The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-08-08
ISBURG, PA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 8. 1879.

The three men We're pegging away as
/ hard as ever toward the close of the day.
when, as the twilight gathered in the
canon. a low, rumbling sound caused
them to stop and look at each other with
( blanched faces, wondering what 1t could
mean.
1t sounded like the mutterfng Of an
! earthquake. and the miners would have
/ set it down for that, but for the fact that
I there was no perceptible tremor in the
ground.
I The terrible grumble grew louder and
/ louder, until, looking up, they saw an
enormous mass of snow sliding down
/ from the cliffs far above their heads.
$50 for camp. bOys,'' yelled N Donald
I leaping from the ledge and scrambling
! desperately through the snow, his COM
/ panions but few seconds behind him.
They were only a rod or two from
shelter. but the snow was upon them
[ before they reached it. But the ava
/ lanche. as it may be called, did not fall
at once; it began like torrent rushing
/ through a bank, growing more massive
alarming and stupendOuS each second.
! Thus it was the miners succeeded in
/ pImging into the cabin, head first, just
/ in time
The frightened men had barely OppOr-
ltunity to crawl into their prison, when
down came the main body of the ava
lauche. composed of snow, ice, trees and
/ boulders, burying the party to a depth
/ Of forty feet.
/ The projecting rock and the strong
poles saved them from being crushed to
death. Some OF the supports gave way
under the enormous pressure, but Il con-
siderable space was left in which the
! pOOr fellows could move about
/ It was as dark as midnight, and as
soon as the miners found they were all
/ there unharmed, they concluded they
would be smothered to death, for it
! seemed that it would take but brief
/ time to use up all the air at their COM
mand.
But this fear fortunately was mfOUnd-
1 ed. There were creyiceS along the sides
which admitted all the atmosphere they
needed: and. encouraged by the certainty
/ that imminent death was not impending,
they began to dig out their provisions.
! The regular supply was about exhausted,
and they were immensely relieved when
they brought out the carcass Of the
mule.
The broken poles and supports fur
mished all the fuel they needed for cook
ing, which was the only necessity for
/ fire. There IS warmth in SNOW. and it
is well known that animals have lived
for weeks securely protected from the
Wintry blasts sweeping over the wastes
above. Whatever the imprisoned mi
uers might suffer from it was sure not to
be cold.
/ The next natural proceeding was to
attempt to dig their way out. With the
/ long poles at their command they delved
in different directions. but il was impCs-
sible to make any satisfactory progress.
! They dreaded. in case they worked
any distance from the shelter of the
rock the disturbance thus created would
bring down the thousands Of tons above
their head, and destroy them Instantly
and utterly rs the Alpine avalanche over
Whelus the traveller.
They could barely distinguish the fad
inc ont Of the faint light at the CrCViceS
by which they knew when night had
come.
They toiled cautiously, and once, when
Mccoy had ventUed a little too far, a
second edition Of the fearful rumb!ing
sound warned them,Of what was coming
and his companions, catching his feet,
were barely able to draw him back in
time to save his life.
That ended all effort TO dig themselves
out. and they came to the conclusion
that nothing was left but TO wait for
death to release them from their snowy
prison.
They had food at their service, and
the snow furnished all the water needed :;
so that the prospect was of Il coniine-
mcnt OF weeks before the final scene.
Nearly three days passed, when Nc
Cartv suddenly Upand exclaimed:
'-Sh don't You hear it -
His companions listened, but detected
nothing.
Some one is digging down to us"
All listened intentlv, for at such a
time the slightest noise is OF. the greatest
Importance, meaning most probably life
or death to all concerned. In Il few
minutes they caught peculiar sound,
; which they knew was made by delying
in the snow.
They must be Indians, - was the eN-
= clamation OF Mccoy.
: Most likely; but how would they
know we are here p
y very appropriate question, indeed
; for the descent of the avalanche had OBJ
liberated most effectually every trace OF
the miners from the world outside.
The general belief was that the parties
= approaching must be sayageS, and the
{ whites shouted with might and main.
Instantly the digging ceased, but there
r. was no response, and, in brief time
the noise showed that the deiying was
resumed
For full hour this continued, and
( then n dim, increasing light indicated
: the point where the strangers were Ia
boring through the vast mass of snow.
$ The miners called out again, but still
2 there was no reply.
2 THAT proves one thing" said Nc
= Carty, in a scared voice.
7 whats that ?''
e '.TLey are not men but wild animals. .
S ''What of it -
e Most probably they are wolves Whose
{ hunger VIII make them aS brave as ii
S gers Have your guns ready, fUr it VII
be an ugly fight.
The miner was correct in his theory
/ for they were wolves that were claWIn-
] their way through the snow. eager t.
get at the dainty meal awaiting them
2 and whose location they must hav.
learned from the Cdor OF the cooking
e meat borne to them through the FROSTY
{ air.
4 Mcdonald ran to where the fire wa
t smoulderiEg. and caught Up % brand
I which he circled rapidly around his heai
{ until it was famed into a blaze
D.. just then q flood of light broke int,
S the cavern. and the snOut of gigantic
I wolf was thrust through the opening.
Before tie brute could take in Tia
{ whole scene. the torch was idmmed int,
d his eyes, and, with yelpiug snarl, Il
I lGaped back among his companions.
t Still holding the FIRE before him. tn
{ miner crawlej through the tunnel, close
e ly followed by his friends, with thei
I guns ready for immediate use.