The People And New Hampshire Patriot

A DANGEROUS GUIDE.

CHAPTER I.

Frau Schwartz stood at the door of her cottage, looking anxiously down the road between the mountains. She shaded her eyes with her brown palm and peered along the winding way, which was visible for a mile, except where it curved round the base of a rock too ponderous to be removed. Yes, at last there was no mistake, there was a traveler walking toward her cottage.

"Time enough, too!" she soliloquized. "Since they opened the new road on the other side of the hill all the carriages go that way, and no one comes here except some poor tourist who can't afford to ride, or an artist who carries his brushes on his back and little enough besides. Who is going to buy my beautiful carvings that I got from Paris now, I wonder?"

It certainly seemed hard to the frau that a diversion of traffic should go so near ruining her, for she had forsaken her German home some years before and settled in Switzerland, in the hope of increasing her income by furnishing the ever-increasing horde of travelers with necessaries in the shape of food and lodging, and luxuries in the shape of carved beads and trinkets of all sorts.

The tourist who was now plodding up the neglected track was the first she had seen for two days.

"Good morning, sir," she said, as soon as Hardy was within easy hail. "It's very warm today, sir."

"Warm!" ejaculated Hardy, throwing himself on a bench. "It's melting. I've left a good part of myself on the road. If this goes on I must erect a monument to my remains in Switzerland when I go home. Drink, my good woman, I am parching."

But before he had finished asking for it, she had brought him a large jug of milk, which he seized and drained.

"That lubricates the thorax satisfactorily," he remarked as he finished. "Now, my good woman, I've a friend a little way behind. Can you put us up for the night?"

"Yes, sir; I've two nice clean beds."

"You're sure they're clean?"

"Oh, yes, sir; they haven't been slept in for a long while."

"Oh, haven't they? You had better run a warming-pan through them, then, if you have such an article; if not, my hat on the end of an alpenstock will do just as well, for it's nearly red-hot. I'll just go in and have a wash and shave, if you'll show me my room."

"This way, sir; it's got a beautiful view."

Hardy picked up his knapsack and followed her, remarking to himself:

"Beautiful view! That's what they always say when your windows open on the back of a cow-shed."

Probably he would not have gone straight to his room had he chanced to look along the road in the direction of the summit of the pass, for there stood a charming little maiden marshaling her goats preparatory to driving them to the inclosure for milking. But though he had not seen her, she had caught sight of him, and after her goats were safely housed she tripped down to the cottage to see who had arrived.

Life was rather monotonous among the mountains, and, besides, Nina had a special wish to be seen today, for it was her birthday, and on these festivals she was permitted to wear a necklet which a rich Englishman had given her, two years ago, for nursing him when he was lying ill at the cottage. So Nina left her goats and ran to find out who had arrived.

She reached the cottage, and was just passing in at the door, when she heard a footstep behind her. Curiosity urged her to look round, but maidenly dignity forbade the step, so she passed on, wondering if the stranger would speak.

He did not; but she felt an arm steal around her waist and a kiss on her cheek.

She darted round in indignation, and met the amused look of Walter, her betrothed.

"Why, Nina, are you going to be angry with me for stealing a kiss on your birthday?"

"Oh no, Walter, dear; I did not know it was you."

"Who else did you think it could be, little one? Ah, I did not tell you I was coming over the pass today, so as to see you before I return to the Brunig."

As he spoke he held out a bracelet of carved wood—not very valuable, perhaps, but it was his own work. Nina lifted up her little face to thank him with a kiss as he bent to fasten it round her wrist.

"Nina, who gave you that necklet?" he asked as his eye caught sight of it.

"Mr. Linton, an Englishman, two years ago. I only wear it on my birthdays."

"I never saw it before."

"You forget we were not betrothed a year ago. Come, my Walter, you must not be jealous. I have never seen him since; I do not know where he is or anything about him."

But Walter's face did not resume its gay look; he knew something of the free ways of certain travelers, and did not like to know that his Nina had taken a present from an English milord.

"I must go and milk the goats, now," continued Nina; "come and help me."

But her stepmother's voice at that moment called her into the cottage.

"Wait for me a minute, Walter," cried Nina, as she ran in. Walter, however, strolled slowly toward the goats, thinking he would begin the milking without waiting till the frau had said all that she wanted.

As Nina disappeared through the back door, Hardy came out of the front, his face covered with lather, and in a state of comical distress.

