The Washington times., 1913-01-24

- ORDEAUA led the way his tall,
x graceful figure strobe on so
IL swiftly that Mariposa was
forced into a run TO keep
up with him. / remember wondering
at the change in the man. l could not
reconcile him in my mind with tne
amusing, bombastic, voluble fellow OF
the island, or the writer of the poetic
charge to Mariposa. ] had looked upon
him at first as besotted lunatic, then
as a romantic dreamer: but now he i'm
pressed me as a real man OF action
These were the fiashings of momen-
tary impression. for anxiety oyercame
all definite thought as we came into the
village. At our appearance on the Deach
a man who had been standing listening
to the cries up the glen looked around
and saw us. He was carrying lantern.
Stop" he roared. And as he ad-
yanced upon US he cried out at the top
OF his lungs: Hay, Dugald! lain!
Donald"
That was as many as he summoned
to his help, for ] felled him to the
gravel with my fist.
Good said Bordeaux. Come on!
He broke into a long trot, and swung
away to the left, with Mariposa and /
at his heels. The bit of beach abruptly
ended in a pile of barren rocks. Over
these we scrambled and found ourselves
ciawing our way along a pecipitous
mountain, with the waters of the strait
gurgling and washing few feet be-
low U.S.
But where were we going? 1t seemed
as il we had failed to reach the sail
boat. which / supposed must have been
beached at the landing place. and that
we were again running for our lives on
the dreary. barren mountains. Ny heart
bled to hear the painful sobbing Of my
poor lass breath as she strove to keep
the pace. l flung an arm around her.
meaning TO help, but she threw 1t off
.mpatiently.
mai II hinders! she gasped.
And, in sooth, II would have done so,
for so steep was the decline of the
mountain that ] could hardly keep my
feet, let alone help Mariposa. One need
ed plenty. Of room to claw and grab,
and, linked together, We might have
fallen into the Kyles with the loosened
stones that clattered down and sank
into the depths.
: Presently we came 10 the base of
deep furrow that ranifrom between two
peaks to the sea, ending in a waterfall,
which had worn a miniature cove in the
steep coast. We had approached il at
the only accessible point, where the hill
side shelyed inward TO the ice-fringed
verge. On the other side. the fall had
undermined the earth, until repeated
Iandstdes had left only a sheer preci-
pice of scaly stone. The waterfall Itself
was frozen nearly solid. / remember
how the rigid foam OF il seemed carved
out of snow, through which the un-
frozen water ran. bubbling and kissing.
lighting and changing into beautiful
colors as the moonlight touched II.
Bur more beautiful than natural won-
ders. at that moment was Bordeaux's
sail boat. There IL lay as still, on the
black water. as II Il had been frozen,
and moored by hoar-painted rope to
gIistening boulder.
Quick" said Bordeaux, pointing to
the boat Cast OF. Draw her in. |
Laddy, get In and put oars In row.
locks"
/ did as he said The rope was SO |
stiff that II creaked and wheezed as |
pulled and bent IL behind me. Mariposa |
feaped into the little craft, crawled TO |
the stern and there flung herself pant |
ing, upon the seat. j got in after her. |
found the rowiock pins. adjusted the |
oars and turned to look at Bordeaux 1
He was lying fun length on the shelving /
Of the. cove. and peering along the !