The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-24
tCopysight secured according TO Iaso.l
For the National Era.
JASPER: A ROMANCE.
BY EDWARD SPENCER.
For the National Era.
BY EDWARD SPENCER
XII.
Hon. Jasper flashed the Gold.

way to despair. There seemed no chance, no
prospect, no hope of being saved. Before |
could think, almost, deathly sickness came
over me- and tainted How long the swoon
lasted cannot say, except that when revived
and looked around me, it was night, and the
stars were shining brightly, while the moons
yellow orb was just rising above the dimmed hori-
ION. Rising painfully and with difficulty to my
feet, found that the wound was very stiff and
sore, but the hemorrhage had evidently ceased,
as the blood had got dry upon my shirt. But
this was very small consolation. What to
do? | knew not. | was, in fact, entirely be-
wildered, half crazed. The wound had given
me terrible fever, and | was parched with
raging thirst, that caused more acute agony
than even that which had experienced in my
memorable open-boat voyage. Then, it was
simply long-continued want of water, but now,
it was the fierce intensity of positive thirst, that
was as unreasoning as it was urgent | was
frantic, mad, delirous, with the increasing fever.
Water, water, water, was my only thought, my
only cry. | did not think Of the stream which
was hurting itself down the mountain side,
scarcely mile off. | was too crazy to reflect.
There, above me, were the glaciers, the ice
fields, where | could roll myself on the cooling,
soothing mass, crunch the delicious snow into
my mouth by handfuls, and put the scorching
wound under its gentle anesthetic influence.
OFF | hurried at once, leaving the path, and
climbing directly up the mountain, with all the
speed / could. What followed / only remem-
Der as one remembers dream, out of whose
confused mazes he is suddenly awakened. /
have an indistinct recollection ofshow plunged
on, leaping from rock to rock, regardless of
every obstacle, in mad fury, my brain feeling
as if it were of molten lead and my veins thrOb-
bing as if every pulse were an individual heart
in desperatest palpitation; of how l fell, and
yet would rise and go on, pulling myself upward
over the rough surface by my torn and bleed
ing hands ofAinging away recklessy everything
that encountered me-coat, blanket, rifle, revol-
vers thinking only Of the snow, the white gilt
tering snow, the cool refreshing snow, the snow
above there, that was to save me, or that was
to die upon Of thinking in my mad mood what
a fine death that would be, upon the white
bosom of the eternal glacier, the wild winds
chanting my requiem, the SHOWS my grand
immaculate winding sheet and embaimed fo..
spices of the Egyptians could accomplish for the
kings in Karnac | have vague, dim remem-
brance of how at last | reached the glacier s
edge, and flung myself upon it, as the return
inc prodigal filings himself upon his mother
bosom; (ah, will ever go back thus!) OF lap
ping the snow, and rolling in it, as one would
in a luxurious bath, after day of toll IN sum-
mer of being benumbed, and feeling strange
dull dread shivering in my bones; Of rising,
and trying to walk away, having still conscious
ness enough to know that it would be death to
stay there; of my feet slipping on the smooth IN
clined surface; of something, as 1t were yield
inc. and giving way beneath me and then'suc-
ceeds a vaguest sense of falling or being liftei,
| knew not which, far far through the cutting
air, with roaring, rushing sound in my ears
falling down, down, down, for centuries, whle
all was dark and drear around me-thena
crash, brief, sharp pressing of my life out, as
if a mountain had fallen upon me, and after
that long, long blank.
"Out of this Inconsistencies | was reused
by a rough shake, that sent sharp aching
through all my sore bones. 1t was daylight
and found myself in a place that was entirely
strange and novel to my eyes. 1t was little
valley, apparently, very green and quiet above
me rose the mountain side almost perpendicu
larly. with the white glaciers near the top; la.
upon a soft turf, green, and besprinkled every
where with a little blue flower; and the gurgl'
of a brook, near by, came soothingly to my ears
: AS | laid | could see the whole of the lovel
little valley, scarce half a mile wide, and no
more than five miles in length shut in by tn
: mountains on every side, and, far above, tn
5 calm blue sky, over which sailed fast one littl
/, heecy cloud, as | had seen the white-winge'
alba:ross soar over at the Cape. | remembe
that vision of a valley with infinite distinctness
= and recall how pleasantly / reflected on 1T
: beauty, thinking to myself that Prince Rassela
T had grown up to manhood and melancholy IL
ust such lovely land locked place, from whcl
: l wondered how it was possible for him to long
n 10 escape. The trees grouped themselves as
9 they had wished to tickle some artists fin,
!, fancy; the green meads sloped away from tn
: brook with gentle roll and rise a few catt
1 and goats were quietly browsing here and there
| and thought could detect, through the tree
at the farther end of the valley the blue smoke
that gave token of mans propinquity. CLOSED
my eyes again, bordering upon what pleasan
dream it was, and how | would like to live il
such dream, with Ruth for my dream-wi
and dream children of mine to tumble sporting
ly over the soft grass, and make themselves
wreaths of these sweet blue flowers, when
heard step by my side, and, looking up saw
!, John, the Indian whose life had saved from
the inpetuous clutches of Judge Lynch. He
held D gourd of water to my lips, of which
drank heartily, and then looked at him. He
| smiled, and laid his hand on his breast, as il
to express his joy at seeing me alive.
90 Ne Fink you dead as devil, fall so high,
said he, pointing up to the mountain side.
| a looked up with shudder towards the
white glacier that seemed so far away Did
! | fall from there?'
90 Yes, and no bones breaked. Cause good
to poor Injun, Great Spirit good to you, same
way
Here was rational assigning of cause and
effect. that might well make the skeptical near
s;uhtedness of our civilized philosophy pause
and reflect. But was too weak and bewilder.
ed to revolve metaphysic and doctrine then.
-. What place is this, JohnY'
81 Bad Injun home. Real devil, them. Mus