Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-04-23
CHAPTER lV-continued.

CHAPTER iV-Continued.
Surveying the great range she won
dered where the peak climbers might
be- Keen sighted though she was. she
could not discover them. The crest
that they were attempting lay in an
other direction hidden by a nearer
spur. She was in the very heart OF
the mountains; peaks and ridges rose
all about her, SO much so that the ger
eral direction Of the great range was
lost She was at the center OF far
flung cocavity of crest and range. She
marked one towering point to the right
of her that rose massively grand above
all the others. Tomorrow she would
climb to that high point and from its
lofty elevations look upon the beav-
Ems above and the earth beneath.
aye and the waters under the earth
far below Tomorrow,-it is gen
orally known that We do not usually
attempt the high points in lies range
at once, content are we with low er al
titudes today.
There was no sound above her; the
rushing water over the rocks upon
the nearer side she could hear faint
ly; there was no wind about her to stir
the long needles of the pines. 1t was
very still, the kind OF a stiffness of
body which is the outward and visible
complement of that stiffness of the
soul in which men know God. There
had been no earthquake. no storm.
the mountains had not heaved beneath
her feet, the great and strong wind
had not passed by, the rocks had not
been rent and broken, yet Enid caught
herself listening as IL for voice. The
thrill of majesty. silence. loneliness
was upon her. She stood-one stands
when there is a chance OF meeting
God on the way, one does not kneel
until he comes-with her raised hands
clasped, her head uplifted in exulta-
ton unspeakable, God-conquered with
her face to heaven upturned.
II will lift up mine eyes to the
hills whence cometh my salvation"
her heart sang voicelessly. I'VE praise
thee, oh, God, we magnify thy holy
name forever" hoated through her
brain, in great appreciation of the
marvellous work of the Almighty shap-
ing master hand. Caught up as 1t
were into the heavens, her soul leaped
to meet it's maker. Thinking to find
God she waited there on the heaven
kissing hill.
How long she stayed she did not
~
did not occur to her even to look at
the watch on her wrist. she had swept
the skyline cut off as 1t were by the
peaks when first she came, and when
at last she turned away-even divin-
est moments must have an end-she
looked not backward. She saw not a
little cloud hid on the horizon behind
the rampant of the ages, as 1t were.
no bigger than q mans hand a cloud
full of portent and which would alarm
greatly the veteran Kirkby in the
camp and Maitland on the mountain
top. Both of them unfortunately were
unable to see 1t, one being o. the
other side of the range, and the other
deep In the canon, and for both OF
them as for the girl the sun still
shone brightly.
The declivity to the river on the
upper side was comparatively easy
and Enid Maitland went slowly and
thoughtfully down to 1t until she
reached the young torrent. She got
her tackle ready, but did no casting
as she made her way slowly up the
ever narrowing. ever rising canon
She was charmed aud thrilled by the
wild beauty of the way, the spell OF
the mountains was deep upon her
Thoughtfully she wandered on unit
presently she came to another little
amphitheater like that where the
camp was pitched. only smaller
Strange TO say, the brook or river
here broadened in a little pool per
haps twenty feet across: turn had
thrown a full force Of water against
the huge boulder wall and in ages
of effort a giant cup had been hol
lowed out OF the native rock. The
pool was perhaps four or five feet
deep. the rocky bottom worn smooth
The clearing was upon the. opposite
Slue ana the nanhS were heavily
wooded beyond the spur of the roch
which formed the back of TIE pool
She could see the trout in it She
made ready TO try her fortune. but
before she did so an idea came &c
her-da-mg. unconventional. extraor
binary. begot of innocence and mex
perience.
The water of course vas very cold
but she had been accustomed all heI
life to taking bath at the natural
temperature OF the water at whateveI
season. She knew that the only PEG
pie In that wilderness were the mem
hers of her own party. three OF then
we're at the camp below; the others
were ascending mountain miles
away. The canon was deep sunk. and
she satisfied herself by careful obser
vation that the pool was not over
looked by any elevations far or near
Her additions in common with
those Of the rest OF the campers had
been by piecemeal of necessity. Here
was an opportunity for a plunge In q
natural bath tub. She was as certain
that she would be under no observa
ton as II she Eere in the privacy Of
her own chamber Here again impulse