The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-01-17
A Race With a
Blind Man
Bv DONALD chamberlain

zerland to indulge his taste in this
respect. He climbed Mont Blame aud
other mountains and after becoming
accustomed to the sport did II good
deal Of t%ramping among them alone.
Being ut I.ncerne. lie concluded to
walk over the st. Gothard pass. Leav-
ing Lucerne. he proceeded by steam
boat on the Lake Of the -Four Can
tons to Fluelen, where lie began his
tramp. passing through .Altdorf. thence
winding up the road over which travel
| ers then passed by diligence. by even
| ing lie came to an inn ut which he con
cluded to pass the night. The land
lord answered his ut the
door and instead of welcoming him
etluSirely. after the custom of inn
keepers. greeted him with Il cold stare.
Delano asked to be lodged and WAS
invited in. The landlady. Il tidy body.
got up Il good supper for him, which he
ate alone. for there were no other
guests in the inn. The American Won
dercd ut this. for it was at the height
Of the season for mountain travel. Inc
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
Il poor living. but their appearance and
that of the lhostelry belied her words.
Everything about the place AS we'll as
their own appearance gave evidence of
prosperity.
After supper Delnn" to pass the time
engaged the landlord in conversation.
and the topic naturally fell OH noun
tain trAmpjny AMI climbing. DelAno
told the man Of the mountains he had
climbed and the tralnpS he had made.
mentioning having once crossed the
Brunig pass on Il wager In less time
than ii had ever been done before. AT
Of the mountain. At this the landlord
shrugged his shoulders and. fixing that
cold eye OF his on the stranger. III eye
: that %Scclrnal To look right through and
I,as1 him, said:
THE Rsunig is na pass for IL man in
go over. This or the Simplon is Il rlare
2 for one 10 show what he can do"
II Will show thai tomorrow"
The landlords face expressed con
tempt. You haven't the muscle for
, such work. Why. | kno Il man w!.u
: Is blind living a,,snt here who can gu
over this pass in less tim than yDu."
j. "a blind man.,
Z Yes: blind as IL. bat with the sun
s>hining in its eyes"
Ileiano was nettlel. He would like
| to punish the landlord for his conteInp-
tuens treatment. lAlt held his peace.
"'Sfnee You have won one bet on the
1srunis," the landlord continued. per
haps sou would like to win another Oh
: the st GotlEtiu."
with whom?'
"sMy friend the blind man,"
!. IDelano pursued the matter from GU
= riosity and presently found himself in
. a trap-that is, lie had made II net Of
!sN9 francs. or 500. that he could cross
: the p;lss quicker than "A man who
could mot see his way.
""lsut how shall the terms he arraIiy-
ed" he asked. I'VE seem to lie alone
here"
YOU start in the morning at ~
= O'clock and go to the Devils bridge.
[ will agree that our opponent shall
!; start from his home near here at the
Is satire hour and minute. You will meet
. HIM at the bridge. II ne beats you
i$hnHn hn uij1. rufiSf.- WI, that tlA,
terms ma !ls4en carried out honOrabIy.
will part mp with you the $40 francs:
e you ne+ai put up nothing"
There WIS something very strange
$ about al. this. and since Delano was
curious and seemed to risk nothing he
~assentei to- the terms. He went to
bed wondering what it meant and
when: he awake in the morning felt
that through some snare he would We
beaten out OF his money. but he pre-
, lferrei to lose the n,nOunt rather than
ttAck, out. The landIady served him u
gsxpl breakfast. aud the reckoning was
: very moderate. ): - :
At 10 O'CLOCK he said g0odby to the
Eeoupls and commenced his journey. He
walked briskly, but did not care to
stEainrhimself. on such an uncertainty.
The road was good except for 4 few
miles on the top Of the mountain.
where it was covered with SNOW. When
DelanO reached the goal--the DEVILS
bridge, al arch spanning a chasm-
he saw a man sitting OH u stone near
one end. A nearer view showed him
that hew was the landlord.
A:Who Is ity' asked the man ON the
stone. -
When I1elano replied he was recog-
nizei by his voice. II have won,"
said the other: II am the blind man."
He was the landlord Of the inn at
which Delano had spent the night.
The American remembered the cold
stare. as though the man were looking
through him. sa a.
He convinced Delano that he was
stone blind. and Delano paid the bet.
"NOw I see."' said the latter, 'hOw
you. make a living keeping an inn with
ont guests"
IL SAu.Ja <hnk ~.vo ,rhc 49, AVa-I o.-E-nT