The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-10-08

high AZ he could reach Then hr
pui one Ia about foot below
Three more footholds were pui lu
AZ about i1.inch intervals between
AZ that point he found d necop
rary 10 stop and spend a few 81
his precious moments In rest, he
must not igl fatigue dull him and
take the cunning from hls hand
hui The ftst stage % the work
done dsliysrsnco looked already
lmmeasurably nearer n he could
climb up, then cling on and cut
new hold Placing the knife be-.
tween his teeth. he put his mecca
SIN into Tho first foolhold aud
pulled himself up
II dld not take long. however
10 convince him that the remaining
work hurdered practically on the
Impossible These holes in the lee
were not like irregularities IN
stone The fingers slipped over
them il was almost Impossible %
cling ON with both hands. much
less one hut ollnginE with an
his might he tried 20 free his
righi hand 10 procure his knife.
lie made Il at last. ana az
fflghtful cost Of nervous energy
succeeded IN cutting some sort ~
cash IN the Icy wall above his
head Standing so close he could
not look up. d was Impossible 20
DO more than hack out mgEsd
hole And because life lay this way
and no other. no put the blade
once more between his teeth.
reached his right hand into ~
hole and tried 10 pun himself up
again,
But disaster. bitter and complete.
followed that attempt. HIs numb.
ing hands failed 10 hold under the
strain, and he slipped an tho way
back to his shelf Something rang
sharply against the icy wall far
below him.
lie did no, hear n again. but
The truth went home 10 him IN one
dehpalrlng instant Try az hard az
no could his java had released
their hold upon the knife. aud Il
had fallen into the depths az the
creyico below. He was not In tho
least aware OF the vicious wound
its BLADE had cut IN lis shoulder.
OF me warm blood that was trick
ing down under his furn. He only
knew. with that cold fatailam with
which tho woodsmau regards NE
That he had fought good fight
and he had lest.
Ihere vas no use of trying au,
more. He had no other knife or
axe, no tool that could hack a
hole In the icy wall what other
things he carried about him--,hs
turs on his back his box OF mf,ty
matches and other minor impls.
inents Of his trndc-could no, help
him In tho least And soon IL bo.
came Increasingly difficult 20 think
either upon the fight ne had made
or the fate that awaited him. II
was hard 70 remember anything
bur the growing cold.
II burt worst IN his hands So
he took 10 rubbing his hands 10
Esther, hard as he could. He lei,
the blood surge back into them
and soon they were fairly warm
In tho Erea; mittcns OF fur.
Directly he settled back on his
Icy shelf and drew the pciis he
had taken that day over his shoul.
dsrs. There was but ono hopa Isfi.
and such rs II was. n was Gu.
riously allied with despair. He hoped
that he had heard true that when
frost steals into tho veins Il comes
with gcnilcness and ease. Perhaps
he would simply 20 10 sleep.
IL wouldn't be long time In
fact. great drowhiness. not I'M.
pleasant, but rather peaceful. was
already settling upon him. The
cold Of the glacier was deadly. No,
many moments remained OF his
time on earth. The death tina,
dwells In the Arctic Ice Is mercl
fully swift.
He had counted on hours. AZ
least. lie had even anticipated lin.
geFing far into the night. But this
WAS only moments, Tho cleft above
him was aiili distinctly gray.
The ice was creeping again into
his fingers. But he wouldn't try
10 shake Il out again. And now
little. siabbing blades OF cold were
beginning 10 pierce his heart.
But likely he would 20 to sloep
before they really began 10 trouble
him. The northern night deepened
around him. The wind sprang up
and moved softly over the pale ice
above him. Tho day was done.