Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-08-27

before Storm. The guides understood
too well It's meaning, and gazed on each
other in alarm. The ominous sound grew
louder every moment, till suddenly the
fierce Alpine blast swept in cloud of
snow over the breast Of the mountain.
and howled like an unclaimed demon thro'
the gorge below. In an instant all was
confusion, and blindness and uncertainty.
The very heavens were blotted out, and
the frightened column stood and listened
to the raving tempest that threatened to
lift the rockrooted pines that shrieked
above them from their places, and bring
down the very A ps amid the storm. g An
avalanche, an avalanche" shrieked the
guides, and the next moment an awful
white form came leaping down the noun
tain, and striking the column that was
struggling along the path, passed straight
through it II into the gulf below, carrying
thirty dragons and their horses along with
it in its wild plunge. The black form of
steed and its rider was seen for one mo-
ment suspended in mid heavens, and the
next disappeared among the ice and crags
below. The head of the column immedi-
ately pushed on, and reached the hospice
in safety, while the rear, separated from
it by the avalanche, and struck dumb by
this sudden apparition crossing their path,
with such lightning like velocity, and bear
ing to such an awful death their brave CON-
rades, refused to proceed, and turned back
to the village of SpuIgen. For three days
the storm ragged amid the mountains, fill
! al. !
ing avalanches into the path, till il became
so filled up that the guides declared it would
take fifteen days to open it again so as to
make it at all passable But fifteen DAYS
Macdonald could not spare. Independent
of the urgency of his commands there
was no way to provision his army in these
savage solitudes, and he must proceed.
| He ordered four of the strongest oxen
that could be found to be led in advance
by the best guides. Forty peasants fol-
lowed behind, clearing away and beating
down the snow, and two companies of
sappers came after to give still greater
consistency to the track, while on their
| heels marched the remnant of the comPa-
ny of dragons, part of which had been
borne away by the avalanche three days
before. The post of danger was given
them at their own request They present
ed a strange sight amid those Alpine soli-
tudes. The oxens, with their horns just
peering above the snow, toiled slowly on,
pushing their unwieldy bodies through the
drifts, while the soldiers up TO their arm
pits struggled behind. Not drum or
bugle note cheered the solitude or awoke
the echoes of those snow covered peaks.
soft snow, and the words of command
seemed smothered IN the very atmosphere.
Silently, uoiselessly, the mighty but disOr-
dered column stretched itself upward, with
naught to break the deep stiffness of the
wintry noon save the fierce paintings OF
the horses and animals, as with reeking
sides they strained up the ascent. This
day and the next being clear frosty days,
the separate columns passed in safety with
the exception of those who sunk in their
footsteps overcome by the cold and frost.
The successful passage of the columns
these two days, induced Macdonald TO
march the whole remaining over the next
day, and SO ordering the whole army tC
! advance, commenced on the 9Th of De.
cember the perilous ascent. But fresh
' snow had fallen the night previous, filling
g up the entire track, so that it had all to be
: made over again. The guides, expecting
3 a wind and avalanches after the fresh fall
Q of snow, refused to 90, till they were com
e PEELED to by Macdonald. Breast deep the
G army waded up the wild and desoate path
D making In six hours but six miles, or on
d mile an hour. They had moi advanced far
n however, when they came upon a huge
a block of ice and newly fallen avalanch,
e that entirely filed up the way. The guides
f halted before these new obstacles and re
q fused to proceed, and the head of the co
n lumn wheeled about and began its marcl
i down the mountain. Macdonald immedi
0 ately fastened forward, and placing him
self at the head of his men walked OF
! foot with long pole in his hand to sount
: the treacherous mass he was treading up
g on, while he revived the dropping spirit
d of the soldiers with words of encourage
. ment. "Sodiers" said he, "your desti
Is nies call you into Italy; advance, an
MI conquer first the mountains and the snoN
!. then the plains and the armies" Asia
: med 70 see their General hazarding hi
!. life at every step where they had refuse
> to go, they returned cheerfuIly to their tot
i But before they could effect the passage
: the voice of the hurricane was agai
/ heard on its march, and the next momer
. a cloud of driving snow obliterated ever
thing from view. The path was filled U
n and all traces Of il swept utterly away
\ Amid the screams of the guides, the col
s | E,sod cor,nr.nar,ds nf the officars aud ih