The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-01-27
CHAPTER XIV.
The Knife and the Rope,

sticking to wet and slippery ice. The
little man was the first to speak.
"Gee' he said and a minute later:
"!t you can dig in for a moment and
slack on the rope can turn over.
Try it."
Smoke made the effort, then rested
en- the rope again. Il can do It," he
said. '"Tell me when you're ready,
and be quick"
About three feet down is holding
Tor my heels" Carson said. ut won't
take moment Are you readyp'
go onr'
1t was hard work to slide down a
yard, turn over and sit up. But it was
even harder for Smoke to remain fiat
tened and maintain a position that
lfom instant to instant made a greater
call upon his muscles AS it was, he
could feel the almost perceptible begin
ming OF the slip when the rope tight
ened. and he looked up into his COM
panion's face. Smoke noted the yellow
palIor of sun tan, forsaken by the
blood. and wondered what his own
| complexion was like. But when he
saw Carson, with shaking fingers,
tumble for his sheath knife he decid.
ed tue end had come. The man was In
a funk and was going to cut the rope.
Don't m-mind m-nl-me," the little
man Chartered. Il amt scared It's
enly my nerves, gosh dang them. I'll
b-b-be all right in minute"
And Smoke watched him, doubled
over, his shoulders between his knees,
| shiVering and awkward, holding a
| slight tension on the rope with one
hand. while with the other he hacked
and gouged holes for his heels in the ice,
Carson" he breathed up to him.
you're some bear, some bear"
The answering grin was ghastly and
| pathetic. Il never could stand height"
Carson confessed. ut always did get
me. Do you mind If l stop minute
and clear my head? Then I'll make
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 up!' was the hurt retort
who's running this?"
And Smoke could not help but see
that anger was Il good restorative for
the others nerves. AS for himself, II
was the more nerye rackins strain.
lying plastered against the ice with
nothing to do but strive to stick on.
A groan and quick cry Of Hold
on!" warned him. With face pressed
against the ice he made supreme
/ sticking effort, felt the rope slacken
and knew Carson was slipping toward
him. He did not dare look up until
he felt the rope tighten and knew the
other had again come to rest.
Gee. that was near got" Carson
ciattered Sc! came down over yard.
Now, you wait. I've got to dig new
holds"
Holding the few pounds of strain
necessary for Smoke with his 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 I've DONE"
Carson called down. 1--WE 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.
I'll tell you what, first of ALL I'll take
you on the rope, and you worry out OF
that pack. Get me?"
Smoke nodded, and with infinite care
unbuckled his pack straps With
wrisglc of the shoulders he dislodged
the pack, and Carson saw it slide over
the bulge and out of sight.
Now, I'm going to ditch mine," be
called down You just take it 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
tanned and helped by the pull of the
rope. Alone, he could not have ad
yanced.
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, gristed
through Carson's teeth.
"Then cast loose.'
Smoke felt the rope tauten in fu-
tile effort; then the pace quickened, and
as he went past his previous lodgment
and over the bulge the last glimpse he
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 IN
til he came to Il 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 shiyer.
"Gee!"
An interval of quiet followed, and
then Smoke could feel the rope agi
tated.
'What are you dcing?" he called up
Making more hand and foot holds"
came the trembling answer. you Just
wait I'll have you up here In jiffy.
Don't mind tho wav I faIk I'm inst