"Confound it all!" he exclaimed; "my razor is in Linton's knapsack. I thought I heard a man's voice here, too; where is he?"

He was surprised to feel an arm grasp his, but immediately drop it with a little shriek.

"Oh, I beg your pardon, sir; I thought you were Walter."

"I'm sorry to say I am not," began Hardy, but Nina commenced to laugh as she saw his condition.

"I almost kissed you without looking," she said with a smile.

"Don't let any consideration for me stop you," replied Hardy gallantly; "but perhaps, if you could get me a towel the operation would be pleasanter for both of us."

Nina had tripped away before he finished, and soon returned with the towel. But instead of giving it to Hardy, she began to signal with it. This was too much and he gently took it from her.

"Please postpone your signals for a moment, my little maiden," he said, but she took no notice.

"Why does he turn away and go on still?" she asked.

"Who?"

"Walter."

"I give it up; perhaps because he sees me."

Nina ran away in the direction of the goats, and was soon out of sight.

"Corydon and Phyllis have had a slight row," mused Hardy; "however, I suppose they will make it up again; it must be a serious business to quarrel with the only available lover within twenty miles.

Hello! here's the lazy fellow crawling up at last. Come along, old tortoise!"

A handsome young man, with light wavy hair and mustache, came slowly up, and sat down on the bench with a sigh of relief.

"I've been resting, Jack," he said.

"'Twould be more worthy of remark if you hadn't."

"You walk at such a pace, you know."

"So do you, and a jolly slow one it is. Where's my razor? Lend me your knapsack. Look here, you sit out here for five minutes and recruit yourself with some milk while I shave."

Hardy disappeared into the house, but a moment after his head appeared out of the window over the bench on which his chum was sitting.

"This is first rate," he remarked; "I can go on shaving and listen to your inspiring conversation at the same time."

"What beautiful scenery!" exclaimed Linton, looking down into the valley.

"A 1," returned Hardy, "and the milk is on a level with it."

"We shall have this view from our room."

"Yes, but a little more furniture and a little less scenery would be more my form. Look at this looking-glass—one eye at the time, please; there isn't room for more of it."

"This valley always brings happy thoughts to me," said Linton, half to himself.

"Can't wonder at it," returned Hardy, as he gave a finishing touch to his chin. "You were laid up for a week with a sprained ankle somewhere about here, I think, two years ago, weren't you? And we nearly lost ourselves last night, trying a short cut."

"That was a happy time, Jack."

"Which?"

"When I sprained my ankle. I was nursed by the most charming girl. I wonder if she lives here now. We were like brother and sister before I went away."

"I've seen her, my boy. But you must take care; she's got a strapping young fellow hanging around who's as jealous as Othello. I'm afraid I've caused a little heart-burning already. Oh, I'm a sad dog!"

"What a fool you are, Jack."

"All right; don't make yourself one as well. Here's the old dragon."

Frau Schwartz had heard voices, and came out to welcome the new arrival. She well remembered Linton, and received him with effusion.

"Nina will be back in a minute or two, sir; she has only gone to milk the goats. She has grown since you saw her, sir."

"Ah, she was a girl then; I suppose she is a woman now."

"You shall see, sir—here she comes."

Linton watched her as she came down the road, not altogether pleased to see a tall young fellow with her.

On the other hand, Walter was so vexed at seeing two strangers, evidently waiting her return, that he had half a mind to turn back and retreat over the pass in anger. But his jealousy kept him near his betrothed; he could not let her out of his sight.

"Well Nina," said Linton, as she came up, "I've come back, you see, as you asked me two years ago."

"I am glad to see you, sir," she replied demurely, for she felt that Walter's eyes were on her.

"Frau Schwartz made me expect to find you quite a woman, but you are still my little Mina, I see. Are you grown too big to be kissed now?"

"Don't be a fool, Charlie," whispered Hardy to him; "can't you see that fellow looks as if he would like to murder you?"

But the question had already been decided by Nina's drawing back her hand from Linton's and walking up to Walter. The latter, however, did not look at her, but gazed moodily across the valley.

"A sweet youth that," remarked Linton, carelessly.

In the meantime Walter was clenching his hands in his pockets, and muttering to himself: "She told me she did not know where he was, and he was in the house all the time. And he would have kissed her."

CHAPTER II.

"Well, Charlie, I suppose we are to push on to Werhausen to-day," said Hardy, as they sat outside the cottage next morning over their breakfast.

