The Plymouth weekly Democrat., 1869-01-07

and dependent children kept alive his
often shrinking heart. He was yet in
hopes of reaching the upper air-of seeing
his dear ones again. But even as he was
thinking thus, with something of his old
time cheerfulness, new anxiety took
possession of and nearly overpowered him.
The carcass of the ibex, that had been the
innocent cause of all his trouble, was
almost TO the bones.
With dire starvation staring him in the
face. ne bowed his head and wept like
child Starvation, that is dreadful, even
in thought Starvation, that has in it
more Of horror than thousand other
deaths He could almost see it silently
approaching, and for time despair alone
had possession of him. Then his trust in
the Supreme Being returned. and he COM
mittei himself unto His holy keeping.
Heavenly Father" he murmured, from
between his parched and blackened lips:
ait is Thy hand that has sustained me so
far-has saved me from all danger. Thou
givest food to the young ravens, and
markest even the fall of the tiny sparrow.
None but Thou can hear me. or help.
Hear my prayer. Save me, 0 God! Save
me!'
Something of sweet consolation came
laid down to sleep more TRANQUILITY than
he had done for many previous nights.
Yet, it was only to be awakened by new
fear. 1t needed no seer to tell him that
| the fohn, or hot south wind. was sweeping
over the glaciers and snow fields of the
| high Alps; and that the rain was falling
in torrents; and the enormous blocks of
| ice melting, as by the touch of fire. The
cavern he had dug with infinite labor was
almost breast-deep with water, and it was
rushing in with all the swiftness of
| mountain torrent. Instantly he was wet
| to the skin, and stood almost paralyZed
with terror. Then he breasted his way
out into the chasm, but it was only to re-
turn again as quickly as possible. Never
cataract ragged mole fiercely than the surg
| ing water there. Cutting little inches in
the ice wall, he climbed beyond the reach
| of the water, and tremblingly awaited
| his fate. The waves rose rapidly, higher
and higher, he had climbed until his head
| rested against the top of the little cave
| could 90 no further And yet, the wa
tiers rolled upward around HIM. They
reached his waist-surged higher to his
| breast -crept to his thrOat-aDd despite
| all his efforts, began to trickle into his
mouth In another moment he would be
strangled with them, his hold would be
| torn away, and his body dashed hither
and thither against the sharp points Of
| the ice. 80, God Save me- Save me !"
burst from him in the terrible agony of
| the instant-the moment of time that Law
between him and death.
A noise like thunder "a shivering
| crash-resounded through the chasm 1t
| appeared as if the very foundations of
the world were tottering beneath him.
Now, indeed, he felt that his end had
| come. No! Terror was instantly changed
| to rapture. The water rushed out of the
| cavern with the most amazing velocity !;
| he could descend and stand upon the bot
| tom without fear. How this had been
| accomplished, he was forced to wait until
the morning light to determine: and,
with the first beams, he saw a great fis-
sure had been opened, through which the
imprisoned waters had found their way
to the valley below. This unlocked for
preservation again inspired him with con
| fidence---rendered more firm his trust
in God. Through that tunnel he saw a
way to freedom 1t was small to be sure,
but he could enlarge it and he worked
diligently, until his strength utterly
failed The ibex was entirely devoured.
de had split the bones and sucked the
marrow; he had gnawed them over and
over again to appease his hunger. For
two days he had not tasted morsel of
food. The hatchet had slipped from his
hand when he had endeavored to strike a
blow, and he was forced to abandon the
undertaking. There was nothing left
him now but to die.
Another day passed. and no help came
He lay crouched in corner wishing that
the end would come and that swiftly.
His eyes were already filmed and his heart
beat family. Then strange noise aroused
him. He looked aloft and saw chamOis
vainly striving TO defend itself from the
attacks of two old vultures that were
striking at it with wing and beak. 1t was
an unequal contest and, at length, the
animal, driven to desperation, attempted
to leap the broad chasm The effort was
a noble one, but it failed of success. The
chamois missed its footing, and fell,
bruised and helpless, at the very feet of
the starving man. In an instant, his
knife was plunged into its throat; and the
warm blood was drained by his eager lips.
This gave him new life and he renewed
his labor 1t was almost herculean task.
More than once, he fell fainting beside it.
But hope was very strong within him.
Still, he would have utterly failed, had not
heaven assisted him.
Again, the fOhn was busy at its work of
destruction; again, the windows of heaven
were opened, and the Grains descended,
and the floods came," and accomplished
more in single night than his hands could
have done iD months. With the morning
light, he craNled through the now large tun-
mel ; but when he reached the outer end,
found, to his horror, that he was on the
top of a mighty precipice. His blood
boiled his brain seemed on fire his heart
beat as if it would break through ribs and
flesh. He was, if possible, more desperate
ly imprisoned than before. How was he
to get down? Through his bewildered
mind suddenly flashed the thought of the
skins of the ibex and the shamois, and he
was not long in making rope OF them.
He then cut deep hole in the ice, drove
down his alpenstock, fastened one end of
it, and swinging himself off, reached the
bottom in safety.
With cry of Joy and prayer of thank
fulness, he hastened along the well-known
path; and when the bell of the little chap
ell, that reared its gilded cross in the Mat
ter valley, was tolling for the evening
prayers, he staggered like drunken man
into the very midst of the astonished wor-
shippers, even as the voice of the good
priest was repeating, "God is everywhere
with me T; and everywhere, even in the
most threatening dangers his voice speaks
to me in tones of comfort, and says, Call
upon me in days of trouble, and will de-
liver thee, and thou shalt glorify me ~
stapperinp toward the altar 10 kneel at IT,