The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-14

within mile of the hamlet from which
we had started, the nearness Of our Jour-
ney's end tended to make us careless.
Holding my staff somewhat heedlessly
with my left hand, 1t SO unexpectedly
caught in a small tissure that my feet
slipped from under me, and fell. The
smart jerk upon the rope drcw out the
knot, which must have been unloing for
some time; and being at the end OF the
cord, | found myself loOsed from the
whole party and descending the pre-
clpitous glacier with fearful velocity. In
stantly cry OF horror from above an
nounced that the accident had been dis.
covered. But was beyond their aid.
81 drew in my breath as listened.
That was not instantly killed in striking
at the foot OF the precIpiece, down which
| had first descended, was owing to my
position OF feet foremost; but the shock
Of the conclusion left feeling as of
paralysis. My staff still retained; bnt
the point had caught and broken off.
Down went directly into tile yawning
end of a tissure, my staff catching feebly
at the jagged walls. No doubt the fssure
was hundreds of feet in depth, but | was
not destined to sound the bottom"
"Now
"The rains and thaws, the catching and
splintering Of Crumbling avalanches, had
poured tons of shelly ice directly into the
mouth Of the chasm; and apart from be.
Ing severely scratched by tho sharp pas
ticles, and being stunned by tho force oil
my stopping, after the rapidity of my dc,
scent, ! was not seriously injured when
stopped. There | was, in well.like
aperture of rattling, shelly ice, and un.
conscious. The rest Of what l learnt
later.n
"But you are alive, Rawdon."
ayes. Horrifed as the whole party
were, they had yet tho sense to hasten
the descent to the hamlet, and procure
ropes and lights-for night had then set
in. To secure the body said the guides,
And the news spread, and the cry went
echoing along the village, Man lost
Man lost In a chasmp
In an hours time the two guides, De
Ware aud Moulett, and another guide,
were ready to ascend the slight distance
to tho point where The accident happened.
Just outside the hamlet they were sur.
prised to be Joined by Jennie DessOnard.
She was known to Oe as fleet of foot as
the chamols, and no one disputed her
right to accompany the pnrty. They toll
ed up in the tissure where | had disAp-
peared, and then held consultation.
Was 1t best to lower lams7 Doubtless
the depth would make such q proceeding
useless. Should one of the men be low.
cred by tho othersl This was an oxpe-
dition not to be coveted. Tho party con-
sisted wholly oflargc, heavy men; their
weight might mako the grinding OF the
rope instant destruction; and, at any rate,
would DO attended by great danger even
to those who held the rope. Yet there
was no other alternative.
"Young Jennie, brave girl, stepped
forward and began unoOiling the rope.
"'I am going down. she said. IN.
Ceutet is to iasten this about me; came
for tho purpose of descending the flssure.
"They tried to dissuade her. ..t
"If you will not secure me, | will tic
It myself she affirmed.
"They yielded the point Mt last after
some argument. With the ropes fastened
about her, and the lamp strapped to her
breast, the intrepid girl was slowly swung
into the fissure. With her staff, steel.
pointed at each end, she kept herself from
striking against the jagged sides. In
twenty minutes size signaled to be hauled
up-then signaled them to stop. She had
touched the bottom of tho Crevice, which
was wonderfully shallow, and not finding
any body, she coniectured that it must
have lodged somewhere above.
"Her lamp had streamed into the basin
and discovered me. She did not stop to
ascertain II | was dead but, taking the
lines which sllO had brought, she bound
me to her-wrappiug lcr mantle about
my head, least in some manner 1t might
beat against the walls of the Chasm; and
then gave the signal to be drawn up.
"Anl drawn up We were In safety.
was borne back to the hamlet-where,
though still unconscious, was found to
be living"
"But the escape was marvellous, Raw.
don," Isaid.
at was"
"And what of Jennie ~
"She married OOutet.h