"Yes, I suppose so. Where's Nina vanished? I want some more milk."

"You've about a pint left; let Nina alone, my boy. As it is, that fellow Walter seems unable to make up his mind whether to be angrier with you or with Nina. Look at him now; his scowl is enough to turn the milk sour."

"Oh, bother Walter; I've come twenty miles out of my way to see Nina, and I shall ignore Walter's existence for the next hour. I suppose we ought to start at nine."

"Yes, and we shall have all our work cut out, for I don't mean to try any more short cuts without a guide."

"Perhaps Nina can tell us whether we can get one. I'm going to see, at any rate. Nina!"

She came running out, and Linton made her sit down while he questioned her about the possibility of obtaining a guide to Werhausen. His excuse for detaining her was not a very happy one, for she at once said that Walter was returning in that direction to-day, and would be glad to guide them.

Hardy looked at Linton interrogatively.

"I wish, Jack, you would try to arrange it with him," said the latter; "he won't do it if I ask him, I'm afraid, and time is an object now."

"All right, I'll try what I can do," replied Hardy. "I think he'll come if only to insure our being at a distance from Nina."

Walter was not very tractable. At first he refused, but presently yielded, apparently because of some idea which had struck him. He recommended that a start should be made at once, to which no objection could be well made, so the friends packed up their knapsacks and were soon ready.

"Good-bye, Nina," said Hardy, holding out his hand; "don't forget me before this afternoon."

"Good-by, Nina," echoed Linton. "Come, Hardy, I'm ready. By Jove though, I've left my alpenstock in our room. Just get it for me, Walter."

Walter had brought out the baggage from the room, so he could not refuse to do as he was requested. The moment he disappeared Linton drew Nina to him and kissed her.

"That's a good-bye kiss, Nina, for I suppose you'll be married long before I come back to Switzerland again. Mind you don't tell Walter."

But, as Hardy knew, there was no need to tell Walter. The bed-room window overlooked the group, and the lover had been a spectator of what had happened. Hardy saw his face for a moment with an angry flush upon it, but he did not see the intense hatred which shot from his eyes as he drew back into the room. However, in a few moments he came out apparently calm. He kissed Nina and the frau, who came out at the last moment with the bill she had been concocting, and soon the travelers were only a speck in the distance to the inhabitants of the cottage.

Linton did not give thought to the jealousy which he had excited in Walter's mind; in fact, he was scarcely aware of its existence. He did not know that the guide's was an intensely passionate and suspicious temperament; that for one thing he knew he imagined a dozen; that he always made his visits to Nina unexpectedly in order to know whether she had any other admirers than himself. Had he known all this he might have taken seriously the taciturn way in which the guide plodded on, never offering an observation and replying as little as possible to what was said. He even refused a cigar which Hardy offered him, a very rare thing for a guide to do.

"I shan't be sorry when we drop our new acquaintance," remarked Linton; "he is very uninteresting."

"I shan't care if that's his worst fault," replied Hardy.

"He certainly has one rather more annoying; he seems to be able to pick out the worst bits of ground in the district. I'm getting tired already, and we haven't walked three hours."

"And with one rest. This is a most wretched sort of a wilderness. Have you ever been near here before?"

"Never. I'm utterly out of my reckoning."

"It seems to me," said Hardy, "that Werhausen lies a great deal more to the north, while he is working us continually to the west."

"Ask him."

Hardy did so, but elicited no answer except that the way they were going was the right one.

"But look here," exclaimed Linton testily, as they had helped each other up the rock, "we don't want to do any climbing to-day; and we want to get to Werhausen, and the road can't be over a mountain."

"If you are not content to follow me," replied Walter surlily, "it would be best for you to go your own road."

This was a finish to the conversation for, as the tourists had already supposed, they were utterly out of the ordinary track, and neither of them had an idea of their position. Linton received the man's impertinent answer with a philosophic shrug, resigning himself to the unpleasantness of a harder walk than he had anticipated, but Hardy, who had caught sight of his face as he spoke, began to feel seriously uneasy.

"I say, Charlie," he said, "don't do anything to make that fellow angry."

"Make him angry? It's the other way, I think. I'm getting fairly savage with him for leading us this dance."

"I wouldn't tell him so if I were you."

"Why not?"

"Well, you see, if he were to become unpleasant it would be rather awkward for us, wouldn't it?"

