The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-12

E & H ther and Goldie, the guide, N~ had ridden into the snug little valley that evening and pitched their tents by the side of the rushing mountain stream-the boys were de- lighted to find that they were not exhausted from the long day in the saddle, as had been the case hereto fore.
 Perhaps 1t was because they had become more accustomed to riding, or maybe it was the result of living in the pure mountain air. At all events, after supper was over, they gathered round the big, roaring camp-fire that Goldie and MT. Ham, ilton had built and, stretched out on their blankets, felt themselves at peace with the world and all that dwelt therein.
 The waves of heat that poured out upon them were comfortable, for the night was rapidly becoming chill, as is always the case in high attitudes. The bright flames, against their back ground of deep black, with only the bright stars overhead to relieve it, was cheerful and--and-well, just the right setting in which to listen to story.
 And Goldie seemed to be conscious of that fact for, pulling away at his pipe and staring dreamily into the fire. he recalled many incidents of former trips he had made with MT. Hamil- ton and other sportsmen into the wilds. Now it was an encounter with a bear, now a fight in a den of snakes or maybe, so simple yet interesting an incident as the crossing of a swol len ford.
 The boys were spellbound. Good ness, what a privilege it was to lie there and listen to this man of the woods and the mountains tell of his life--and how they would make the other fellows eyes glisten when they returned home and told them his stories!
 On and on Goldie rambled, with Mir Hamilton occasionally joining in with a story or an experience. Final- ly a silence fell upon the group, bro- ken only by the cracking and sput- tering of the blazing logs or a night sound of Nature from beyond the cir cle of light
 "Tomorrow, said Goldie presently, and fin voice strangely low and vii brant tomorrow we'll go through Devil Gap"
 'That's so," said Mir Hamilton And we'll give these two youngsters a taste of what it feels like to ride along trail two feet wide with the solid mountain on one side and a sheer drop of thousand feet on the other, straight down. won't we, Goldie?"
 The guide looked long and earnest 1y at MT. Hamilton and, though the boys did not see it, his right eyelid contracted slowly and meaningly over the pupil and then suddenly popped up again. revealing a queer little twinkle and a message.
 "Yes, yes" said Goldie sadly and with. a long drawn-out sigh, and hate to think about it. Why Mr. Hamilton, it's been ten years since I've been over that trail. And I bet there isn't another trail anywhere's s around here that I don't cross two dozen times a season. But - but somehow I haven't been able to go along that one for-for-darn 1t, I'll be blubberin' like a woman in a min- ute!"
 Hal and Jack sat up simultaneously and stared at the guide who had bowed his head on his knees and seemed to be shaking with sobs.
 "Why-why Goldie," said MT. Hamilton in a tone that conveyed both sympathy and surprise, what is the matter-don't you want to go over it?"
 "That's-thats all right. MT. Hamil- ton" answered Goldie in husky voice, "but tits a sad, sad story"
 Jack and Hal were so still that it scarcely seemed they could be breath ing.
 Mir. Hamilton sighed sympatheti- cally and looked mournfully into the fva