The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-04-07
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
His next thought was his gun. When
it was found he did not return, his
neighGors would certainly search for
him, and by firing the gun he could at
tract their attention. Vain hope =
Search as he would, he could find moth
ing of it. Even it he had discovered
it, it would have been useless, for his
powder horn was gone as we'll Over
aud over he turned the showdown
deep he dug into it until his hands
burned like fire, aud 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 alort, aud saw the great vulture
sailing upon its immense and tireless
wings, around the mouth [ { the chasn
and the strong man shuddered, as he
shook his fist defantly, and murmured
with his hoarse voice, " Your time has
not come yet" lie thought of his
happy home, and his dear wife and chill.
dreu, aud then, naturally, for he was faint
aud hungry, he tn ught Of the food his
wife had prepared for him. Having
eaten of the bread aud goats milk
cheese, and drank Of the bottle of wine
(Which strange to say had remained
unbroken,) he reasoned that it would
be cowardly to die without an effort;
and he remembered the goodness OF
God, and 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. All!
but he was forgetful that the ice might
he hundreds Of feet thick, and they were
of excessive hardness and would soon
render blunt both hatchet and knife.-
The bright hope that had been born
within him was d.rkened 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 ibcx, in case of need,
and its flesh would drive away the
wolves of starvation Tor many day
A brief rest and he began his labors
faithfully till darkness forced him to
stop. A night of uneasy rest, break
fast Of the raw flesh of the ibex, and he
resumed his labors. Another day of
toll, and he again stretched himself on
the skin of the beast, wrapping it around
him as much as possible, and slept long
aud heavily, although there had been
sudden fall in the temperature, aud it
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
had cut away in the thick ice walls,
closing up the entrance, and thus OBJ.
tanning partial shelter from the chill.
ing blasts. And once be heard the
firing of guns, aud his heart beat wildly
within him. He Dropped his dulled
Ratchet, crawled to the centre of the
chasm, and shouted with all his remain.
ing strength-shouted until his strained
voice was reduced to the very ghost Of
a whisper, lie knew that his friends
were in search of him; imagine he could
hear his name called could do nothing
to attract their attention; and, as the
firing grew fainter, and fnrther and
further away, flung himself down, weep.
ing and wringing his hands. The last
plank to which be had clung had been
shivered! His ncighbors aud friends
had come-nnd gone. They would
never search that part of the mountain
again. None would ever know of his
fate. He was buried in an icy tomb,
until the last trump should sound, and
hot flashes of flames dissolve the frost
work around him.
With his mind trembling upon the
verge Of madness, ovarpowered by sor-
row, crushed by bitter agony, he fell
back insensible, aud lay for long time
upon the cold, damp snow, that NUT be
his winding sheet. The black vulture
tapped his wings above him, and he
knew nothing of it. But after the
hunters consciousness returned, though
he was far too much crushed in body
and soul to resume his labors, he crept
into the little cavern he had oxcayated
! would y rot be 70 him o tomb y and