Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-09-15

base of the frozen pinnacle was fixed.
The upper part of the lofty mass projected
outward, like huge rocky shelf, overhana;dg
the foundation AS it was supported by g
rather narrow strip of leo, and astt had been
hcnrd to crack several times by those aboard
the vessel, we all cxpcoted to see it give way
at any moment.
Judge, therefore, Of our CONSERVATION
when we.sow Clnribcl, light as fairy, crawl
ling up the rugged side of the icecliff. 1t
4 seemed to us that no man, unless it was an
experienced climber, could mount that berg
His weight would. we believed, causo him to
slip ut every step. Carihcl, however, ow
ing to her lightness went up tho precip;co
almost ns easily as if she wore going up stairs.
at this moment the vessel, causht by a
puff of wind, swung round 80 that, for sevc-
rol minutes, the little climber was lost to our
view. f
! The captain and the rest callcd to her to
come back, but tho wind was blowing against
u.s. 50 that we doubted if we were heard.
at length, there she stood upon that huge
ovcrhanging mass of ice projecting from the
summit of the lofty berg. Tho dove haG
A,wn to little ledge of ice on the very edge
of the mass and CIarbel stood looking down
ut it. Not seeming to sec or hear US, she
suddenly stopped, and actually slid to 1.-THE
ledge
The stoutcst heart aboard ship quaiod at
the little ones peril, especially when u loud
crack was suddenly heard, and the strip sup
porting tho projecting iccrock was soon to
yawn with wido crack :
| The Captain turned pale Falling from
such height Claribcl would be dashed to
pieces on the jagged ice, fifty feet below,
which in sharp points, projected on all sides
Still, there she was, laughingly unconscious
of her peril, on the slippery ledge, reaching
out for the dove.
The berg was now oscillating with the
waves the cracking sound was heard again.
The captain sprung to the quarter boat.
Half dozen men, among them the Swiss
purscr, Henry Defer, sprung in.
The boat touched the icy foundation. All
the occupants at oncr-ench man eager to b.
the one to save the little girl-cndcavorcd to
ascend the slippery rrccircc, aud failed; all
but tic young Swiizcr, once chamois hun
ter, who steadily mounted to the summit Of
the berg.
lie had snatcllcd coil of rope from the
boat, and thrown it over his shoulder
"Strnd by j. he exclaimed to those benw;
Lut, even as he spoke, he glanced quickly at
the coil AMI from that to another ice cliff
about five feet opposite the one upon which
he stood.
Another loud cracking was heard the over
hanging mass partly fell from its support
not quite enough to iislolge the child and
was kept from going farther only by slcn.
der splinter of ice beneath, Which must give
way in y minute.
Defer sprung forward, and stoopinc over
the dangerous mass. lie quickly secured the
rope around the child's breast, just beneath
the arm pits.
Now, then, WIS the trying moment He
would not have time to haul the girl up, so rs
to lower her on tho other side of the berg
he must do so on this side and must do it
quick enough to cnabie tn men below to catch
the little one, and. retreat with her to the
boat ere the mass should fall
Now, however, he made most diScouras
ing discovery. On lowering the girl, he per
ccivch that the rope was NOT long enough to
reach further than half way down
The icy mass was reeIing-it was siding
it would fall ia ten seconds
The captain groancd, the men trcmblcd
and turned pale, some of them weeping like
child;en.
"Shc must perish - all cried Simultaneous
u, drawing back, to escape tho icy mass.
"llclp me, Father in heaven !" came The
clarion voice of the Swi.zer.
All looked up to see him brace himself
firmly, his hluc eyes flushing phosphorcsccnt
light his ong, fair hair streaming.
What was he going to do
lie could not leap into the sea- on account {!
of the bcrgs there SO closely packed as to in
sure his destruction.
This was not his intention.
lie braced himself, and swung Claribel to
and fro twice, like pendulum.
The third time, with one tremendous effort
of his sinewy arm, he sent the girl swinging
far along to tho summit of the opposite hcrg,
SO that she there landed safely upon her feet !
This performance was something like that
of heaving the lead, and was ad.oitly cxecr-
ted.
Not moment too soon.
Crashing thunder, down went the huge
mass of ice, the gallant young Swizcr nar
fowly escaping by lcaping to the berg to
which, he had sent Clnribel, and which be.
ing, as mentioned, only five feet distant, was
easily reached.
Cheers went up to the Sky.
Claribc was soon in the arms Of her father,
who, after grasping IIenrys hand, begged
his pardon for having thrown an imputation
upon his courage on that day when he re.
fused to cut Off the head o. the dove.
There ia sequel.
When Clnribel became woman, she was
united in wedlock to the noble fellow who
had saved her life.