Marion Marlowe in Denver, or, The Tragedy of Pike's Peak — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

gazed at the panorama of the heavens she forgot all else for one brief instant. Billows of purple clouds rolled between her and the valleys—great shafts of silver light darted from distant snow-capped _ mountains. Already the giant boulders were taking on weird shapes and the mountain side was growing black with terrors. It was all so horrible that, at last, the brave girl succumbed and a perfect flood cf tears gave evidence of her agony. She was. alone upon Pike’s Peak, and night was coming on! — ; CHAPTER XIII. THE FAREW ELL! After a few minutes of rest she began the ascent again and, just as the last beam of the setting sun illumined the bald crest be- fore her, she saw the entrance to the cave where the lawyer had taken her. She entered it tremblingly. At least, it would give her shelter. The ground was _ dry and there was room to lie down. She had grown warm with the climbing, but how long would it be before she would become benumbed with the cold? _ Of course, they would keep up the search all night, but how were they to find her, if she was hidden in this cave? She groaned aloud as she asked herself this question. Suddenly it occurred to her to build a fire at the mouth of the cave; but this was impossible, for she had no matches. Then she began thinking of signals, but _ there was nothing to hang one on. There was no tree within sight—only stunted _ growths of low bushes. ' She gave up in despair, at last, and lay down upon the ground, after sending one _ more frantic call echoing through the cafions of the mountain. Almost instantly she fell asleep, for her _ strength was exhausted; but it was a _ troubled sleep, which did not refresh her. All at once, a bright light glowed upon _ her face and she awoke with a start. There _ was a cry of joy as she recognized Mr. Wil- _ son. _ “Thank God, I have found you!” the law- _yer exclaimed, eagerly, as he turned the light of a lantern so that he could see her ‘more clearly. “Oh, Mr. Wilson! You will save me, will you not?” cried Marion, hysterically, as she held out both hands toward the delighted lawyer. a, __ “My dear child! What do you mean?” he began, almost tenderly; then, as he took her Sa wa MY QUEEN. 23 cold hands in his, he tried to calm her ex- citement. “Tl understand. You have been dreaming, and, of course, I frightened you! but how is it that you are alone? We thought Mr. Waldo was with you; still, I knew that could not be, for he is perfectly familiar with the trails over this section of the mountain.” Before he had finished, Marion was on her feet. “Oh, Mr. Wilson!” she cried, sharply, “Mr. Waldo has been killed! He is down there under that precipice. The guide would not save him! Oh, how can I tell you my horrible story!” | She covered her face with her hands and groaned in anguish, while the lawyer rubbed her hands to bring back the warmth and threw a heavy. wrap around her, which he had brought for the purpose. At last she told him all—and, oh, what a confession! As Mr. Wilson listened to the story of his partner's wickedness, his brow grew stern and he clenched his hands an- grily. “T knew it! J knew that he was growing money mad!” he muttered, as she finished; “but what a way to earn a paltry fortyne! It was a dastardly scheme! Thank Heaven, he was foiled in it!” “But we must try to save him,” whispered Marion, weakly. “I did all I could, but the guide was treacherous. He would have murdered me, I believe, if he could not have gotten my money otherwise.” “Come! The others are near here, and I must tell my good news,” said Mr. Wilson, suddenly; then he put his arm around her and half lifted her from the cavern. As the young girl looked upon the night, her heart seemed to stand still. She was safe now, and could appreciate the full glory of the heavens. Such a moon and such stars! They were almost unfamiliar to her eyes. They shone with dazzling clearness in the limpid ether above her, while the vast magnificence of the spreading country that lay far below thrilled her soul with a feeling of awe and reverence. Yet he, her cowardly enemy, lay silent be- neath those stars! _ The moon smiled upon him.as sweetly as it did upon this other—the brave man who had braved the dangers of the mountainside to search for her and find her! She looked up at him now, as he assisted her down a narrow, rugged path. He was still frowning with anger over her miserable story. Shout after shout soon greeted their ears, then a group of weird, dark figures ap- peared upon a ledge before them. GOMIGIOOKSEECO