The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-02-07
HE died on Bonanza creek two years

"He died on Bonanza creek two years
later"
"Was he miner?"
mot until he came north. He had
an interest in claim. It later turned
out worthless"
A bit of stiff climbing brought them
to a boulder field back Of which rose
mountain ridge.
Beyond the boulder field the ridge
rose sharply. Gordon looked little
obviously at Sheba.
"Are you good climber?'
I'm sure must be-" she answered
with smile adorable. Il believe l
could do the Matterhorn today"
Well up on the shoulder of the ridge
they stopped to breathe. The distant
noise of falling water came family to
them.
"We're too far to the left-must
have followed the wrong spur" Elliot
explained. Probably we can cut
across the face of the mountain"
Presently they came to an impasse.
The gulch between the two spurs ter
minated in rock wall that fell almost
sheer for two hundred feet.
The color in the cheeks beneath the
eager eyes of the girl was warm.
Lets try it." she begged.
The young man had noticed that she
was as sure-footed as mountain goat
oh
of a precipice without dizziness. The
surface of the wall was broken. What
it might be beyond he could not tell,
but the first fifty feet was bit of
attractive and not too difficult rock
traverse.
They had been following a ledge
that narrowed till it ran out Jutting
knobs of feldspar and stunted shrubs
growing from crevices offered toe
grips instead Of the even foothold of
the rock itself. AS Gordon looked
down at the dizzy fall beneath them
his judgment told him they had better
go back. He said as much to his COM
panion.
The smile she flashed at him was de.
lightfully provocative. $50 you think
I'm 'fraid-cat, Mr.. Elliott"
His inclination marched with hers.
It was their first adventure together
and he did not want to spoil it by un-
due caution. There really was not
much danger yet SO long as they were
| careful
Gordon abandoned the traverse and
| followed IN ascending crack in the
wall. The going was hard. He looked
down at the girl wedged between the
slopes of the granite trough.
| She read his thought. 1.-THE Old
Guard never surrenders, sir" was hel
| quick answer as she brushed in salute
with the tips of her fingers stray lock
of hair.
The trough was worse than Eliot
had expected. 1t had in it good dea
Of loose rubble that started in small
slides at the least pressure.
BE very careful of your footing" hi
called back anxiously.
A small grassy platform lay above
the upper end of the trough, but the
last dozen feet Of the approach was q
very difficult bit. Gordon fought his
way up with his back against one wal
and his knees pressed to the other
Three feet short Of the platform the
rock walls became absolutely smooth
The climber could reach within a foo
of the top.
Are you stopped?' asked Sheba.
Looks that way"
A small pine projected from thu
edge of the shelf out over the preci
| pice. It might be strong enough K
bear his weight. It might not. Cor
don unbuckled his belt and threw ont
end over the trunk of the dwarf tree
Gingerly he tested it with his weight
| then went up hand over hand ant
worked himself over the edge Of tn
little plateau.
"All right2" the girl called up.
"All right. But you can't make II
I'm coming down again."
I'D like to try it. I'll stop II it.
too hard" she promised.
The strength of her slender wrist
surprised him. She struggled up tn
vertical crevasse inch by inch. Hi
heart was full of fear, for a misste]
now would be fatal. He lay down will
his face over the ledge and lowere,
to her the buckled loop Of his belt