The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-03-29

| ludge) about two feet deep, had fallen, so
lat my head hung down on one side, my
l-gs on the other. Instinctively and imme-
| dlately, by means which | cannot at all recall,
| raised myself from this ledge, in which
here was a little niche sufficiently wide TO
admit one foot. was now so faI collected
that could hear my fellow traveller saving
from above, We never expected to hear your
voice again. For Gods sake, take heart
The guide is running to Montanvert for
men and ropes, and Will soon be back a.
gain
III he is not, answered, 1 shall never come
up alive
My position was an awful one. The little
ledge was So narrow that ! could not get
both feet upon ii. was in fact supporting
myself upon one leg, half leaning against one
side of the crevasse and pressing nv head a.
gainst the opposite side 1t was perfectly
smooth and there was nothing to grasp. A
stream of water poured over nv shoulders.
drenching me to the skin, ard freezing me
with lis icy coldness. Overhead l could see
the long narrow strip of blue sky, bounded
by the mouth of the crevasse. There was a
terribly stolid unreenting look in the in
tensely blue ice that surroundt d me on all
sides. The grim walls of the crevasse look
ed as if tfey would unite 10 crush me rather
than relinqaish their victim. Numerous rills
OF water poured INTO the crevasSe. but in tn
whcle sixty yards of It's length could see no
projection except the little ledge had so MI
racu!ously chanced To fall upon.
Hontured TO look down only for an m
stant, into the fearful chasm IL which was
suspended. At the depth to which had fal
len, the orevassc was barely TWO feet wide
but downward It narrowed rapidly. and about
two hundred feet telow me the sides appear
ed 10 join. believe that If | had Iallen siA
inches Oh either side of the little ledge |
must inevitably have been jammed in head
downward where no ropes that could have
been brought there coulc possibly have reach
ed ne
had now been about twenty minutes
standing IN this perilous position. straining
every nerve to preAent myself from giving
way, looking up al the blue sky above me-
and the clear ice on all sides, but seldom dar-
ing 10 cast glance into the abvss below
Blood WIS trlckiins over me- from a cut in
my cheek, and fell that nv right leg vas
becoming exceedingly painful from the STRAIN
upon Il. and was afraid # losing nv bal
ance If tried 10 relieve myself BY changing
10 the other. :rlt that was becoming be
numbed by the intense cold e the ice agains,
which ! was leaning, and of the stream of
water from which burst not move.
called to my fellow-trayeler 10 know il
any one were in sight There was no ar
s~er. called again No human being
seen cd 10 be- within hearing a dizzne..
cane over me, as the thought struck me, lie
has gone To- look if any help IS cDmi9g. and
hc cannot find his way back 10 the crevaSse
There are fundleds of them ! am lost
Again had 10 strain every nerve to keep
myself from sinking: almost gave up hope:
| felt inclined 10 throw mysslf down and have
the agony over. At that miserable tine.
sudGr!lil heard my friend shouting from "a
5ovc. He had gone % look if he
could discern the guide: and. when he turn
ed round "a retrace his >tcl had been thun-
derstruch 10 >ec the surface Of the glacier in
'c.>ectcd l'y innumerahc crevasses, all SO
similar IN appearance as to leave no land
mark hv which to know my living grave
Thank Heaven, He had caught sight Of :
.l,t.e knap>aik left al the mouth of the Gre
vase by the guide. This had directed him
back. called 10 him TO look a. his watch
':Tc minutes more were passed The cold
was growing more and more intense. Il !.
no figure q. Speech 10 say thai fe!t the blood
freezing II my Veins. called to him agai,.
to know if any one were III signt. Ii was
tti!ty minutes since the guido. had started.
but not 4 soul was visible Il was most M
likely that he could b,. back so soon. for w.
ourselves had been three quarters o.. an hour
in coming thus far
felt that could hold on; bat very short
time longer, and besides tnat. did moi know
Il what moment the little ledge which va.
my only safety might give wav under nv
weight. | remembered that had A iarsr
knife II my pocket. and determined 10 try
TO rescue myself with lis aid. | called 10 my
fellow Traveller above that | was going 70 A.:
tempt II. Tie lmp,oreI ne not to try: bu,
ny situation was becoming 81 desperate. that
did Try. began bv making little hole
IN the ice as high up Is could reach. large
enough to admit one talG. Nv next en-
deavor Was TO cut i deep .ootnole about ~
feet above the ledge. I succeeded in ,h;.
and found that by placing nv foot in il, hold
ing fast by the place lad made for nv hand
and AT the same time pressing with m, back
asaln>i the opposite side OF the crcvasse with
all my strength, was able 10 raise myself
and stand firmly in my ntw POSITION. Ia
gam let myself down on the ledcr. and COM
mencrd cutting another iootnole. about two
'eet above the last. 1t seemed 10 me that il.
this manner | might esca7, from my lev prs
on: but single slip or false step. and
Ane" must be precipitated down the ere
vase.
IwaS working diligently a, the second
to@thole. when heard i ioyful shout from. 3
boce. They are IN sight three men W; n
rope>-runniig as hard as they can
>teaIied myself on my terribly narrow
and sIlppery footing, in order 10 be able 70
seize and attach the rope when thrown 70
10 me. saw the end of il dangling over
my head 'Nerctrl God. it Wi no, reach
ne. 1t : tSc short
We have GOT another rope was answered
from above; and it was hnotted on and low
cred.
caught the end and tied it firmly about
my waist. Grasplns the rope above with
both hands. gave the word The strain be-
gan and felt that | was safe. In another
moment was on the glacier | had been
MY minutes III the creva>>e. during wnt.h
TINE Lad not lost Consciousness for s;r-
gle Instant.
" hen i"lt myself once more upon firm
fo"tlng, an all Deryading sense of gra-itu6,
lpf the wonderful escape had had came oye-
me and nlace me faint, and | should bay,.
fallen IT they had not held me up. This was
soon over an'i We prepared to start for Mo-
ian:ert. Before leaving took last 100.
at the crevasse which had SO nearly been r.,