Gabriel Conroy

ed rocks; in the white billows that rose rank on rank beyond, in the deathlike stillness that reigned above and below. It was the first day of April; there was the mildness of

e, but less full and rounded; the skeleton was beginning to show through the wasting flesh; there were great patches of snow that had sloughed away, leaving the gleaming

attering over rocks. The unwonted sound awoke the long slumbering echoes of the mountain, brought down small avalanches from cliff and tree, and at last brought from some cavern of the rocks to the surface of the snow a figure so wild,

ert, active, and voluble. At last the reticent man spoke, but slowly,

. It was in some such spot that I fi

you the truth, I doubt if we will be able to keep the men togethe

saw the figures of a man and woman. If there is not a cairn of stone somewhere a

or a broken waggon-tongue will do. Columbus helped his course and kept up his crew on a fragment

epticism, held their breath with awe, and trembled with excitement-as the shambling figure that had watched them enter the ca?on rose f

over himself. He advanced from

are

m

s the

arv

are the

spicious glance

ho

s. You are

, I

d you g

here and starving. Gimme

stedly on all

rmur of sympat

see he can't stand-much les

thus adjured-"Leave him to me-he wan

is throat. Dumphy gasped, an

r name was?" asked th

umphy, with a def

re f

sso

d you g

from my

they

Gimme suth

n. "Well, Blunt," he continued, addressing the leader, "you're saved-but your nine men in buckram have dwindle

lling to go back now, but something tells me we have only begun

lip of paper with ragged edges, as if torn

ree. Me no sabe,"

ing at it; "it seems to b

. Blunt handed him the pa

d property-important and

he

cairn o

nd Blunt exch

there!" s

ical and elevated, but now thrown down and dismantled. The snow and earth were torn up around and beneath it. On the snow lay some scattered papers, a portfolio of drawings of birds and flowers: a glass case of insects broken and demoli