Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-02-09

him, he thanked the Almighty, with
whom nothing is impossible, 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
discovered it, it would have been USE
less, for his powder horn was gone
as we'll. Over and over he turned
the snow; down deep he dug into it,
until his hands burned like fire, and
great drops ofperspiration 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 vulture sail
ing upon its immense and tireless
wings, around the mouth of the chasm ;
and the strong man shuddered. as he
shook his fist defantly, and murmur-
ed with his hoarse voice, "Your time
has not come YETI He thought also
of his happy home, of 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
little bottle of wine, (Which strange
to say was not broken he reasoned
that it would be cowardly to lie down
and die, without an effort; and he re-
membered the goodness of God, and
once more fervently implored His
help. Then a 0old idea came to him.
Why might he not cut his way thro'
the solid ice He had hatchet, 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 hatch
ct and knife. The bright hope that
had been born within him, was dark
ened by no such shadow. For the
time being he knew that he was safe.
He was accustomed to the cold, was
warmly clad, and he could use the
skin of the ibeX, in case of need, and
It's flesh would drive away starvation
for many day. A brief rest and
darkness forced 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 ibex, wrapping it around him
as much as was possible, and slept
long and heavily, although there had
been a sudden fall in the temperature
and it was now excessively cold.
For four days he toiled thus, hi;
only food the raw and broken fleSt
Of the ibex; for four nights be SLEPT
within the hole he had cut away il
the thick ice walls, closing up the en-
trance, and thus obtaining partia
shelter from the chilling blasts. AnC
once he heard the firing of guns, anC
his heart beat wildly within him. HI
dropped his dulled hatchet, crawleC
to the center of the chasm, and shout
ed with all his remaining strength
shouted until his strained voice wa
reduced to the ghost of Whisper
He knew that his friends were il
search of him, imagined he could heal
his name called, but could do nothing
to attract their attention; and, as tn
firing grew fainter and further ant
further away, flung himself dowr
weeping and wringing his hands. Th
last plank to which he had clung ha,
been shivered! His neighbors an
/ friends had come-and gone. The
would never search that part of th
mountains again. None would eve
know of his fate. He was buried i
, an icy tomb until the last trum
) should sound, and hot flashes of fam
t dissolve the frost work around hin
' With his mind trembling upon th
| verge of madness, overpowered b
D sorrow, crushed by bitter agony, b
, fell back insensible, and lay for a Ion
: time upon the cold, damp snow, the
Y soon must be his winding sheet. III
!, black vulture tapped his wings abo'
e him; still he knew nothing of it. Bl
n after some hours the hunters co
- sciousness returned, though he W;
T. far too much crushed i'll body an
soul to renew his labors. He crel
a into the little cavern he had excava
e ed would it be to him a tomb p an
e gave passionate vent to his grief. F.
st many weary hours nothing passed h
r lips, and with aching head and feve
g ed brain, with trembling limbs al
It convulsive sobs, he prayed to be d
IS livered, if by no other hand, at lea
by the skeleton one death.
d 1t was rayless, sunless, starle
d darkness in the ice cavern, when Il
S. ice springs of his life again becar
d capable of action. He was ravenou
O. ly hungry, and arose to satisfy /
is hunger with a portion of the ibex.,
D He felt around, but could discover
ly outlet. Had he been frozen up-sh
th out from Gods blessed sunshine ft
le ever? Nothing but smooth ice met |
IN burning and blistered fingers. The
ny after an hours search, he found a s,
IS spot, and instantly solved the mystel
IT. He knew there must have been
ne heavy fall Of snow in the night, a
It. that it had drifted into and block
he up the opening; and with the strene
be of despair he soon dug through.
to was still showing heavily; the flax
IN fell like great feathers around; a
We he drew the remains of the care.
1e of the ibex into the cave, and ma
OF another rude meal. And thus refre
IN ed, new hope was born within hi