The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1917-12-26
lillian Macleod Raine.

he talked. His coat he took off and
threw down. His shoes he tied by the
Iaces to his belt.
''P1l try not to be very long," he
promised
tits Gods will then, so it is" she
sighed, relapsing into the vernacular.
Her voice was low and not very
steady, for the heart of the girl was
heavy. She knew she must not pro-
test his decision. That was not the
way to play the game. But somehow
the salt had gone from their light
hearted adventure.
Elliot took her little hand in a warm,
strong grip. you're not going to be
afraid. Wen work out all right, you
know"
EYES,"
"It's not Just the thing to leave
lady in the rain when you take her
for a walk, but it can't be helped.
Wen laugh about 1t tomorrow
Would they? she wondered, answer
ing his smile family Her courage was
Slapped.
He turned to the climb.
you've forgotten your coat" she re-
minded.
'Tm travelling light this trip. You'd
better slip it on before you get chilled"
Sheba knew he had left it on pur-
pose for her.
Her fascinated eyes followed him
while he moved out from the plateau
across the face Of the precipice. He
had none Of the tools for climbing
no rope, no Ratchet, none of the sup
port of numbers. All the allies he
could summon were his bare hands
and feet, his resilient muscles, and his
stout heart. To make it worse, the
ice film from the rain coated every
jutting inch Of quartz with danger.
But be worked steadily forward,
moving with the infinite caution Of one
who knows that there will be no
chance to remedy later any mistake.
A slight error in judgment, the failure
in response Of any one Of fifty muscles,
would send him plunging down.
Her eye left him for an instant to
sweep the gulf below. She gave
little cry, ran to his coat, and began
to wave it. For the first time since
Elliot had begun to traverse she took
the initiative In speech.
81 see some people away over to the
left, Mr.. Elliot. I'm going to call to
them" Her voice throbbed with hope.
But 1t was not her shouts or his,
xr7hf aoPVsinA
tenth the distance, that reached the
group in the valley. One Of them
| caught q glimpse Of the wildly wav-
ing coat. There was a consultation
and two or three f1uttered handker-
chiefs in response. Presently they
moved on.
Sheba could not believe her eyes.
They're not leaving Us surely?" she
gasped.
"That's what they're doing" an
swered Gordon grimfS. "They think
we're calling to them out Of vanity
to show them where we climbed"
"OhI" She strangled a sob.
I'm going to make 1t. think see
my way from here" her companion
called across to her. ga fault runs to
the foot Of the stairway, If can only
do the next yard or two"
he did them, by throwing caution to
! the winds. An icy, rounded boulder
projected above him out of reach. He
unfastened his belt again and put the
shoes, tied by the laces, around his
neck. There was one way to get across
to the ledge Of the fault. He took
hold of the two ends Of the belt,
crouched and leaned forward on tip
toes toward the knob. The loop Of the
belt slid over the ice-coated boss.
There was no chance to draw back
now, to test the hold. he had gained.
If the leather slipped he was lost. His
body swung across the abyss and his
feet landed on the little ledge beyond.
His shout Of success came perhaps
ten minutes later. I've reached the
stairway, Miss 0'Neill. I'll try not to
be long, but you'd better exercise to
keep up the circulation. Don't worry,
please. I'll be back before night"
'Tm so glad" she cried joyfully. "I
was afraid for you. And I'll not worry
a bit. Good-by."
Elliot made his way up to the sum-
NIT and ran along a footpath which
brought him to a bridge across the
mountain stream Just above the falls.
Before he had specialized on the short
distances Gordon had been a cross
country runner. BE was In fair con-
dition and he covered the ground fast.
About mile below the falls he met
two men. One of them was Colby Mac
donald. He carried coil of rope over
one shoulder The big Alaskan ex-
planned that he had not been able to
get 1t out of his head that perhaps
the climbers who had waved at his
party had been In difficulties. So he
had got rope from the cabin Of an
old miner and was on his way back
to the falls.
: The three climbed to the falls,