The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-02-21
then absent. in a substantial two.storr

then absent, in a substantial two-story
stone house not far from the post.
"This is Mr.. -" said Miss Shell
ton, laughing, as she presented me to
her mother, ga real American; and,
just think, he has come to ask, mamma,
if YOU are married" The cookbook
ing, embarrassed little widow soon I'M
travelled the nonsense with which Miss
Margot was seeking to overwhelm us,
and l was welcomed not only as an
American, but as one of the "boys in
blue'' who had been with Grant at
Vicksburg.
When the dinner was over l strolled
out through one of the loveliest stu
ated villages of the Alps. The view
down the valley we had just assembled
was enchanting. Behind the pretty
town, and edged by green meadow
sloping upward, was forest of tall,
dark frs, and above this an alp, ang-
ling up the side of steep mountain,
known to all tourists as the "Rigi'' of
the Kernthal.
1t was only the 25th of February, but
the sun seemed as warm as in midsum-
mer. The grass, so wonderfully green,
was high enough for pasture, and vio-
lets and daisies peeped out everywhere.
1t was " dangerously warm, in fact,
muttered the little postmaster in the
blue cap, as l handed him letter to
post to the Consul at Z, saying
everything was well, but couldn' pos
sibly be back on Saturday," danger
ously warm, because there had not been
so much snow on the mountains in fifty
years as now, and already people began
to hear of avalanches falling out of sea-
son."
Bleiburg, however. is safe enough 1
thought to myself, as glanced up the
sides OF the old peak, where, sure
enough, there were oceans of snow
and ice glistening in the sunshine,
But it was a mile away, and between
pretty Bleiberg and it swept, like
a dark veil, the forest of tall
fr-trees. Besides, how could village
that had slept a hundred years be walked
up now to an adventure just to crafty
young American?
q don't like tits too warm-and
there's no telling" continued my
would-be pessimist of a postmaster. 81
haven't lived in these regions well-nigh
to fifty years for nothing. Showing all
winter, and hot sun and daises in Feb
ruary, aren't natural. 1t means avail
anches to somebody somewhere"
| had almost forgotten that, as left
the house of my fair entertainers, was
informed that it was carnival-day in
the village, and that at three O'Clock
| must be on hand to see the procession.
1t was already after three, and l hur-
ried back to be offered a good place to
see from, at the upper chamber win
dow of Miss Margot, where, joined by
her mother, we awaited the boys in
striped trousers and masks, and the
men with music and flags. 1t was a
novel sight, as the long procession filed
up the road and approached the house
where we were waiting. A parade in
a mountain valley always is novel.
The contrast of the bright colors of the
costumes and flags with the green
foliage and the greener grass at the
road-sides; the comparative silence, dis
turbed only by the echoing of the notes
of music from the lofty rocks; the SEEM
ing diminutiveness of everything-of
the men, of the thread like roads, of
even the houses and trees, rs seen un-
der the shadow of the towering mount
ains-all added impressiveness to the
thing.
There were possibly hundred per-
sons in the procession, with score of
boys following at the sides, and all the
villagers looking on. l don't know
txyif h11t oh Cd
less joyous than had seen the peasants
at other village carnivals. Was it the
unusual heat, or was there in their
minds some fitting presentiment of
evil? Some of these old men had had
experiences-sad enough, doubtless
of the unexpected dangers to life in
these high valleys. l recall now a sort
of uneasiness noticed on the faces of
| those nearest us, and, as | thought, an
occasional glancing over our house at
the great mountain behind. In some
mysterious way this uncanny feeling was
communicating itself to us also. Avail
anches, however, give no signs of ap-
preaching, no warning. They are
unexpected, as sudden, as earthquakes,
ard sometimes lightning is not much
more rapid in its work. When a million
tons of ice and snow slip from the side
of a mountain, they are not long in
reaching the bottom.
The gay procession moved on. The
music and the laughter grew merrier.
Even the little postmaster in the blue
cap was engaged in loud guffaw at a
clown marching on stills. l had filled
my pockets with bonbons at the post,
and we were throwing them to the boys
nearest us in the procession.
Suddenly the music ceased; there was
an awful whizzing in the air; cry of
" Avalancher' " Avalancher' and in
an instant roaring and cracking, as of
falling forests. In ten short seconds
an awful flood of snow, mangled trees,
ice and stones passed the house, like
the swell of mighty sea. Everything
shook. The procession disappeared as
if ingulfed by an earthquake. Houses,
right and left, tumbled over and were
buried in one single instant. The air,
cooled for moment, and again hot,
was rent with the screams of the man
gled. An awful catastrophe had be-
fallen us; the wrath of the mountain
was upon the village! For moment
we stood paralyzed-speechless. We
had been saved.