The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-08-10
cHApTEM 1.
The Tragedy.

NY feet touched the narrow ledge
was safe. But Willoughby? Brave
WiIloughby?
tried to call to him. No sound
came from my lips. was too ex-
hausted. The last atom of strength
was spent. For the moment l was
paralyzed--body and mind. l could
only lean helpless against the noun
tainside, gasping for breath. And al
most Immediately Willoughby's voice
came, quite cheerfully. quite steadily:
IAN right? Bully for you. Look
out. here's the rope. Now II have
decent luck. Be ready to bear . hand"
Again tried to cry out, to warn him.
II he would walt five minutes, three
minutes, one minute, might be my
self again Still no sound came from
my frozen lips.
The rope fiuttered over the over
hang. 1t struck the icy ledge of the
jutting rock to which chung. Then
slowly 1t fell over Auntil 1t swayed
loosely IN the wind: still suspended
from my body.
did not attempt to draw it in I
was too exhausted for an exertion so
slight as that. 1t swayed gently to
and fro. and It seemed to me that
presently an unseen force would grasp
1t and pull me headlong to destruction
to the glacier below. In the mean
while Willoughby was started.
Now ! dared not cry out l could
only look up and wait. still struggling
1ierceIy for my breath. But If I had
been too exhausted to warn HIM, to un-
8asten that rope from my waist, how
was I to give him the assistance he
would surely need presently
A stone fell. and then another. as he
Fought for a foothold. could hear
him breathing deeply. though as yet
could not see him. I stood rigid. look
ing upward. prey to such fears. to
such terrors as no man can imagine.
Now he came slowly into sight, his
feet feeling with infinite caution. TIE
difficulties Of the descent were appall-
ing. Even for me, supported by the
rope held by Willoughby from above.
they had been all but impossible. VIII
loughby was no amateur: but without
assistance-no, could not hope to
save him. It must be death for US
both. But. and this was the agonizing
thought. when the crisis came. would
the awful stimulus release my impris-
.ored will? Or would horror stfli hold
me?
And still he came. could almost
touch him now. He was actually near
me-and then, what had feared, what
1 had known must happen, did happen.
His feet lost their foothold. He was
hanging by his arms over the ragged,
blue-green glacier that yawned to re-
ceiye him thousand feet below.
A moment be struggled frantically.
Then he hung absolutely still.
Can you reach me?" he painted.
"Brace yourself and reach me II you
can. But be quick"
/ did not move. was not afraid to
die with him, though the world has re-
fused to believe me- I did not move
because l could not. Horror for the
moment bereft me Of my very reason
to think and act. My will was frozen
My brain was numb.
Then the nightmare passed. Sud-
denly wa; calm. / took in deep
breath. braced myself against the
grim cliff for the shock as he should
fall into my outstretched arms.
But at that instant wilioughby
quietly loosened his bold-even while
1 gathered all my poor strength for
that last tight: and before he per-
ished he cried one word, without pas
sion, without despair:
Coward"
His body brushed my own as 1t fell
/ heard 1t strike brutally the glacier
below. Then there was stiffness.
He was dead, and lived
The stiffness was awfuI-and soli-
tude still more awfui--vast. savage.
and frozen. and always the wilderness
OF the eternal SHOWS. And tten dark
ness came.
Hours later guides found me still
lying there. I saw them scraribling
toward me. l gazed at them stIpidly.
fndifferently. When they called did
not answer. They bore me back to
the Alpine village we had left the day
before. There were black nights Of
delirium. And in my delirium cried:
Il might have saved him. I am =
murderer. He died cursing me a. .
coward"
And 20 they judged me. When I
wss convalescent and crawled into the
& ~unsi,fne again II was too late to