"I don't see that; we are two to one. Besides, why should he turn unpleasant?"

He saw you kiss Nina this morning.

"Did he? I can't help it; he shouldn't have been looking."

"Unfortunately, he was, and I can't help thinking he means to pay us out."

"You think he is taking us this round by way of administering a lesson to us? By Jove! if I thought so"

"Do keep still, Charlie; don't make him angry."

"Why, what on earth's come over you, Jack? Surely you aren't afraid of that fellow?"

"Yes, I am; I confess it."

"Why, I believe I could tackle him single-handed, and I'm sure you could."

"Yes but we are in his power. If he means mischief he has nothing to do but to choose his time for doing it."

"Good heavens, Jack! do you mean that he thinks of losing us on the mountain?"

"I don't say he does, but I fear it. And if he does, how can we prevent it? All he has to do is to suddenly run off; we can never overtake him, as he knows very well. In half an hour he would be out of our sight, and we—where should we be?"

Linton grew pale, but recovered himself. They were now walking along the side of a buttress of the mountain up which they had been toiling. The ascent was very gradual and they could talk without undue exertion. Walter was a couple of yards in front, stolidly striding along.

"What shall we do, Jack?" asked Linton, who recognized in his companion a stronger mind. "Is it any good to tell him that I meant nothing by kissing Nina, and that I shall never see her again?"

"No, no; we must not let him suspect us or it is all up. When we come to a good place we will propose stopping to eat something; one of us must keep near him all the time. Or, better still, you must get faint and insist on taking his arm. You must never let it go; as long as he is with us we are safe, for I scarcely expect his wish for revenge is strong enough to let him risk his own safety."

"I believe he means to thoroughly tire us out before he does anything, and that won't take long so far as I am concerned; my legs are beginning to give way, and he is going on as fresh as paint. Let's bring matters to a crisis."

"Hi, Walter!" exclaimed Hardy, "we're getting hungry. We'll stop here and have some bread and cheese."

"There is a much better place a little further on," replied the guide, "where there is a spring."

"Shall we go on?" whispered Hardy to Linton. "Be as careless as you can."

"As you like; if there is a spring it will be a blessing."

"All right; let's go on if it isn't far," said Hardy, aloud. "But my friend is knocked up; you must give him your arm and I'll take that knapsack if you like."

Linton moved forward and took his arm. Hardy had already taken hold of the knapsack so quickly that the guide had no time to move away, even if he wished. He made no objection to the proposal, and Linton put his arm through his. Hardy kept close in the rear. They still talked to each other, for they knew that Walter did not understand English.

In this manner they plodded wearily on for another mile, no slight distance when the path is over rocks and loose stones. The scene was a most impressive one, but at present its exceeding desolation was the characteristic which the two friends felt most strongly. Not a house was in sight, and scarcely a tree; nothing but bare rocks and earth. Below lay a deep, dark valley, with a rushing torrent, which now looked like a mere white thread; above them black rocks, capped with everlasting snow. For all that they could tell theirs were the first human footsteps that had ever fallen in this desolate spot.

Walter had spoken truth. There was a spring ahead of them, and the sight revived their spirits. They took it in turns to drink, one filling the cup while the other mounted guard over the guide. The latter seemed to be conscious by this time that he was the object of suspicion, but his action and look did not alter. He ate his crust and drank his water without making any attempt to move away from them, and Hardy half began to hope that he had been wronging him. At any rate he determined to make one more attempt at conciliation.

"What time shall we reach Werhausen, Walter," he asked.

"I shall get there about six," he replied.

"Allowing how long for rest?" asked Hardy, purposely taking no notice of his using the word "I."

"You can rest as long as you like," was the answer, "but I am going on."

"What do you mean? We've hired you as our guide, and you'll have to stop or go on as we wish."

"I am not your guide. I would not take money from you if I were starving. I brought you here to take you away from Nina. It will be a long time before you find your way back there again, my fine young gentlemen."

This was a declaration of war, and all felt it to be so. Walter rose and faced them, standing about two paces off.

Hardy looked straight at him and said:

"Do you mean that you have brought us out of our way because of some harmless flirting with Nina?"

"Yes," shouted Walter, losing all command of himself, and making his voice echo down the mountain: "yes, you would come with your full purses and your smiling faces to turn her away from me, who loves her and works for her, and lives from week to week on the chance of seeing her. You give her fine presents which she wears, and she tells me with an innocent smile that she does not know where the gentleman who gave them to her has gone, and ten minutes afterward I find him at the cottage and wanting to kiss her. She little thinks I saw him kiss her this morning when he sent me in to get his alpenstock. But now it is my turn; you are in my power."

