Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-04-07
A PERILOUs ADVENTURE.
THE ALPINE HUNTERS MII.ACU
JOUS ESCAPE.

L.
JOUS ESCAPE
There was no Drawer guide, or
more skillful hunter, that ever set
foot upon the Matterhorn, or crawl
ed over the dangerous GLACIERS of
Monte Rosa, than Uric Peterson.
He was a man of immense strength
and great daring; and had often track
ed the wilderness of snow when those
who followed the same calling will
ingiy remained in their cottages in
the we'll protected villages. He
laughed at his companions when
they talked of danger, and made
light of the fears of his good wife
when she trembIed at the bowling
of the fierce winds, or the avalanche
of snow that now and then swept
down with irresistible force upon the
little chalets. With well spiked
shoes, stout alpen stock, confidence
in himself, anda firm and feryent
trust in God, he avowed that man
was as safe upon the utmost cliffs of
the cloud piercing Matterhorn, as in
the brook threaded valley'of Tourma-
inches. But the timid heart of woman
hood could not look upon the matter
i'll the same light, although the trust
in the good Lord was equally strong;
and 50, when she saw him take down
his trusty rifle, powder horn and
heavily shod iron staff, one morning,
she chung to him, and begged that
he would not go upon the mountains.
There Is every sign of a storm, -
she said. "You know how terrible
they are We have food enough in
the cottage. Do stay at home with
the little ones.n
THAT would / wife," was the re-
ply, eff / had not seen an ibex as
was coming home yesterday evening
He was a stout old fellow, with huge
horns f.; and | fancied he was almost
laughing at me, as i crept around
the cliff upon which he was stand
ing"
"But Uric, think of the storm that
is certainly cOmingn
81 have been in many a one, and
care nothing for them. 1 love the
free whistling of the wind upon the
mountain tops, and the whirling of
the feathery snow. So, good wife,
get me something to eat. must he
off before the day dawns."
With a heavy sigh the woman did
As she was requested and with his
fond kiss still lingering upon her
lips, she saw him climb the noun
him from her view. Then she sank
upon her knees by the bedside of her
still slumbering children, and COM
mitted him into the keeping of that
God who had thus far preserved him
in the midst of every danger. Mean
time, Uric hastend on with a light
foot. 1t was still dark in the valley
But far above him he could see the
white peaks glittering in the dim
light of the morning. and the fast
paling stars. Higher and higher he
climbed and soon the sun arose,
shedding its rays of rosy gold upon
the ley piles, and making them flash
as if builded ofmyriad diamonds. To
a stranger it would have been a
dazzling sight, to the brave hunter
it had lost something of its charm by
familiarity, and he pressed onward
and upward. The road grew more
rough and difficult. He was obliged
to pick his way, to Chamber up steep
crags, but at last he reached the edge
of large glacier. He sat down and
rested a little time, satisfied hunger,
examined his shoes and the point of
his aipenstock, and again set bravely
forth, leaping the yawning chasms,
and guarding against trcacheroas
cracks.
a wall of polished ice rose before
him. and he knew that he would have
To scale 1T before he could get within
sho, of the game. With great diff
Guilty Il was accomplished, and find
ing the tracks of the ibex, he follow
ed them until, suddenly turning a
ragged point, he found himself with
III easy shot, and in an instant the re-
port of his rifle had awakened the
echoes of the mountains. With the
"thud' of the bullet the beast sprang
forward, but its tail was dropped, its
head hanging heavily down, its gait
slow and step uncertain. He knew
that the whiZzing lead had reached
its mark, that the animal would soon
die, ami he paused to reload his rifle
before he followed him. 81 will sur
prise my good wife," he thought,
"hy returning earlier than she ex-
pected, and i will have a hearty
laugh ut the towards who dared not
venture from their snug cottages for
fear of a Storm
With n smile upon his lips he
FASTENED to where the hex was y
ing, and raised ii in his arms. Then,
with a cry of horror, he felt his foot
ing give way and hunter ana game
were swallowed up in crevasse of
almost unfathomable depth. The
thin covering Office had been sufli-
GENTLY strong To bear the weight of
the beast; but tisat of Uric added,
had shivered it as lift had been an
egg shell.
Downtown, hunter and ibex,
through the debris of snow and ice
lying there for a thousand years. He
fancie,i that the bottom would never
he reached. The most profound
darkness enveloped him his hands
could clutch nothing but dam pness-
but chilling flakes Fortunately the
carcass of the beast was beneath him.
Yet, for all that safeguard, he lay
for a long time insensille- When
consciousness returned, another day
had dawned, and its golden glories
had found their way even 10 the
Bottom of the yawning grave in
which he was lying. He Thought up
on the utter helplessness of his situa-
ton that he must perish from cold
and hunger ;of the lingering fortunes
he would be enforced 10 endure before
death came To put an end To his |
misery and every nerve in his body /
quivered with horror. He looked /
around To see if there We're not some +
possible chance of escape. On either /
side Smooth ice walls arose, emitting 1
a blush steel glitter. He felt that he /
was buried alive 40, God Why +
was 1 not instantly killed ;" lac eN-
claimed, in an agony of despair and
ihen,as a better thought swayed him,
he thanked the Almighty, with
whom nothing is impossible. for his
safety Tins far and nraypI tn III i'm