Amador ledger., 1909-08-06
His IneJxcuSobie
=: Acf. ::
By ANDREW E. EWING

oWldS Alps III August WIFI my Dnclc
George, both Of us gazing up at a gla-
cier winding its way to the valley, !
noticed a sad look in his eye.
Doesn't the view invigorate you,
uncler' I asked.
1--WE been thinking, Billy" he re.
piled.
"Of whatY
Our contemplate natures"
knew my uncle was pesslmist.
Most old men are. made no reply.
when I was your age" he contln-
ued, II gave way to a weakness
good many weaknesses, but one espe-
eially right here in these mountains.
At the time to have confessed It would
have been a strain on me. Now my
act seems nothing more than what
might be expected from descendant
Of that half brute, half savage, called
prehistoric man."
"But there are redeeming traits"
81 wish could see them in my
case"
We'll. tell your story. I'm sure you
have one to tell"
Il was in this region with a party of
tourists. Bob Southwick. a classmate
of mine in college, had come over with
me, and we were doing these noun
tains on foot. Bob was great climb
er, while 1 preferred to look at the
mountains from a distance, as we are
doing now. The party l mention join
cd us here. Among them was a girl
of nineteen, and Bob fell in love with
her. Then lie was called away to Par
is for awhile. and during his absence
I-well, 1 cut him~eut with the girl"
My uncle paused and seemed to feel
again after an interval of forty years
the degradation of his act.
when George came back. as was to
be expected, there was conStraint be-
tween him and the girl. George SEEM
ed to be in Il mental fever; but, strange
to say, it showed itself toward her and
not at all to me. But found out aft
erward that he didn't know what I'd
been up to, and l hadn't the manliness
to tell him. At any rate, he was hot for
climbing and wanted me to go with
him. The very day after his return
he wanted me to make trip as far up
the glacier as we could go between
daylight and dark. 1 didn't wish to
60 and didn't like to refuse. To stay
behind with the girl 1 had robbed him
Of seemed to add to my contemplate
conduct. 1 consented to go:
1--WE started at o'clock the next
morning, taking axes and a rope for
making difficult passages. We climbed
over those places that from here look
a trifle rough up there-we found them
at times impassable-proceedinS on
eur way till noon. Then we stopped
and ate our lunch, after which we
started to put In another hour on the
upward course before returning.
Coming to a crevasse perhaps SIX
feet across, we determined to jump It.
We fastened the rope about our waists,
and Bob jumped first. The other side
was steep and somewhat soft, but Bob
after some stamping and cutting with
his ax got q foothold Then jumped
and struck snow felt myself going
backward and tried to get a hold on
projecting lee with my ak. L failed.
Bob saw what was coming and braced
himself for the shock. l went over"
Another panied look came to the old
mans face.
"The rope held. Bob was dragged
few feet and then got a firmer loot
hold, but precarious one. There was
no possibility Of his pulling me up,
and # the strain continued l would
soon drag him over. We talked TO-
gether about the prospect. he trying 70
encourage me. i knew l had to go to
the bottom and 1t depended upon me
whether or not l dragged Bob with
me. I'd done one mean act toward
him, and I couldn't bring myself to
drag him down with me, especially
when it wouldn't save me. l put my
hand in my pocket took out my knlte
and. breathing a prayer that my soul
should be received in the other world
cut the rope"
Another pause. saw my uncle
shudder.
Il heard something between a SHREK
and a groan from Bob. To my aston
ishment. | fell only about thirty feet
and landed in soft snow. | was buried
up to my armpits. OF course l called
up to Bob that | was all right. and
shall Gever forget the Thank God!
/ heard him utter
''Wen. there ] was. stuck in snow al
the bottom 81 crevasse, with nc
means of getting out. The rope wasn't
long enough by half to reach me. Boil
of course was enabled to secure his
own position, or. rather, to jump tc
the other side Of the crevasse. He
Jumped safely and we held parley
Tbara snannad nothing TO do but fOl