The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-11-02

/ extreme. Beneath US the country
lay spread out ike a map, and VIC
could trace each river from its
source to its mouth; while far
away to the southwest rose the
cioud-eapped summit Of Popocata-
petl, standing silent and lone, ike
q giant sentinel placed there by
Gods own hand.
Ah!had we but been content to
have returned then without further
adventure, l should never nave
written this painful story, But
young blood knows no reason; and
in a moment of excitement Walter
proposed that we should descend
into the crater of the volcano.
'Senor, Senor, for Gods sake
! don't think of such a thing" ex-
| claimed the guide hastily, and de-
voutly crossing himself Its
only a few years since that a tray
elor miscrably perished here in the
same attempt"
Cant help that, I'm going down,
anyhow; aad if fellow is only mod.
erately careful, ther's-no great dan
ger, I suspect returned Walter,
leaning over and gazing into an
abyss dark as Erebus itself.
"Well, well, young men will do
as they please, I suppose" said
Pedro; "but remember. l have Civ
en- You fair warming, and may the
Holy Vigin protect and BRING you
safely out"
"I'll shoulder the risk" answered
Walter. "Come. Charley, let us go
down, and before 1 had time
either to assent or refuse he had
swung himself over the nearly per-
pendicular side, and was Chamber
ing down to a shelf of rock which
iutted out some distance below.
was afraid of being thought
cowardly should Irefuse to follow;
and though 1 didn't at all relis h the
idea of venturing into the heart of
the burning mountain, | neverthe-
less crawled over the edge and
worked my way to where he stood.
full fifty feet from the crater's verge.
Isn't this a gloomy place" said
Walter, as I struck upon the ledge
by his side, and felt my heart leap
into my throat as it very percepti-
bly, trembIed beneath my shock.
yes; gloomy enough for the in
tcrnal regions. if that is all" re-
turned. Il tell you Walte,,. don't
like it now that we are here, and
wish we were safely out of this con
+ ,unded hole. What if an cup
ton should occur, or this rock
should" Great Godi the hair
on my head fairly rose ol en- 1, as
heard a grating SCUM and saw that
the shelf ON which we were stand
ing was slowly parting company
with the wall of the mountain, and
sinking into the awful abyss. Sly
f.ienl noticed it as quickly as |,
and his face instantly became ashy
pale. Spring to the wall he cried;
.ur weight is more than it can
bear" | needed no second bio.
ing, but clutched a slight rro, er-
lion and drew myself up somG dis
tance, where l obtained footing
long enough to enable me to take
breath. Walter, who was more ac-
tive than 1, hal already reached a
point some ten OF twelve feet above
me, and was in the act of ascend
ing highe., when the thin piece of /
rock To which he was clinging,
su ldpnly snapped asun Ter, and |
with horrible shrek, that is still |
ringing in my ears, he fell hack
ward upnn the ledge we had just ]
quitteI, an together they went |
down -down, thousands of feet |
Ito the unknown depths below.
On God, what fearful fate was
his. 'Tis enough to face the Grim
Destroyer when lying upon a
downy bel, surrounded by loving /
who whisper words OF com
fort in the trying hour, but how 1
greatly were his ter. .o:s increased /
in this fearful place!
Ny own hold was only narrow
crevice into which I thrust my fin
gers, and a little ridge Of rock be
meath my feet. uttered a broken
prayer for help and looked UP.
was the bright blue sky and
the sunshine; around the hlackened
wallis of the mountain, AMI beneath,
a dark and fathomless abyss. Sui
denly / heard q loud shout and
again looked up. Pedro was low /
ering a iasso which he had carried
around his waist to be used in case
of accident. l seized It with one
hand, and slipping the moose over
my head and under my arm. sig
nailed that 1 was ready, and the
guide began to pull. He was a
powerful fellow, ana in few mo
ments / was landed safely on the
ground where I Immediately /
swooaed. A few drops Of brardy |
was flreed into nv mouth ani the