The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-04-17
A Race With a
Blind Man
By DONALD CHAMBERLAIN

Long ago before the railroad tunnel
was dug under the st. Gothard pass
and travellers must so on the mountain
instead Of beneath it Walter Delano.
a young American who had fancy
for mountain climbing, went to Swift
zerand to indulge his taste in this
respect. EIe climbed Mont Blanc and
other mountains and after becoming
accustomed to the sport did good
deal of tramping among them alone.
Being at Lucerne. he concluded to
walk over the st. Gothard pass. Leav-
ing Lucerne, lie proceeded by steam
boat on the Lake Of the Four Can
tons to Fluelen. where he began his
tramp. passing through Altdorf, thence
winding up the road over which travel.
ers then passed by diligence. Ry even
| ing he came to an inn at which he con-
Guided to pass the night The land
| lord answered his summons at the
door and instead Of welcoming him
effusively. after the custom OF inn
hCCpClo, NiCCtSu IIll WI IL Il Noltl SlOlS.
Delano asked to be lodged and was
invited in. The landlady. tidy body.
got up a good supper for him. which he
ate alone. for there were no other
guests in the inn. The American Won
dered Mt this, for it was at the height
of the season for mountain travel The
landlady explained to him that there
was little or no foot travel over the
pass and that there was no occasion
for those going by diligence to stop
with them.
"How, then. do you make a living
here?" asked Delano. ...
The woman said that they made but
a poor living. but their appearance and
that Of the hostelry beIied her words
Everything about the place as we'll as
their own appearance gave evidence Of
prosperity. 7'
After supper DeIano to pass the time
engaged the landlord in CONVERSE ton,
and the topic naturally fell on noun
tain tramping and climbing. Delano
lOlu tuC lIuA VI luC liz uAu
climbed and the tramps he had made.
mentioning having once crossed the
Brunig pass on q wager In less time
than it had ever been done before At
least so said those living on both sides
Of the mountain. At this the landlord
shrugged his shoulders and, fixing that
cold eye Of his on the stranger, an eye
that seemed to look right through and
past him. said
"The Brunig is no pass for man to
go over. This or the Simplon is a place
for one to show what he can do"
II will show that tomorrow
The landlords face expressed con
tempt. You haven't the muscle for
such work. Why, know 4 man who
Is blind living about here who can 90
over this pass in less time than you.''
"a blind man!'
yes: blind as a bat with the sun
shining in it's eyes,
DelanO was nettled. He would like
to punish the landlord for his contemp-
tuous treatment, but held his peace.
"Since you have won one bet on the
Brunig," the landlord continued, per
haps you would like to win another on
the st. Gotlnrd."
with whom?"
"My friend the blind man."
Delano pursued the matter from Gu
nosity and presently found himself in
trap-that is, he had made bet Of
500 francs, or 500, that he could cross
the pass quicker than a man who
could not see his way.
"But how shall the terms be arrang-
edo" he asked. eve seem to he alone
here
'''You start in the morning at 10
o'clock and go to the Devils bridge.
will agree that your opponent shall
start from his home near here at the
same hour and minute. You will meet
him at the bridge. If he beats you
there he will satisfy you that the
terms have been carried out honorably.
| will put up with you the 500 francs;
you need put up nothing"
There was something very strange
about all this, and since Delano was
curious and seemed to risk nothing he
assented to the terms. He went to
bed wondering what 1t meant and
when he awoke in the morning felt
that through some snare he would be
beaten out Of his money. but he pre-
ferred to lose the amount rather than
back out The landlady served him a
good breakfast, and the reckoning was
very moderate.
At 10 o'clock he said goodby to the
couple and commenced bis journey. He
walked briskly, but did not care to
strain himself on such an uncertainty.
The road was good except for a few
miles on the top Of the mountain,
where it was covered with snow. When
Delano reached the goal-the Devils
bridge, an arch spanning a chasm
he saw a man sitting on stone near
enc end. A nearer view showed him
that he was the landlord.
"Who is it?' asked the man on the
stone.
When Delano replied he was recog-
nized by his voice. II have won,"
said the other. Il am the blind man"
He was the landlord of the inn at
which Delano had spent the night.
The American remembered the cold