Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-05

but L suspected they were the party
who had been with re the day, before
1 watched them fen some time. Aft
er awhile / saw one of the men stroll
away around snow covered rock,
where he was screened from the 9th
ers, and look over cliff. Then he
went part of the way back and, 1 fan
cied, called-of course l could not hear
him-to the other man. for the latter
went around the rock and joined him.
and the two stood on the edge of the
cliff together looking over. Suddenly
saw one figure behind the other and
the front one fall over the cliff.
There was a steep incline at the
cliffs base of hard snow. The mo-
ment the figure that had fallen struck
this snow / saw him glance, then shoot
down on the surface. He passed be
hind a peak. and when he again ap-
peared 1 saw him still sliding. Then
he slid around a bend and disappeared.
AS soon as / was convinced that !
should not see him again l turned my
glass back to the other figure. He was
running toward the woman. When he
reached her there was a pantomime
which indicated he was telling her
that the other man had fallen over the
cliff. But / knew very well that he
had pushed his friend-or' enemy, as
the case might be-over. While !
could not distinguish the woman's fea-
lures, I knew by her motions that she
was terribly moved by the tragedy.
She went with the remaining man to
the cliff, and the two seemed to be
looking down at its base to see if they
could get a glimpse of their compan-
ion. Then they turned away and de
seconded the mountain.
l was satisfied that one Of the men
had pushed the other over the cliff
and that they were Wallace and lie
Verian, though l could not tell which
was the victim. I knew full well that
the matter would soon be reported and
resolved to keep my own counsel, Gu
rious to know in what form the trag-
edy would be made known.
The same night l heard that terri
bic accident had happened to a young
American stopping at the j. hotel.
1 went there and got the story from
the concierge. he said that while
Mr. Wallace. an American. was look
ing ever Il cliff q crust Of snow had
fallen 100 feet to the bottom. He had
doubtless been killed A party was be-
ing made up to so the next day to look
for his body
Making further Inquiries. I learned
that he had gone up the mountain side
with Jean lie Verian, Partisan, and
a Miss Clark of Philadelphia. While
1 was permitting people to tell me
about what I knew much more than
they, LIE Verian passed me. He looked
very somber, as one might be expected
to appear who had witnessed the tras-
edy he had reported. i tried to de-
tect the look Of villain in his face,
but failed Either he was not guilty,
as I supposed. or he carried the con
seriousness of his guilt so well that II
would not betray him.
The next morning I Joined the party
that set out to find Wallace's body, my
object being to follow. IL possible, the
QUITE he would be forced over and 10
determine whether he could have eS
raped with his life. Having reached
The bottom of the cliff. the party were
surprised to find no traces of the body.
and we all followed the incline to the
point where it had disappeared from
my view A short distance beyond
this there was a fork lin the possible
route. one branch leading to a gradual
rise. upon attaining Which he would