Hardy stepped forward to seize him, but he stretched out his hand.

"Did you hear that?" he asked. "Look down the valley."

A roll of thunder reverberated from mountain to mountain, and instinctively the two friends looked down into the dark valley below them. At the same moment, with a mocking laugh, Walter sprang down the rock. His ruse had succeeded, and they were alone on the mountain.

But his triumph was a short one. Exasperated beyond measure at the trick, and desperate at the state of affairs, Hardy seized a stone as large as his two fists and threw it after the retreating guide. He was a good cricketer, and his missile sped truly, hitting Walter on the left shoulder. With a cry he fell forward, rolling over several times before he stopped. The two friends leaped wildly down the mountain in pursuit, reaching him while he was still on the ground. Linton seized him with a grip that showed that he meant to give him no further chance of escape, when a groan broke from the guide's lips.

"Gently, Charlie," said Hardy, "you're hurting him; I'm afraid he's broken something. What is the matter, Walter?"

"My arm," replied the guide feebly, "I think is broken."

Hardy knew something of surgery, so he examined the arm, and found it was broken below the elbow. It had become doubled up underneath him as he fell. Hardy tore up their handkerchiefs and bound the arm up, after setting it as well as he could; a shirt from his knapsack was made into a tolerable sling, and when all had been done that could be done, they helped Walter back to the spring and bathed his shoulder and head, the one bruised by the stone and the other by the fall. He received their attentions without thanks, but without any objection.

He was evidently in great pain, and appeared to have forgotten the recent excitement he was in.

"Now, Walter," said Hardy, after a short rest, "do you feel well enough to walk again? You can take my arm, and when I'm tired Linton will help you along. We must rest every now and then, we don't feel very fresh. How far is it to the nearest house?"

"Two hours' walk away there is a cottage; we can't reach Werhausen to-night. We must start at once or we shall have the storm upon us."

Without more talk they arose and set off. It was a weary tramp; they began by retracing their steps for nearly an hour, and then turned off by the side of a pine forest in the direction of Werhausen. By this time it had come Linton's turn to help the invalid, and he could not refrain from telling how mistaken he was about Nina.

"She had no idea I was coming to the cottage; I did not know it myself till a few days ago. And that necklet that I gave her two years ago was when she was a child and nursed me when I sprained my ankle. Besides, Walter, when she found that you were angry with her for wearing it, she determined to give it back to me. Look here, here it is; she gave it to me before breakfast this morning, when you saw us together, and were so savage about it."

"Is that all true?" he asked.

"Every word, on my honor."

"Then I have been a jealous fool, and have come very near being something worse. I would have killed you if I had dared as we climbed up the side of the mountain this morning, and now you are saving my life, though you know I meant to leave you on the mountain to die. But look, the storm is coming; you must run and leave me. The cottage is around the next point; you will get there in time."

"No, you must come too; walk as fast as you can."

"No, leave me; I will shelter under this rock until it is over."

"Nonsense! You'll never be able to walk a yard by yourself. Lean on me as much as you like."

Walter had been getting more feeble during the last half hour, and he once or twice showed symptoms of fainting; it would have been almost certain death to leave him alone now with a storm rapidly approaching. So the two friends toiled painfully on with their heavy burden, footsore and weary, and scarcely able to drag one foot before the other. They had abandoned all hope of reaching the cottage before the storm broke; they knew that when it had once begun there was very little chance of proceeding and hope of safety had almost died.

Suddenly, however, they caught sight of a peasant making all speed for the cottage; they shouted to him and he came to their assistance. Another moment and the rain came, a thick mist filled the air, and, for all they could tell, they might be a hundred miles from the little chalet. Fortunately, the peasant knew the vicinity of his home blindfold, and, after a struggle against the tempest, they were safely housed from its fury.

A night's rest revived the strength of the three. Under Walter's willing guidance they accomplished in a few hours the rest of the distance to Werhausen, where medical aid was procured. Before they parted Walter took Linton aside and begged him to let him have the necklet which Nina had returned to him.

"I will give it to her again," he said, "and will ask her to wear it always, and when I feel suspicious or jealous again I shall look at it, and it will remind me of the time we have spent together on the road to Werhausen."