Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-11-14

had taken. With Indian sagacity his
footballs were followed till they led to
the edge of the glacier. Here greater
skill was requisite to mark the course.
1t was summer, and the snow had dis
appeared from the lower part of the
glacier. The hard ice leaves no tracks;
| but as, at the hour of parting, some
| little softness remained on the surface
from the days sun, Henri had left faint
tracings on the glacier, which the subse-
quent nights chill had retained. The
peasants noted these with jealous, pain
| full care. Here the alpen-stock had lett
| the impression of its iron point. Sud
denly the foremost of the group uttered
a cry of 'dismay. All crowded near.
He said nothing, but pointed with his
finger.
| Poor Marie sickened at the sight, and
fell insensible. There was the trailing
mark of the slipped alpen-stock. and
/ beside it was the sliding track of the
young mans foot. Both terminated at
the edge of a cyetusse.
They strained their eyes downward,
in vain attempts to penetrate that
gloomy passage. They shouted, but
| caught no voice in return. He had fall
en- and the depth was terrible.
"The rope the rope = was now the
cry. Several volunteered that perilous
descent in search of their friend. But
here the horror came upon them with
all its fell, bunumbing power. The aper-
ture had so narrowed since the lost one
had sunk, that there was not space for q
human body.
Words cannot picture the consterna-
ton of the party. One sought comfort
in the thought that the poor fellow must
have been killed by the fall. Another told
now one had been in such a chamber as
tnat from which he could not be ex-
tricated and, after he had been mourn
ed over for days as dead, he re-appear-
ed, a CHASTITY, but living man. Henri
might still be alive. Still, the ever
slowly moving mass had pressed the
walls of his prison SO much closer
together, no prospect appeared OF
rescue
Marie revived, to be made even more
desolate and terror-stricken by the news
of the closing chasm.
What mournful group returned to
| the cottage.
Here the matter was fully discussed
and plans were successfully proposed
and rejected Marie listened with
deepest attention. When they found
no way of relief, all turned eyes of tear
full sympathy to the youthful betrothed
one But it was not time yet for her to
mourn She must think and act for her
beloved, who was not yet beyond hope
with her.
Having heard the story repeated of
the man who, returning to his wife,
| after having been buried in the ice
chamber, she required to it, demanded
particulars, and wondered how he had
escaped. Then she found that the poor
fellow had found a passage through the
glacier, and had issued from its mouth.
And why" said she, Knight not
Henri SO return?'
She quailed again when told of the
depth of the cre,usse, and the certainty
of his limbs being broken, if his life
was not destroyed at once. How could
he escape? Love now awakened her
imagination with another project.
If he could not get out, might not others
go into the glacier in search? Sage
heads were shaken at the suggestion.
The terrors of the glaciers were well
known to the peasants Of the Alps.
Chambers were seen plainly enough.
Extended caves were believed to run
beneath the surface. The very exit of
the rivers from these icy recesses prov
ed the existence of subterranean pas
sages.
! There was another point of view
The surface of a glacier was inconstant.
A stone upon it was known to drift
down the valley, slowly but certainly
The huge blocks, of ice would rise from
toward the valley. The very height OF
the glacier was changing at the banks.
If those outward signs Of movement
existed. could they fail in affecting the
parts below? If the glacier gIided
downward from the lofty peaks to the
plains, though but at the rate Of few
inches day, would the caverns retain
their form? As the prisons cracked
and parted above, might not the icy
walls below, crumble and fall?
No-there was no hope! The passage
of the hour would be solid ice the next
day The glacier was inconstant. To
SllUCl lU w DIS CC1CStl1I ~ 1I1GIoc
would fall and crush the intruder, or the
unexpected closing of an opening would
shut up the adventurer in a prison OF
death. Poor Henri must be left to his
fate. They were sorry, but must bow
to Providence. Resignation was the
duty Of those who dwelt in ever present
dangers. Not so our heroine, who was
not quite prepared to resign her lover SC
quietly to his doom.
But what could she, a woman, do
when strong men yielded to the over
} whelming pressure of circumstances
1t was just because she was a woman
that her spirits rose with the emergen-
, cy. Love is stronger than ordinary en-
ergy Of manhood. She must do all il
was possible for her to do.
The life of Henri was her life. TIC
rescue him was to sustain her own be-
ing. What would life be to her without
him? How could she dwell near the
ice cavern that had swallowed up hel
dearest treasure?
R,,t urbot could che do Ono oo,,ro~