San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-22

/ hardly aware of her own acts; but
how she was beginning to master
| herself again. She mustn't linger
here. She must make her spirit
wakcn to life, her muscles spring to
action. Carrying her rope and her
blanket, she went out the door. closed
it behind her, and started up toward
the glacier.
At last she stood at the very edge
Of the yawning seam, staring down
/ into the unutterable blackness below.
Not even light could exist in the
murky depths of the crevice, much
less fragile human life. The day
was not yet dead, twilight was still
gray about her; but the crevice itself
seemed full of ink clear to it's mouth.
And Neds axe, lying just at the edge
of the chasm,. showed where he had
fallen.
She called his name into the chasm
depths. and some measure of self
control returned to her when she
heard the weird. rolling echo.
And that cry did not go unheard.
Ned had given up but few mo-
ments before Bess had come, and her
full voice carried clearly into the
strange. misty realm of semi-con-
sciousncss into which he had drifted.
And this manhood that had lately
grown upon him would not let him
shut his ears to this sobbing appeal.
His own voice, sounding weird and
hollow as the voice of the dead in
that unreasonable abyss, came bac!;
in answer.
Here l am. Bess." he said. you'll
have to work quick"
XXVI.
1t was bitter hard for Ned to fight
his way through deaths twilight
The cold had hold of him, its tri-
umph was near, and it would not let
him go without savage battle that
seemed TO wrack the man in twain.
He summoned every ounce of
courage and determination that he
had and tried to shake the frost
from his brain. You'll have to work
quick" he warned again. His voice
was stronger now, but softened with
Il tenderness beyond her most recii
less dreams. Don't be too hopeful
I haven't much left in me. What
can you dO?"
The girl who answered him was in
no way the lost and hopeless mortal
that had lain sobbing on the ice. The
fighting side of her that Ned had seen
so often swept swiftly into dominance.
At once she was cold blade, true
and sure: brain and body in perfect
discipline.
"How far are your" she asked. Il
can't see"
About ten feet-but can't get up
without help"
Can you stand up?"
"Yes." Forcing himself to the
last ounce of his nerve and courage,
he drew himself erect. Reaching up
ward. his hands We're less than a
yard from the top of the crevice.
Bess did not make the mistake of
trying to reach down to him. She
conquered the impulse at once. real
izing that any weight at all. unsup-
ported as she was. would draw her
be of no use until she had something
firm to which to attach it.
I've dug holes most of the way
un," he sold her. Il might try to
climb 'em, with little help"
"Are you at the bottom of the
crevice:"
Inc bottom is numerous OF leet
below me. I'm on ledge about three
feet wide"
"Then stand still till I can really
help you. l cant pull you now with
out being pulled in myself. and il
you'd fall back you'd probably roll
of the ledge. The ice is like glass.
Ned, are you good for ten minutes
more"
= Il don't know"
"It'S the only chance" Again her
tone was pleading. keep the blood
moving for ten minutes more, Ned,
Oh. tell me you'll try"
Deep in the gloom she thought she
heard him laugh-only a few. little
svllablcs, wan and strange in the
silence-and it was all the answer
she NEEDED. He would fight on for
ten minutes more. He would strug-
gle against the cold until she could
rescre him.
Here's, blanket" she told him.