Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-06-06
A TALE OF The GRINDEWALD.

valley of Switzerland. IS
It was toward early spring. in 1898;
consequently the snow laid thick upon
| the mountains, sn, was preparing to
descend in aValanches into the valleys.
1 In that pass which leads from the Lake
/ of Thun to the Wetterhorn and the
Eigher, there were butfeW inhabitants.
Near the junction Of the two Valleys
/ of GrindeWald an Lauterbrunnen q
little inn stood und.r the shelter of the
gigantic rocks In the height of the
season, August and September, the ho-
tel had much custom. and Herr Baum
gertnen and his wife had very few soli-
tsry hours. They we're easy-liVing
people, and with the gifts of the later
summer they usually amassed sufficient
wealth to carry them through the drear-
| mess of the winter season.
They were q cheerful couple; conse-
quently neither looked with dread to
the approaching ayalanches Of the
1 Eigher, or to the wolves which still
hunted in packs along the rocky passes
of Lauterbrunnen. They had one child,
q boy; he was seventeen at the open
ing Of my tale, entirely unlike father
or mother, while the pride and delight
Of both of them.
Fritz was well known in the neigh
borhOod around, and considered one of
the greatest glories of the Oberland; he
was tsH Of his age, though slim, but
very active. Though our work atpres-
ent has nothing to do with love stories,
Fritz did nevertheless love in the VAL
ley Of Kandersteg the Frau Louise,
It was In the depth Of the snow win
ter of that celebrated year, when no
traveller left his footmark upon the
SHOWS of the Grindewald Pass, and no
foreigner cared to explore the sohtudes
of Lauterbrunnen.
Fritz had gone to Kandersteg, bold
and fearless, with his staff in his hand
and his pistol in his belt, with his dog
KsiseF by his side; he had fearlessly
climbed the rocks which no youth on
that side of the grand Shreidech would
have adventured, and which, perhaps,
no Switzer, short Of the Brevent, would
have touched.
Fritz was the pride Of the valley; his
father and mother were left Slons In
their little unfrequented inn, strong
and comfortable inside, exposed to
every danger and difficulty without;
they were both in bedi il was the dead
Of night, toward two in the morning.
Fritz had promised to be home before
midday. Anxious about him, they still
trusted to the daring OF their child and
the protection of Kaiser.
The valleys around were deeply silent
with that stiffness which snow alone can
give. lt is like that profound quiet
| which IS suggested by the idea of eter-
nifty. The woman started from her
sleep and awoke her husband.
"Hark! Karl" said she. ''tDo you
not hearfiifI fifis fit ttei''"
He reused himself.
Nothing, frau" said he, falling
back on his pillow.
Two minutes passed, and his wife
again aroused him. He started up.
"Karl." said she, 'tthere'sa sound
Of households in the valley, and the
| howl of distant wolves from the Eigher."
The man leaped out of bed, threw
the window open, and listened; he
| heard n0thinR-all was still; deep
SHOWS oftsa break all sound. He turned
| to bed, and hsd hardly sunk into his
Il G4DCD GCAOAO lAC uAA1AoltAhoDAO 6CIA0 "a
q horse, arrived at full pace, rested at
his door.
''FOr the kind Gods sake. said a
voice below the window, "let me in''
4 CRY which was accompanied with an
earnest knocking at the door of the
hotel. -
"Go. Karl, goi'', said she to her an
willing husband; sSthere ia some be,
nighted traveller who waits outside; ad-
NIT him."
Karl lazily rose and threw the win
dow open. A man on horseback was
below it, and close to the door.
"Open the door! open the doori in
the name Of the kind God! am pur-
sued"
"By whatP'' said the host.
There was no need to wait for the
answer, for the shrilI CRY Of pack Of
wolves was heard upon the quiet win
ter's night in full pursuit of the terri.
fed passenger whosRaited at the door,,
The intense sdIness around made
the baFOf the approaching pack more
shrill and terrible as it was echoed
from the gigantic peak of the Eigher and
the storm-worn precipices Of the Wet
terhorn. The wall came now high,
now low down the valley, but ever ad-
/ vanoing and speaking of raYenOus hun
ger and rabid ferecity. The air was
piteOuslV cold, and Karl, who pos
sessed but little Of the courage or true
hospitality Of q Switzer's heart, began
to shrink from the thought, as such 8
perilons moment, Of opening the door
Of his h0ass, and began che vain work
Of expostulating with the agOnized
stranger.
" Only come down and open the
door," said he, in his exceeding terror;
s'they will be upon me directly-I hear
their footsteps now They have ppr-
sued me all down the valley; my horse
is worn out with the pursuit, and can
go no further. Only come and open
the door; you have time, indeed you
have, before they can be upon u.s..
Pray-prag be quickI'f
The wretched man uttered these
words in broken senteAees, while his
eyes were fixed entreatingly on the
window; but Karl's craven heart still
refused to give him courage. There
was terrible story connected with bye
I bOAlO OelyoS AAAON up WIN Pcd Y VI Duo
valley, Of wolves having (driven by
winter hunger) burst fOrcibly into q
goatherd's hut and devoured its help
less inhabitants before they were sble
to defend themselves.
While Karl aud his wife, who still
laid in her bed, with her teeth chatter
ing with fright, were hesitating as to
what to do, the wolves had turned the
last corner of the road, and were close
upon the heels OF the traveller.
He cast one last, piteous look of des-
psir upon Karl, leaped upon his horse,
and dashed away into the solitudes
and SHOWS Of the Lauterbrunnen Pass.
Scarcely had Karl time to realize
that the hapless horseman was gone,
than the whole pack dashed furiOusly
past the inn in full and close pursuit.
The host stood appalled, at the still
open window. He continued to hear
the fast-receding hoofs of the horse,
mingled with the still faster departing
bay Of the wolves.
At last all was still, except the low
wailing Of the little wind there was in
the topmOst boughs of the fir trees Of
the Grindewald.
The miserable man. closed, the win
dow and returned TO his bed, shudder-
ing, as he deserved to do, at the
thought Of what might have happened
bythis time through what he had done.
Meantime, Fritz, having accom-
plished the object Of his journey to