Beadle's Dime Novels, No. 91: The Lost Cache — page 88: what you’re looking at

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90 THE LOST CACHE. you. ae easily lower me down. I see no possibility of dan- ger.” “ Very well,” said Myers, after reflecting upon the proposi- — tion. “I believe there’ is no solid objection to the plan. It would be really a good idea for one of us to go down, and, as you are the lightest weight, you are the best man for the busi- ness. I will lower you down slowly, so that you can make examinations on your way. If you see any indications of a cache, 208 can easily tell me: to stop, until you examine the place.” As this plan was. agreed to; a stout stick was made well - fast to one end of the lariat, and the rope of twisted rawhide ~ was partly coiled around. a tree, so as to facilitate the opera- - tion of lowering. Harry Chenault slipped the hammer in his belt, seated himself astride of the stout stick, and carefully let himself over the edge of the precipice, while his companion: gradually eased off the lariat, tomake his descent safe and slow. “Keep a good look-out, my boy, and tell me if you see any thing,’ was Myers’ last inj juuction, as his friend disappeared from view. . “ All right, my boy. Lower away !” The engineer lowered away as directed, carefully and slowly, listening intently for the signal that should tell him to stop, but he heard nothing. He continued to ‘Tet out the line, until he thought that Harry must be more than half-way to the bottom of the cafion, when, suddenly, the weight was missed from the end of the lariat, and the strained hide flew up with a jerk. “Good God!” he exclaimed, as his face became pale, and his eyes were distorted with horror. “'The rope has broken, and he has fallen to the bottom! The fall has certainly killed him, or has mangled him terribly !” Hastily pulling up the rope, he perceived that it was indeed broken, having been cut, probably, by some projecting frag- menkof rock. With his heart full of anxiety, and bitterly reproaching himself for having been the cause of the death of his friend, Myers ran to the bridge, and hastened over it with trembiitig steps, expecting to see the mangled form, and receive the last words, of one who had been to him “ closer than a brother.” comicbooks.com a