Year: 1878




and fell to the ground. For one mo.
ment his body was balanced upon the
very verge of the precipice. then the
loose earth crumbled beneath his weight
and he fell down-doWn!


That report and wild cry of pain
reached the ears Of the young amazon,
and swiftly wheeling, Samantha Brown
ueheld a man fall backward-t rofl
over the edge of the cliff. Her face
grew white as she expected to see him
meet frightful death upon the Jagged
rocks nearly a hundred feet below, but
she was spared this.


The falling body crashed into mass
of young vines, thirty feet below the
escarpment, and then settled down
upon slight, narrow projection-it
could hardly be called ledge-a few feet
below, and there remained stationary.


She urged her pony toward the foot
Of the cliff, with the wild purpose of
breaking the unfortunate mans fall,
but common sense quickly told her that
such all idea was worse than folly, and
she changed her course, lashing the pony
tiercely and taking the shortest practi-
cable course by which the top OF the
cliff could be gained.


Seth Thomas had not entirely lost his
consciousness, even while falling swift
" down to what seemed certain death,
and as he struck the clump of wild
grape-vines, he instinctively grasped at
them with his left hand; his right was
completely disabled. But single one
of the tender shoots remained firm and
unbroken; that only held him suspended
above death, for the projection upon
which he partially lay, though wide
enough for the support of a sure-footed
person in an upright position, was too
narrow to hold recumbent body. Even
should that vine hold firm, the end
must soon come. He was bleeding
profusely; he felt that he was growing
fainter with each passing moment; five
minutes mOre-then death!


AS in a dream, lie saw the pale, yet
not terrified face Of a woman above him
heard an anxious voice calling to
him. lie ansWered-What, he never
knew. But it was sufficient Saman-
tha saw that he was alive, and she be-
lieved that she could save him.


Quickly removing the long and stout
trail rope from the neck of her pony,
she formed a moose and lowered it to
the wounded man. The prospect of
rescue cleared his brain, and restored
his cool senses. lie saw that If he re-
leased his grasp upon the vine to pass
the moose around his body, he would
fall from his slight support, and so he
told her, begging her to hasten for aid,


But Samantha could see that sne
could not go and return III time. He
would weaken and fall, even if he did
not bleed to death.


She hurriedly drew up the rope and
noosed it around the trunk of the
Stunted tree beside which Seth had
stood when he shot himself, then, coil
ing the rest over her arm, she Slid over
the escarpment and lowered herself to
the ledge where he was lying.


Seth was in an agony of apprehension
mot for himself, but to see her hang
ing to that apparently frail rope-and
vet she succeeded, thanks to the free,
wild life that had strengthened her
muscles and trained her brain.


Cautiously stopping, she passed the
rope twice around his chest, then knot
ted it firmly. Should the vine give
way now, he could only fall few
yards.


Bidding him be of good cheer, the
young amazon carefully picked her
way dozen feet beyond, supported by
the faithful rope, and then began her
difficult ascent, taking advantage Of
each little point of rock or crevice,
working with both feet and arms, far
enough from Seth to prevent the dis
lodged stones from disturbing him, and
reaching the top in safety.


Barely pausing to take few breaths,
Samantha called up her pony and fast
ened the trail rope around its neck.
Bidding Seth prepare, she gave the
word, and the well-trained creature
moved slowly away, inch by inch. She
crcuched upon the brink in breathless
suspense, regulating the movements Of
the mustang byan occasional word.
Seth was still able to help himself
| slightly, and with his feet and sound
arm. kept clear of the projecting points
| and bushes. AS he came within reach,
| Samantha bent over and grasping the
| moose, lifted him over the edge, nor re-
| leased her grasp until he sunk sense
| less at the foot of the tree.


Samantha was faint and trembling
from her terrible eXertions, but she did
! not falter until the wounded arm was
rudely but efficiently bound up. Then
| she secured the rope to the tree, so Seth
/ could not possibly fall over the cliff
| then mounted the pony and dashed
| away at breakneck speed for assist.
| ance.


A wagon was brought, and Seth was
| conveyed to the nearest house-which
| CHANGED to be the Brown farmhouse.
| A doctor was sent for, and his arm at
| tended to. Fortunately no bones were


broken, the charge of shot passing
through the feshy part of his forearm
and after two weeks of bed, Seth was
| able to move about the house.


But that short time was long enough


for him to recognize true heart OF
gold beneath the outward Semblance OF


young amazon, and as he found that
her wild, hoidenish pranks did not arise


from any lack of true womanly deli.


cacy, he tiattered himself that he could
effect reformation.


That he did so, can bear testimony
1t would be hard TO find more gentle
lady-like wife and mother than that
same Young Amazon.


! An attempt to determine the total il


Illuminating power of the stars as com


pared uith some recognized standard
has been made by Mr.. J. j. Plummer