
"Dick, my dear old fellowp' 1t was
Bob's voice, and 1t came just in time
to rouse the boy from the stupor to
which he was fast succumbing.
"Yes~ replied Dick, feebly.
"We're going to throw you a rope
With running moose at the end.
| When give the word, you stick your
arm through the moose, quick, and grab
! the rope with both bandsv'
"I-I don't know whether can hold
onl' trcmblcd Dick.