The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-11-30

opened far. far dosn iato The hears OF ,a
mountain. Il vas about four feet Ia xidsh
x,gxsy in shape, and emitted strongly th
peculiar as3or before meAsiuneA A ssnall
srickiing stream, from melting lager sf is
above, vas running into it; b0t eosl
only see that il ~as lost = The deep dark
usss be.ov, from which came up kisd .
Kissing, boiling, surxing sossd. With ssme
thing ike sumbliuS shock as slight later
walls, aud puts Of heated air.
The place, the scene, and vi,Aal th
scenes u danger conaecssd With H. hess
me there With. . sort Of magic fascination
and soon fosad myself stroagly scnptr,
to make fatal plunge into tho a~ful abyss
Knowing by experience that rssseA Is Do
always able Ia govern and control the 40
,ion. in such oAses, forcsd nysslf back I
few feet, but s,,il remained near the open
ing. deaf to the snirea,iss of my fr,ghssuet
guide, who now began 90 inplors Ne 70 ~.
turn before il should b - bAae@ sAe ID,
dread volcano had nos been ia acsion 70,
more than thirty years before his birth,
believed that he could know 10 more Of III,
danger than my self, and therefore prefervst
10 act from the dicra;es Of my own feelings
rather than his fears; and as | was To pay
aim we'll for his services, felt but little dis
posed 20 be hurried from q place which bad
c's, me 80 much time, money, and trouble
to visit. s
Giving no heed, therefore, to bis carnes,
solicitations, l resolved to sound, IL posi-.
bic, the depth Of the ehasm before me, and
then proceed to inspect the others; and for
this purpose pried of from alarger one =
small block OF lava, and advancing to the
very edge Of the chasm. dropped 1t down,
and listened TO the hollow reverberstions,
as It went bounding from side to side, long
after il was lost TO the eye. The depth
was SO Immense that heard it for more
than minute, and then the sound seemed
rather to die out from the distance than to
cease becanss Of the block having reached
its destination. II was an awful depth, and
fearfuily impressed me with the terrible
and as drew back with a ssudder, gust
Of hot, sulphurous air rushed and ronred
upward, follow by steam like vapor, aud
u heavy, hollow sound, as If q cannon had
been discharged far down in the bowels Of
the earth.
This new manifestation Of the powers Of
Nature fairly startled me into q desire for
tlisht, and had already turned for the pur.
pose, when suddenly there came sor, Of
rumbing crash, and the ground, shaking,
heaving and rolling under ME, began to
crumble of into the dread nbyss. 1 wss
thrown down, and, on my hands and knees,
praying God for mercy, was scrambling
over it and upward, to save myself from y
most horrible fate, when two blocks, rolling
together, ctught my feet and legs between
Z hem md Wifhn,t ocfnuitv hal
them as il in vice. Then came another
crash and crumble, the lava sid away from
behind me, and was left upon the very
verge of the awful gulf. now wideued to
some fifteen or twenty feet, down into which
looked with horror strained eyes. only to
see darkness and death below, and breathe
tho almost sufoca,ing vapors that rushed
up from that seemingly bottomless pit.
Oh, the horrors Of that awful real,zation!
what pen or tongue can portray them?-
there, u helpless but conscious prisoner,
suspended over the mouth Of black and
heated abyss, to be hurled downward by the
next great thrae OF trembling nature.
"Hrlp help! help for the love Of God,
help" | screamed in the very agony Of a
wild despair. s...aa as -. 20. y.-s
! looked up and around to catch glimpse
Of my guide, but he was gone. aud had
nothing to rely on but the mercy Of Il'aven;
aud prayed to God, as l never prayed be, /
fore, for - forgivness of my SINS, that they
m ght not follow me o judgment. Il might
be q second, it might he a minute, il might
DC IN hour, that should have thus to IN
iergo a living death; bu. be the time long
Dr. short, felt there was No escape from
loom that even now makes me grow pale
md shujier when think OF il. Above me
was u clear blue sky-bcneath me black
and horrible abyss-around me sickcning
vapors that made my brain grow dizzy
and kissing sounds, warned me
hat another convulsion nigh, occur at any
moment, and another would be the last OF
ne. Home and friends lshou!d never see
again, and my tomb wauld be the volcanic
liecla ] strove, with the madness Of dcs-
peratipn, to d,ssDgage ms imprisoned limbs,
bus might as well have attempted to move
I m buntain. There I va. fixed and and fast
,ned for the terrible death | vas waiting.
Dh. God Of m Grey what a f.tei
Suddenly heard shout and. looking
Z brheid. With feelings that Gao.
rot describe, my fsitbfal guide Fastening
iown the rugged sides OF the crater to my
-eiief. lie hnd fei in terror Mt the fast
slarming demonstration, bnt had nub'v re-
turned 10 save ne, II possible, by riskine
,is life for mine. May God reward him A.
,e.dsseryes. -.s.. s..
81 warned you, mas.cr," hs said, as he
,ans up painting, his eyes half startled from
,is head, aud his whole cOunieDancs ex-
PRESSING commingled terror and pity.
..iou did! you did !" cried |. '.bdt oh!
'orgive and save met
..You are already forgiven, master, and
Will savs you il can--save or perish With
;ou."
Instantly be set 10 work with his IRON
,ointed stick to break the lava around my
imb., but had scarcely make any progress
= ten the earth trembied, and the blocks
parted, one of them rolling down into the
'axning chasm with dull, hollow snund.
sprang fofwafd--I seized hand OF the
,uiie--we both struggled hard, and the
,ext moment we hsd both fallen, locked 10
zach others arms, upon the solid earth above.
was free, but still! upon the verge Of the
,is, and ny moment We might both be hufl-
ID to destruction.
ssQaiek, ma.ser!' cried the guide; cup.
~. and run for your iifer'
/ asgered 10 my feet, with Wild cry Of
,ope and fear, ani, half supported BY my
aiihfsl companion, hurried up the sloping
Iiies Of the crater. As We reached the
.idge above, the ground shook With 4 heavy
snd, looking back, beheld With
error . dark. smoklsg pit, unese we hsd
10 lately stood.
And then, without waiting 70 see more, i
urnci and fed over the rough ground ~
as, ss my bruised limbs would let ne. We
cached our horses in safety, and hurryine
Issn tbs mountain, gave the alarm TO the
Ii!lager., uho joined rs in our Eight across
be country tilf safe distance vas gained.
Here ] bsde adieu 70 my faithful guide,
eusriiog him - . man grateful fos shs
reservation Of bic life might Be supposed
. do.