Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-12-20

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uuivered with horror. lie looked
around TO sec if there was not some
possible chance of escape. On either
side smooth ice walls arose, emitting
blush steel glitter. He felt that he
was buried alive 80, God why was
not instantly killed ?" he exclaimed,
in the agony of despair; and then, as
better thoughts swayed, he thanked the
Almighty, with whom nothing is impos-
sible, for his safety thus far, and prayed
to Him for guidance and deliverance.
His next thought was of his gun.
When it was found that he did not re-
turn, his neighbors would certainly
search for him, and, by firing the gun,
he could attract their attention. Vain /
hope Search as he would, he could /
find nothing of it. Even if he had dis /
eoverd it, it would have been useless, for /
his powder-horn was gone as well. Over
and over he turned the showdown |
deep he dug into it, until his hands
burned Ike fire. and great drops OF per-
spiration rolled from his forehead
until his arms grew stiff and sore, and
he was forced to give up his useless labor
from sheer exhaustion. With his back
against the frozen prison-WaliS, he
bI8oked aloft, and saw the great vulture,
sailing upon its immense and tlreless
wings. around the mouth of the chasm
and the strong man shuddered, as he
shook his fist defantly. and murmured,
with his hoarse voice, 'Your time has
not vet come He thought, also, of
his happy home, and his dear wife and
children and then, naturally,-tor he
was faint and hungry,--he thought OF
the food his wife had prepared for him.
Having eaten of the bread and goats
milk cheese, he drank Of the little bot
tie of wine, which strange to say, had
remained unbroken and then he
reasoned that it would be eowardly to
lie down and die without an effort, and
remembered the goodness Of God, and
once more fervently implored His help.
Then bold idea came to him. Why
might he not cut his way through the
solid ice q? He had hatched, such as
his class never travel without. All but
he was forgetful that the walls might be
hundreds OF feet thick; that they were OF
excessive hardness, and would soon
render blunt both hatehet and knife.
The bright hope that had been borne
within him was darkened by no such
shadow. For the time being, he knew
that he was safe. He was accustomed
to the cold. was warmly clad, could use
the skin of the ibex, in case Of need,
and its fesh.would drive away the wolves
of starvation for many day. A
brief rest, and he began the task, and
to;led faithfully until darkness forced
him to stop. \ night of uneasy rest,
breakfast of raw flesh of the ibex, and
he resumed his labors Another day OF
toll. and he again stretched himself up
on the skin Of the beast, wrapping 1t
around him as much as was possible, and
slept long and heavily, although there
had been sudden fall in the tempera-
ture. and it was now excessive cold.
For four DAYS he toiled thus, his only
food the raw and frozen flesh OF the
ibex. fer four nights he slept within the
hole he had cut in the thick icevas4s,-
closing up the entrance, and thus obtain
ing partial shelter from the chilling
blasts. Once, he heard the firing OF
ouus. and his heart beat wildly within
him. He dropped his dulled hatched,
crawled to the centre Of the ehasm, and
shouted with all his remaining strength.
shouted until his strained voice was
reduced to the very ghosts Of hoarse
whisper. He knew his friends were IN
search of him. and imagined that he
eould hear his name called, but could do
nothing to attract their attention and
as the firing grew fainter, and further
and further away, he flung himself down
weeping and wringing his hands. The
, last plank to which he had olung hac
been shivered. His ueighbors anC
friends had come and gone. They woulC
.aga- .soarob that Part Of the mQpptalI
! AGAIN. None would ever know OF his tate
He was buried in an icy tomb until tn
last trump should sound, and hot flashes
t of fame dissolve the frost work aroun'
: him.
With his mind trembling on the verg
: of madness, oyerpowered by sorrow
1 crushed by bitter agony, he fell baeI
, insensible, and lay for long time upoC
the cold, damp snow, that must soon b
his winding-sheet. The black yuitur
5 fiapped his wings above him, and n
+ knew nothing of it. After some hour
the hunters consciousness returned
5 tborqb he was far too much crushed i
P body and soul to resume his, labors. Ii
e erept into the little cavern he had eS
n eavated, Cwould it not soon be to him
IS tomb p and gave passionate vent to h
II griefs. For many weary hours nothin
y Dasseed his lips, and with aching hea
I'd and fevered brain, with trembling hmF
and convulsive sobs, he prayed for d
re liverance,-if by no other hand, at lea
10 by the the skeleton one Of death.
OF 1t was rayless, sunless, starless darl
u ness in the icy cavern, when Il
lg springs of his life again became capab
H. of action. He was rayenously hungr
H. and arose to satisfy hunger with po
a, ton of the ibex he had left remainil
ad outside in the chasm. He felt aroup
but c0ulu ulScpfe+ ~ cu'lNt-
'S' been frozen in,-shut out from Go'
"a, blessed sunshine forever Nothing b
ait smooth ice met his burning and blist'
LAT ing fingers, Then, after an hou
! search, ke found soft spot, and
he stantly solved the mystery. lie kn
OIL there must have been a heavy fall
2 snow in the night, and that it had dri
an ed into and blocked up the opening a
rty with the strength Of despair, he SO
aot dug through 1t was still snowi
ear heavily, the fakes falling like sr
feathers around and he drew the re
en- aant of the carcass of the ibex into
md cave, and made another rude meal. \
cry thus refreshed, a new hope was b.
ay /; within him, and again the iee-walls
up sounded the blows of his little hatch
BILE But il was slow work, aud much Of
had time was taken up in clearing the eh
ght from the little grOtto.
led, A week past away week OF
gg- most severe toll and terrible anxiety
and vet he was not disheartened.
,ex trust in God had returned, and love
ice his wife and dependent children K
lie olive his often-sinking heart. be