Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-08-21
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top OF the Shoulder. stored with pro-
visions for climbers. In a few min.
utes we shall be sitting wrapped In
| blankets before a blazing fire."
The two men stopped for a moment.
painting, watching the woman behind
them toiling up the slippery slope.
, All three were roped together. and
the woman the last.
! Come. let us proceed the speak
er continued. Take care. II Is very
| dangerous here. Look down. One
false step would precipitate one down
this Icy slope to the verge OF the prect-
piee--and then sheer for 5000 feet into
the valley below" .
Take care Miss Summers does not
hear you. Frank" said the second man.
frowning. Your imaginatioRs are
grewsome. Besides, you are forget.
ting the rope"
/ All. yes, the rope. had forgot
ten. Besides. my dear Claude. grew
some imasinations are all that are left
to a rejected sutton"
+ They advanced slowly, digging their
iron-pronged sticks into the slippery
ice. Presently the first man stopped
again and seated himself The rope
grew slack.
! Come. pull us in" Claude shouted.
Il can't move an inch with Miss Sum
mers behind me-"
His companion laughed and drew
knife from his coat. With a furious
gesture he cut the rope.
Curse you" he shouted, furiously.
Now pull and see II you can reach the
top"
I A scream broke from the wOmans
lips. Claude did not answer. but
, pulled with all HIS strength TIL the
veins stood out upon his forehead like
cords. He gained yard. two yards;
then slipped and went slipping down
I the precipice. The woman had dis
appeared from view. yet the rope was
taut; so long as he remained even
on the very edge Of that precipitous
With bleeding nails he clawed at the
ice. and at last dug himself q pre-
ca-ious hold and lay prone upon his
! face with arms extended. :.
Frank. for Gods sake-for Isabels
sake. Pull her In at least. and ding
me over"
No. no. my dear boy" cried the
mailman, nocktng!r. You are making
too fine a fight; shall sit here and
drink to you" He vanished into the
hut and presently emerged with q bot
tie of brandy, from which he began
gulping great mouthfuls. You fools,
| he continued. Did you think that l
would Yield her to you SO peaceably?
She was mine. tell you. mine. before
you stole her, curse you"
Hhe brandished the knife wildly.
The setting sun lit up his distorted
features.
! "Oh, don't be afraid" he Knocked II
am not going to kill you. Claude. l
| would like to safe you. 1t is always
the woman who is to blame. Here,
take the knife" he shouted, flinging
it at his companions feet. WITHOUT her
| weight you can easily make the
ascent. Cut the rope like a brave
| man, and come up and drink confu-
sion to women"
} The sun went down: darkness
! rushed over the mountains. The neon
flooded them In her silver light,
and It grew bright as day once more.
| The cold was intense.
Minutes rolled into hours. The
tatints Of the mailman died away into
drunken babblings, and finally he re-
: malned silent Meanwhile. inch by
inch they lost their. foothoid: and
Claude slid from one desperate grip
to another. Sometimes they called,
one to another.
Cut the rope. dear" she said at
last. 1T is your only chance; you
must not sacrifice your life for mine. y"
They said good-by many a time: and
always new hope animated the man
as he struggled and fought against
the inevitable.
At last, with q sudden WEAKNESS. he
yielded. The dark. edge OF the preci-
pice appeared; his body hung half
| Overland then his hands closed over
! q rock from which the woman. In her
fall, had dislodged the snow With q
last effort he looped the rope over It.
| II bore them. 49,. 3.
That last fight was only q night.
mare to them both afte-ward. Inch
by inch. with infinite care. he drew
the rope through. his bleeding hands.
making loop after loop, around The
rock, until. with one last effort, be
pulled her TO the surface. and they
lay side by side in safety. The val
legs still lay wrapped In darkness. but
the tops Of the mountains were red
with the rising sun. Presently its glow
Ing orb rose slowly into. the sky. II
sAone on the dead nan. frozen fast 70