The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1909-11-05
CHAPTER Xxx.
A Climb Of Danger.


Grant and Captain Marriott were In
me cabin. but the sliding door at one
end, which was opened. communicated
with the little engine hatch, which
vas only half rooted.
Suddenly Dietrich put his head in
through the doorway. I'm about to
stop the engines" he said, in a low
voice. please go quietly out on deck
and stand BY to make fast. You. sir"
be nodded to the sailor, will find a
long painter in the bows. There is a
sheer wall of rock going down into
the river and plenty of water. In the
rock. about three feet above the water,
there are two iron rings, about the
distance from our bow to starhoard.
There was once ferry up there
across the river in the old days, and
the rings. though rusty and ancient
will still hold us. If you will make
fast on the bows and fend her off as
We come up | will look up the star
and rope. for we cannot anchor here;
nor would it be wise if, as is probable,
We must get away in hurry and
without the slightest noise"
He disappeared from the doorway.
The hEmming noise of the electric mo-
tor suddenly ceased, while the boat
glided on by its own momentum.
Basil was up on deck in a moment
with the painter in his hand, and
Grant, who followed him, and ad-
mired the extraordinary swiftness and
noiseless dexterity with which the
naval officer held the painter and
tended off the bows of the boat from
a sheer wall Of rock which rose, black
er than the surrounding night, for six
ty feet above them.
Light match very quietly" Basil
whispered to Grant; Shield it with
your hands. and throw the light upon
the wall of the rock"
Grant did so, and almost immedi-
Ately sigh Of relief came from Basil
as he found the rusty iron ring, passed
the painter through it, and secured 1t
In a halfhitch mOoring knot with the
uuickness of a conjuring trick.
Almost at the same time Dietrich
had found the other ring, which the
Steward had dropped over the tenders
Of twisted oakum, and the launch was
securely moored against the swift tide
which bore down upon the starboard.
1t was dark, almost pitch-dark,
though far away upon the heights of
the opposite HILL where the Schloss of
the Archduke was, summer lightnings
nuivered with uncertain amethyst
light and shadow over the crowning
buildings of the hill
The three men stood together upon
deck.
BY stretching out their hands they
could touch the sheer wall Of granite
which rose above them to such a
drowning height.
Basil went over to the port side OF
the launch, and the advantage given
him by the eight-foot beam showed
him that above the natural precipice
was the towering wall Of the outside
Notifications, a relic Of the Middle
Ages, when the rulers Of Wohlau
Landskrona lived secure in their
strongholds amid all the dangers and
perils of the time.
Grant and the engineer joined him
and Grant looked up also. He shud
dered as he did so. do you mean tC
say. BASIL" he asked. that we have
got to go up that?"
why, Of course" the sailor replied
In whisper of amazement. When
the rope ladder comes down 1t will be
easy enough"
To the sailor the ascent of, perhaps
some sixty-tive feet of sheer precipice
while upon a swinging ladder of coli
and ash-wood seemed an easy thing
enough, but to the great athlete, al
unaccustomed as he was to such peril
Gus climbs, the enterprise seemed one
almost of madness.
He said nothing, however. He was
embarked upon this adventure. ant
he stood to win ali that he held dear
~ life In carrying it out to a successful
conclusion. and come what might. LEI
whatever fear possess him, he wa:
determined not to fail. Nevertheless
lhe re6ected softly TO himself and al
most with humorous smile upon his
49,. how the varied dangers of life
enpeared to diEsrent men. At an,
~. where Basil Marriott led. hs
worn foIlow-if It we're to death 1t
NJ