Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-08-05
BY Harold caaer.

top of the Shoulder stored with pro
visions for climbers. In few min
utes we shall be sitting wrapped in
blankets before blazing fire." ~
The two men stopped for 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
err continued. Take care. It is very
dangerous here. Look down One
false step would precipitate one down
this icy slope to the verge of the preai
! pice--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 imaginations are
grewsome, Besides, you are forge.-
ting the rope"
"Ah, yes, the rope | had forgot
ten Besides. my dear Claude, grew
some imaginations are all that are LETT
TO rejected sutton"
They advanced slowly, digging their
iron-proRged sticks into the slippery
ice. Presently the first man stopped
again and seated himself. The rope
grew slack
Come, pull us in" Claude shouted.
i cant move an inch with Miss Sum
mes behind me-"
Ills companion laughed and drew a
fYs ,F1a
4 gts ure he cut the rope.
Curse YOU he shouted, furiousk
Now pull and see If you can reach the
top"
A scream broke from the womans
| lips. Claude did not answer, but
pulled with all lis strength till the
veins stood out upon his forehead like
cords. He gained yard, two yards;
then slipped and went slipping down
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
Slide it would hold her securely.
| With bleeding nails he clawed at the
ice, and at last dug himself pre-
carious hold and lay prone upon his
face with arms extended.
Crank, for Gods sake-for IsabeIs
sake Pull her in at least, and fling
me over"
NO, no, my dear boy" cried the
Fmadman, mockingly You are making
too fine a fight; | shall sit here and
drink to YOU He vanished into the
hut and presently emerged with "a bot
tie of brandy, from which he began
gulping great mouthfuls. You FOOLS"
he continued. Did you think that |
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. r
am not going to kill you, Claude. l
would like to save you, 1t is always
the woman who is to blame. Here,
take the knife" he shouted, fiinging
it at his companions feet. Without her
weight you can easily make the
ascent Cut the rope like. brave
man, and come up and drink confu-
sion to women"
The sun went down. darkness
rushed over the mountains. The moon
flooded them in her silver light,
and it grew bright as day once more.
The cold was intense.
Minutes rolled into hours The
taunts Of the madr1an died away into
drunken babblings, and finally he re-
NAMED silent Meanwhile, inch by
inch they lost their foothold 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 NINE
They said good-by many time; and
always new hope animated the man
as he struggled and fought against
the inevitable.
At last, with sudden WEAKNESS, he
yielded The dark edge of the preci
pice appeared; his body hung half
overland then his hands closed over
rock from which the woman in her
fall, had dislodged the snow, With a
last effort he Topped the rope over it.
1t bore them
That last fight was .only a night
mare to them both afterward 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, he
pulled her to the surface, and they
lay side by side in safety. The val
leys 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. 1t
shone on the dead man, frozen fast to
tie ice in his drunken slumber; but
they looked into each others eyes in
ecstasy of life and love
OF Course You Recall II.
Remember the time you went walk
Ing with her down the river road that