The weekly Butte record., 1862-04-05
The Mad Guide

village at the foot of the Alps The house
where l had taken up my temporary abode
was on the outskirts OF the village; aud its
exterior was one of the most picturesque had
ever seen. Rich plants climbed and clustered
over II to the very roof and it was surrounded
by garden which was very wilderness of
roses. Inside, however, the cottage presented
no appearance of beauty or even of comfort !:
the furniture was rude aud most scanty, and
the room had singular air OF desolation. Ny
host was tall, raw-boned man iu the prime of
life, but gaunt and grizzly, with high shoulders
and STOPPING gait. His manner was quiet.
almost sulen, but respectful and found that
Camille Desmard (his name) was known thro'
the village as one of the best hunters of the
district His wife had died few weeks prior
to my visit, very suddenly. as | had heard,
during her husbands absence on the mountain
Since that event the widower had been much
detected, for be had no child to enliven his
desolate home, and the neighbors though kind,
could not, with all their attempts at consola-
ton, cause him to forget his loss. | had passed
several days in repose, for had journeyed
somewhat hastily. when, weary of naction,
resolved to visit the mountains. Accordingly,
accompanied by my host. set out, intending
to ascend the Wedger Mountain, from the
summit of which, as | was informed, mag
niieent prospect could be obtained But once
fairly on my route, my guide dissuaded me
from ms original intention and influenced by
his Representations, decided upon ascending
the Jungfrau.
We toied our way laboriously across vast
glaciers, and over immense rocks of fallen snow;
several times l slipped, and barely recovered
my balance in time to save my life. To add
to our difficulties a storm came on. and we
were half blinded by the fierce lightning and
and the descending rain. The thunder, also.
which rolling increasingly, mingled with the
roar Of the rushing avalauches, every few min
utes added to the sublimily OF the scene
Around US the snow crowned peaks of the
Dent Argent, the Wengen the Wetterhorn,
and others loomed at intervals through the
mist and driving rain a glorious scene it
would have been could have beheld it unob-
scured by clouds in all the glory which the sun
gives to these gittering masses of ice and
snow.
Bulfeted by the wind aud halfblinded by
the driveling sleet, the way became obscure
and perilous, and at length my guide proposed
that we should take shelter in a mountain
recess which lay directly in our path.
We were now just above that torrent which
falls in an immense sheet of snowy foam for
several hundred feet down the rocks and be-
willered and almost deafened by the combined
noise of the thunder, the torrent and the ava
lanches, it was with feeling Of relief that |
the shelter of which | was half dragged by my
guide, without whose assistance | certainly
never should have discovered it. The entrance
was a mere hole, so small that a c0rpplent
person would have found it difficult to enter
however, We forced ourselves through, and pas
sing along a corridor narrow, but widening as
we advanced, we entered q cavern 1t was
very dark, but my guide with great ceierity
kindled light, and then saw that we were
within a subterranean gorge the rugged bro
ken floor of which seemed in the distant gloom
to be slopng downward to an immeasurable
abyss. Completely exhausted, dropped upon
tn rocky floor, and with my hands pressed to
my temples, endeavored to collect myself
After a few moments l raised myself and
looked around the cavern, over the mysterious
gloom of which the torch of my guide shed q
lurid light.
Crossing the cavern in almost a straight
line, there ran deep cbasm, which it was ap-
parenty impossible to pass, but wishing to
examine our position, l signifed to my guide
wish to explore the cavern lie had been
leaning upon his pole, abstractedly looking at
the ground, but he now raised his head and
then for the first time perceived gloomy fire
in his large eyes, and an unsettled expression of
countenance which startled me-
However, he addressed me with his usual
quiet courtesy, and proceeding onward with
the torch, directed ME to follow, which l did
and we speedily found ourselves before an i'm
mense mass of snow and ice, which, oozing
through an immense cleft in the roof of the
cavern lone of the fssures Of the Cavern FORM
ed natural dridge, over which we passed
As we did so, perceived, with shudder of
fear and horror, that, far down in the almost
impenetrable blackness Of the chasm there lay
a corpse, the features of which, from the action
of the intense cold. were preserved almost per
feet. Once safely on the opposite side, called
my guides attention to the fact. but repented
my precipitation when | saw the strange ex-
preston which crossed his face.
Do you know, monsieur he exclaimed,
grasping my arm with violence. ' that there is
the corpse of my brother Fearful Justice