The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1910-01-01
HIS INEyCUsABLE ACT
ax ANpREW 6. EWINc.

Va - 49,
Swiss Alps in August with my Uncle
George, both Of Us gazing up at a gla-
cier winding It's way to the valley. ]
noticed a sad look In his eye.
Doesn't the view i~nvigoraie you.
uncleY' I asked.
1--WE beer thinking. Billy" be re
piled.
~Of wbatT'
-Our contemplate natures"
knew my uncle was a pessimist.
Most old men are. I made no reply.
when I was your age" he contin-
ued. II gave way to a Weakness
good many weaknesses, but one cspe.
ciaIiy right here in these mountains.
AZ the time to have confessed 1t would
have been a strain on me. Now my
act seems nothing more than what
might be expected from a descendant
) Of that half brute. half savage, called
prehistoric man."
"But there are redeeming traits
81 wish I could see them in my
case"
well, tell your story. I'm sure you
have one to tell"
81 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 a great climb
er. while I preferred to look at the
mountains from a distance. as we are
doing now. The party I mention join
ed us here. Among them was a girl
of nineteen. and Bob fell In love with
her. Then he was called away to Par
is for awhile, and during his absence
I-weIl, I cut him out 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 a mental fever; but. strange
to say, 1t showed itself toward her
not at all to me. But I found out aft
erward that he didn't know what Ia
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 a trip as far up
the glacier as we could go between
daylight and dark. / didn't wish to
20. and | didn't like to refuse. To stay
behind with the girl had robbed him
of seemed to add to my contemplate
conduct. / consented to go.
1--WE started at A o'clock the next
morning, taking axes and a rope for
making difficult passages. We climbed
oyer those places that from here look
a trife rough up there-we found them
at times ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS on
our way till noon. Then we stopped
and ate our lunch, after which we
started to put in another hour on the
inward course before returning.
"Coming to a crevass perhaps six
feet across. we determined to jump II.
We fastened the rope about waists.
and Bob jumped first. The other side
was steep and somewhat soft, but Bob
after some stamping and cutting with
his ak got a foothold. Then jumped
and struck snow. / felt myself going
backward and tried to get a hold on
| DrOleCIllg ice Win NY IA NN
Bob saw what was coming and braced
himself for the shock. went over"
Another panied look came to the old
mans face.
''The rope held. Bob was dragged a
few feet and then got a frner foot
hold. but a precarious n There was
no possibility Of his pulling me up,
"a o@.otn continued I would
soon drag him over. We talked to-
gether about the prospect. he trying to
encourage me. | 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 u my knife
and, breathing a prayer that my soul
should be received In the other world,
cut the rope"
Another pause. l saw my uncle
shudder.
Il heard something between a shrek
and a groan from Bob. To my aston
isbment. | fell only about thirty feet
and landed in soft snow. / was buried
up to my armpits. OF course l called
ND to Bob that l was all right, M
shall never forget the Thank God!
1 heard him utter.
"Well, there l was, stuck In snow at
the bottom Of a c~revasse, with nc
means Of getting out. The rope wasn't
long enough by half to reach me. Bob
Of course was enabled to secure bis
own position, or. rather. to jump to
the other side of the He
jumped safely. and we held a parley-
There seemed nothing TO do but for
him to go down to the hotel for assist
ance and a rope. Fortunately some
one there was watching us through a
glass, saw the accident and met him
ON the way. In the middle of the aft
ernoon / was drawn up"
We sat for q few moments In silence,
, overwhelmed with the utter absence
Of consciousness on the part Of my
: uncle Of his heroism; then | said:
what did your friend say about
. your cutting the roper
"He never thought to examine tn,
! cut. He supposed the rope had bro
: ken"
"And didn't you tell him?"
mo. What was the useT"
Again | was lost in establishment.
? "And the girl?" l asked presently.