The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-01-09

find nothing Of it. Even If he had discOV- |
cred it, il 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 like
fire, and great drops Of perspiration rolled |
from his forehead-until his arms grew
stiff and sore, and he was forced to give up
the useless labor from sheer exhaustion.
With his back against the frozen prison
walls, he looked aloft, and saw the great
yulture, sailing upon It's immense and tire
less wings, around the mouth Of the ehasm
and the strong man shuddered, as he shook
his fist dehantly, and murmured with his
hoarse voice, "Your time has not come
yeti" He thought also of his happy home
and his dear wife and children, and then,
naturally, for 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, and drank of the lit.
tie bottle Of wine (which, strange to say,
had remained unbrOken), he reasoned that
1t would be cowardly to lie down and die,
without an effort and he 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 He had hatchet,
such as his class never travel without.
Ali 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 hatchet and
knife. The bright hope that had been
born 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 flesh
would drive away the wolves of starvation
for many day. A brief rest and he be-
gan the task, and toiled faithfully until
darkness fol ced him to stop. A night of
uneasy rest, breakfast of the raw flesh
of the ibex, and he resumed his labors.
Another day of toll, and he again stretched
himself upon the skin of the beast wrap
ping 1t around him as much as was posi-
bic, and slept long and heavily, although
there had been sudden fall In the tenn
perature, and 1t was now excessively cold.
For four days he toiled thus, his only
food the raw and frozen flesh of the ibex ;
for four nights he slept within the hole
he bad cut away in the thick ice-walls,
closing up the entrance, and thus obtain
ing partial shelter from the chilling blasts.
And once he heard the firing of guns, and
his heart beat wildly within him. He
dropped his dulled hatchet, crawled to
the center of the chasm, and shouted
. with all his remaining strength-shOuted
until his strained voice was reduced to
, the very ghost of a hoarse whisper. He
: : knew that his frienda were in search o.
! him; imagined he could hear his name
/. called; could do nothing to attract theil
attention; and, as the firing grew fainter
and further and further away, flung him
I self down, weeping and wTinging hi
= hands. The last plank to which he ha(
! = chung had been shivered His neighbour
I and friends had COme-Rnd gone. They
would never search that part of tht
u mountain again. None would ever know
Z of his fate. He was buried in an icy
,f tomb until the last trump should sound
\ and hot flashes of fame dissolve the frost
: work around him.
4 With his mind trembling upon the verg
4 Of madness, oYerpowered by sorrow
i. crushed by bitter agony, he fell back insen
sible, and lay for long time upon tn
Il cold, damp snow, that soon must be hi
winding sheet. The black Vulture fappe
"a its wings above him, and he knew nothin
=. OF It, But, after some hours, the hunter
3 consciousness returned, though he was ia
, too much crushed, in body and soul, to r.
1 sumo his labors He crept into the littl
cavern he had exeavated (would 1t not b
"a to him tomb D, and gave passionate yer
ss to his griefs. For many weary houl
M nothing passed his lips; and with achin
IN head and feyered brain, with tremblin
N limbs and eonvubiye sobs he prayed fc
ii deliVerance, if by no other hand, at leai
n. by the skeleton one of death
Nj 1t was rayless, sunless, starless darkne
1e in the ice cavern, when the springs Of
ic life again became capable Of action. /
as was ravenously hungry, and arose to sat-
We ty his hunger with a portion of the ibt
n he had left remaining outside in the chasI
I'd he felt around, but could discover no OF
er let. Had he been frozen in-shut o
a. from Gods blessed sunshine foreve
CIV Nothing but smooth ice met his burnil
ed and blistered fingers Then, after
it hours search he found soft spot, and
he stantly solved the mystery, He knC
its there must have been a heavy fall of snC
M. In the night, and thatit had drifted in
re and blocked up the opening and with
TO strength OF despair, he soon dug throuG
"a: It was still showing heavily; the flax
're fell like great feathers around and
a drew the remnant of the carcass of I
ed ibex into the cave, and made another ru
ID meal And thus refreshed, new he
he was born within him; and again the
nst walls resounded with the blows of
little hatchet, But it was slow work, q
Inn. much Of the time was taken up in clear
ale the chips from the little grotto. IN
A.-r.4f4 Nf aha ~,
HI severe toll and terrible anxiety-and J
cks he was not disheartened His trust
nd. God had returned and love for his v
md. and dependent children kept alive
in often shrinking. heart. He was yet
ned hopesof reaching the upper air -of see
the his dear ones again. But even as he '
for. thinking thus, with something of his
cad time cheerfulness, q new anxiety Z
md possession Of and nearly oVerpowered b
W. The CARCASS Of the ibex, that had been
the innocent cause Of all his trouble, ]
to aimoat TO the boneB
i'm. With dire Starvation staring him in
rht face, he bowed his head and wept lik
al child. Starvation, that is dreadful, g
the in thought Starvation, that has IN
heir more of horror than a thousand OF
deathsl He could almost see II silel
med approaching, and for a time despair al
d ii had possession Of him. Then his trust
Tor, the Supreme Being returned, and he Q
6ter mittdd himself unto Bis holy keep
asse Heavenly Fatherp he murmured, 4
thin between his parched and blackened ]
ntIy il is Thy hand that has sustained me
ast; far-has saved me from all danger. 4
II as giYest food to the young ravens,
W fnarkest even the fall Of the tiny sparl
,uah None but Thou can hear me, or b
, ior Hear my prayer Save me, 0 Godi {
the mel'
The Something efsWgpt CONSOLATION 9
iim. With the utterance 81 the words, and
mp laid down to sleep more TRANQUILITY
tely, he had done for many previous nil
him. Yet, It was only to be awakened by q
or 4 fear. It needed no seer TO tellS him
mess the fohn, or hot south wind, wasswee
a its over the glaciers and snow fields ol
even high Alps and that the rain was fal
. n ii torrents and the enormous blocl
ipon ice melting, IS BY the touch Of fire.
ton; cavern. he had dug with infinite labor
ieef aifAeet breast.deeD wiih water and Il
4 be rnahinQ in with all the HWittnesB