The Little Manx Nation - 1891

bushes along the fragrant, yielding path below-that a girl came following in the way which led up the mountain top. She wore a stout outing costume-short skirt and blouse, heavy bo

she overcame the various obstructions in her path-might have said that she belonged by right to these wo

exhibition of her independence, and perhaps impress him a little with his own lack of ambition and energy. She had avoided the Lodge, making her way around the lake to the trail, and had left no definite word at home as to her destination, for it was quite certain that Mrs. Deane would worry if it became known that Constance had set of

it foamed and sang down the natural stairway which led from one mystery in the dark vistas above to another mystery and wider vistas below-somehow, at last, to reach that deeper and vaster and more impenetrable

t, silver-bri

assing-al

rink I sit

thou? Whence

r that one who could do a thing well and with such facility should set so little store by his gift,

cult obstructions. Constance drew on a thick pair of gloves to grapple with rough limbs and sharp points of rock. Here and there were fairly level stretches and easy going, but for the most part

y that the McIntyre trail was somewh

r way through a great tumble of logs only to find that the narrow path disappeared into a clump of bushes beyond and appare

rossed the pool below and was clearly marked beyond. This was the brook

barren mountain top. Soon this diminutive wilderness began to separate into segments and the trail reached a comparative level. Then suddenly it became solid rock, with only here and there a clump of the stunted oak, or a bit of grass. The girl realized that she must be on the summit and would presently reach the peak, where, from a crevice, grew the object of her adventure. She paused a moment for breath, and to straighten her disheveled hair. Also she turned for a look at the vie

less clear. The air, too, had a chill damp feeling. She turned quickly to look behind her, and uttered a little cry of surprise that was almost terror. The cloud ghost was upon her-she was already enveloped in its trailing cerements. Behind, all was white, and when she turned again the tripod too had well-nigh disappeared. As if about to lose the object of her quest, she started to run, and when an instant later the beacon

nite seem to slope a little up or down, and in the same manner, now, she could set the tripod in any direction from her at will. Confused, half terrified at the thought, she stood perfectly still, trying to think. The tripod, she knew, could not be more than a few yards distant, but surrounded by these enchanted walls which ever receded, yet always closed about her she must only wander helplessly and find it by mere chance. And suppose she found it, and suppose she secured the object of her

tle piles of stones which she thought must be one of the cairns, leading to the trail. But which way must she look for the next? She strained her eyes through the milky gloom, but could distinguish nothing beyond a few yards of granite at her feet. It did not avail her to remain by the cairn, yet she dreaded to leave a spot which was at least a point in the human path. She did so, at last, only to wander down into an unmarked was

ly. And when she rose the second time, her heart stopped with fear, for she lay just on the edge of a ghastly precipice-the bottom of which was lost in mist and shadows. It had only been a false trail

McIntyre, and she thought that one such might have chosen to-day and be somewhere within call. She stood still to listen for possible voices, but there was no sound, and the bitter air across the summit made her shrink and t

from behind that wall of white her ear caught an answering cry. Once more she called-this time wildly, with ev

, and to hear the reassuring reply. She was at the brushy edge of the summit when

re! Don't move-I

he was only too eager to obey. She called again and again, but she wai

nd you. If you had played around here

in no mood to take

and half running, half reeling

as any girl might have done who had been lost and miserable and ha

w did you kno

ding her close. But for the rest, he

e a good deal of noise about it, an

e? How did you know that I came? Oh, it was br

out purposely to search for her. He

ays had a weakness for fogs since a winter in London. I didn't really know you were up here, but that might

ive me-I was so

-I didn't give it

the basket, and the great fish dangling at his side. "Frank!" sh

her the tale-how it was by accident that he had found her-h

t either?" he asked, gla

issed the tripod just as the fog came

" she exclaimed, "and you must be star

's beginning to rain a little now. We'll be p

will you find it

e to the west, I think, and

in a pocket and now

had it a little while ago and put it in the change pocket of my coat

in his other pockets

find the trail we can at least go down till we find something. If it's a brook or ra

to Frank the trail must lie. Suddenly a tall s

sped, "and I hunte

t only some wet, blackened pulp remained of the curious growth. The tender flower of the peak had perhaps bloomed and perished in a day. Frank lamented this misfortune, but Constance expressed a

t will lead us to something." In fact, they came presently to the fringe o

the trail. I followed just such an openin

lse lead, for presently an

we follow along, it may lead us to the same place. Then we may be able to make our way over

grew warmer now, for they were away from the bitter air of the mountain top, and in consta

Constance, "is this

only pointed o

f, here, but one side of a chasm.

they had descended somewhat, also an increased depth of soil. It was further evident that the ca?on was getting narrower, and

id. "This may be a trail. Do yo

tillness and deepening gloom which precedes a mountain storm. Still early in the day, one might e

d forest. Oh, I can cross well enough-it isn't that," and stepping lightly on th

k, Conny," he

rd. The darkness grew momentarily. Rain was beginning to fall. Yet they hurried on, single file, Frank leading and parting the

," he said, "it

now quite dark where they stood, and th

" she whispered-"a robbers' den, or mo

ch," said Frank, "or an ogre,

ertainly, but the window held no sash, and the single opening was covered with a sort of skin, or parchment. There was a door, too, and walls, but beyond this the structure seemed as a part of the forest itself,

queer-so uncanny. I feel as if it might be the home

" Frank answered, and with his knuckl

l bowed figure standing in the opening. In a single brief glance they saw that it was a man-also that his appearance, like that of his house, was unusual. He was dressed entirely in skins. His beard

nt shelter from the storm and directions

ance felt that his eyes were fixed upon her, and she clung closer to Frank's arm. Yet when the strange householder spo

"I bid you welcome," he added, then, as Constance came more fully into the light shed by a burning pine knot and an open fire, he stopped, stared at her still more fixedly and muttered something under his breath. But a moment later he said g