Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-05-04
you're some bean, some bear"

those heel holes deeper so can heave
you up"
Smokes heart warmed. Look here,
Carson; the thing for you to do is to
cut the rope. You can never get me
up, and there's no use both Of us be.
ing lost You can make It out with
your knife"
-"You shut upr' was the hurt retort
"Who's running this?"
And Smoke could not help but see
that anger was a good restorative for
the others nerves. As for himself, Il
was the more nerve racking strain,
lying plastered against the ice with
nothing to do but strive to stick on.
A groan and q quick cry Of "Hold
our' warned him. With face pressed
against the ice he made a supreme
sticking effort, felt the rope slacken
and knew Carson was slipping toward
him. BE did not dare look up until
he felt the rope tighten and knew the
other had again come to rest.
"Gee, that was q near gor Carson
chattered. II came down over yard.
Now, you wait. I've got to dig new
holds"
Holding the few pounds Of strain
necessary for Smoke with bis left
hand, the little man jabbed and chop
ped at the ice with his right. Ten
minutes Of this passed
"Now, I'll tell you what Pve done. +"
Carson called down. "I've made heel
holds and hand holds for you along.
side of me. I'm going to heave the
rope In slow and easy, and you just
come along sticking and not too fast
III tell you what, first of all. I'll take
you on the rope, and you worry out Of
that pack. Get mer'
Smoke nodded, and with infinite care
unbuckled his pack straps. With a
wriggle Of the shoulders he dislodged
the pack. and Carson saw 1t slide over
the bulge and out of sight
'.Now. I'm going to ditch mine,' he
called down. "You just take 1t easy
and wait"
Five minutes later the upward strug
gle began. Smoke, after drying his
hands on the insides Of his arm sleeves,
clawed into the climb-bellied and
clung and stuck and plastered-sus,
tained and helped by the pull Of the
rope. Alone. he could not have ad.
vanced.
A third Of the way up. where the
pitch was sleeper and the ice less
eroded, he felt the strain on the rope
decreasing. He moved slower and
slower. Here was no place to stop and
remain. His most desperate effort
could not prevent the stop. and he
could feel the down slip beginning.
I'm going" he called up.
$50 am l." was the reply, grttted
through Carson's teeth.
Then cast loose"
Smoke felt the rope tauten In q fu-
tile effort; then the pace quickened, and
as he went past his previous lodgment
and over the bulge the last glimpse be
caught of Carson he was turned over,
with madly moving hands and feet
striving to overcome the downward
draw.
To Smokes surprise, as he went over
the bulge, there was no sheer fall. The
rope restrained him as he slid down a
sleeper pitch, which quickly eased un-
I'll he came to a halt In another niche
on the verge Of another bulge. Carson
was now out Of sight, ensconced In the
place previously occupied by Smoke.
"Geer' he could hear Carson shiver.
"Geer
An interval of quiet followed, and
then Smoke could feel the rope agi'
tatsd.
"What are you doing1" he called up.
"Making more hand and foot holds"
came the trembling answer. "You Just
wait I'll have you up here In 5iny.
Don't mind the way talk. I'm just
excited"
"You,re holding me BY main
strength" Smoke argued. "soon or
late, with the ice melting. you'll SLIP
down after me. The thing for you to
do Is to cut loose. Hear me! There's
no use both Of Us going. Get that!
You're the biggest little man In crea.
ton. but you've done your best You
cut looser
"You shut up! I'm going to make
holes this time deep enough to haul up
q span Of horses"
Several silent minutes passed. Smoke
could hear the metallic strike and hack
Of the knife, and occasionally driblets
of ice slid over the bulge and came
down to him. Thirsty, clinging on
hand and foot he caught the frag'
ments In his mouth and melted them
to water, which he swallowed.
He heard a gasp that slid into a
groan of despair and felt slackentns
Of the rope that made him claw. I'm
mediately the rope tghtened again.
straining his eyes In an upward look
along the steep slope, he stared mo-
ment then saw the knife, point hrst,
slide over the verge Of the bulge and
down upon him. He tucked his cheek
to It, shrank from the pang Of cut
flesh. tucked more tightly and felt the
knife come to rest.
I'm q slobr came the wall down
the crevasse.
aCheer up. I've got itr Smoke an
swered.
"stayl Waitl I've got a lot OF
string In my pocket. I'll drop 1t down
to you, and you send the knife up"
Smoke made no reply. He was bat.
Ting with q sudden rush Of thought
"Hey, you! Here comes the string
Tell me when you've got It."
A small pocketknife weighted or
the string slid down the ice. Smoke
got 1t, opened the larger blade BY q
quick effort Of bis teeth and one hand
and made sure that the blade was
sharp. Then he tied the sheath knife
to the end Of the string.
HAUL away!" he called
With strained eyes he saw the up
ward progress Of the knife. But be
saw more-a little man. afraid and M
domitable, who shivered and chattered,
whose head swan with siddiness and
who Mustered his qualms and distress