Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-01-05

made with The attendant precaution of axes or
ropes. We had neither. We we're in high spirits,
and went along at a great rate; go quick, indeed,
that our guide, who had fallen behind, ceutioned
us once or twice, and requested us to ALLOW him to
take and keep the lead.
just then our progress was arrested by a vide
crevesse. Looking to the left, | perceived that It
terminated, about twenty feet from us, in a steep
slope Of ice which ! thought | could easily climb.
As the creyasse was about sixty yards long, [ de-
termined TO try this slope rather than go round by
the other end,
Using my Alpinstock instead of an Ak, therefor,
| began making foot-holes in the ice with it. The
guide had now come up with US. lie looked as
the ice slope and the wide crevasse, and said very
seriously, at is dangerous, let US 60 round" By
this time had, by the aid of my Alpinstock,
climbed about half way up the slope Of ice. l had
already come to tie conclusion that it was too
steep to scale without an Ak, and had determined
to retrace my steps. So, when the guide had spo-
ken, | reached back my right leg, feeling for the
last hole | had made in the ice. My foot went
past the place, and | felt myself slipping; the
smooth surface offered not the least projection that
l could grasp, the slope became perpendicular, and
| fell head foremost into the yawning crevasse
below.
l heard q low cry Of despair from my fellow
traveller and the guide. My own sensations can
not be described, or even distinctly separated from
The whirl and shock. l felt that l was being
bumped from side to side between the walls Of ice;
that was falling a great depth; that l was going
to utter destruction; that 1 had lighted on q horri-
BILE death. Suddenly I felt that l was caught by
something; that l hung suspended in the air. l
was able to take my breath, and to call out for
"a rope q ropel
By the most extraordinary chance my fall had
been arrested By a little ledge of ice which span
ned the crevasse like a bridge. On this frail struc-
ture, not more than two inches wide at the top,
and, las well as could judge,) about two feet
deep, | had fallen SO that my head hung down on
one side, and my feet on the other. Instinctively
and Immediately, by means which l cannot recall,
/ raised myself from this dreadful position to o
standing one on the ledge, in which there was a
little niche sufficiently wide to admit one foot. l
was now 30 far collected that 1 could hear and un-
derstand my fellow-traveler saying from above,
1--WE never hoped to hear your voice again. For
Gods sake take heart. The guide has gone to
Montavert for men and ropesj he is running, and
will soon be back"
"If he is moi" l answered, ~ shall never come
up alive"
My position was an awful one. The little ledge
was so narrow that l could not &c. both my feet
upon it. l was, in fact supporting myself on one
leg, half leaning against one side of the crevasse
and pressing my hand against the opposite side.
1t was perfectly smooth, and there was nothing to
lo,o.n roona &c 80 na,. t
Iders, drenchiug me to the skin, and freezing me
with its icy cOldness. Overhead l could see the
narrow strip Of blue sky, bounded by the mouth
of the crevasse. There was a terrible stolid unre
Ilenting look in the intensely blue ice that surroup
ded me on all sides. The grim walls of the crev
asso looked as if they would unto and crush m,
rather than relinquish their victim. Nuuerou
rills of water poured into the c~revasse, but alony
the whole sixty yards of its length 1 could see n
projection except the little ledge on which / hac
=, so miraculously CHANGED to fall.
n | yentured to look down, only for an instant in
s to the fearful chasm in which 1 was suspended. A
= the depth to which l had fallen, the crevasse wa
barely two feet wide, but downward it narrowe,
n rapidly, and about two hundred feet below me tn
sides appeared to join. 1 believe that if ha
e fallen six inches on either side of the little ledg
| would have been jammed in head downward, a
It a depth where no ropes that could have bee
Q brought could have possibly reached me.
k had now been about twenty minutes standin
in this terribly perilous position, straining ever
nerve to prevent myself from giving way, lookin
up at the blue sky above me, and the clear ice o
all sides, but seldom daring to cast a glance iut
the terrible abyss below. Blood was tricklin
l over me from the cut 10 my cheek, and 1 felt thl
my right leg fortunately the idle onel was badl
bruised. In the meanwhile my left leg was b.
1t coming exceedingly painful from the strain upo
g it, and l was afraid of losing my balance if
tried to relieve myself by changing to the other.
IF felt that l was growing beuumbod by the intens
cold of the ice against which ! was leaning, an
IS Of the stream from under which l burst nj
id move.
at l called to MY fellow traveller to know if an
ID one were in sight. There was no answer. / cal
ot ed again. No human being seemed to be With
hearing. A dizziness came over me as Ii
d thought struck me, "He has gone to look if az
e help is coming, and be cannot find his way bac
to the crevasse. There are hundreds of them.
am lost"
Again l had to strain every nerve to keep m,
a self from sinking; | almost gave up hope; l fe
is inclined to throw myself down and have the agon
81 over. At that miserable time l suddenly heal
If my friend shouting from above. He had gone
look if the guide were yet in sight, and when /
ct turned round to retrace his steps, had been thu
er d%erstruck to sec the surface Of the glacier interse
e. ted with innumerable crevasses, all 80 similar
Id appearance as to leave him no landmark by whiC
Id to know my living grave. But, thank Heaven
had caught sight of a little ~knapsack left at Il
mouth of the crevasse, which had directed Li
Isl back.
at called to him to look at his watch-6vs mi
ng utes more we're past. The cold vas growing mo
intense; it lie no figure of speech that l felt as
nd the blood we're freezing in my veins. / called
at him again TO know If any one were in sight.