Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-07-09
The Eau of a Mountain.

village Oh Goi0au, enjoying the warmth
| of the summer sunshine and the view of
the fresh, green valley, dappled here and
there with clumps OF trees. All around
the great purple mountains stood up
against the sky, as if keeping guard
over the pretty little village in their
midst, with tiny log huts clustered be-
| meath the shadow of the neat, white
church, like chickens nesting under the
wing of the mother.
A big, ford, jolly looking man came
striding up the path, and held out his
hand to the old peasant with hearty
Good-day, neighbor Kraus.
Good-day, neighbor Schwartz. Fine
weather to-day"
Beautiful. Wen have famous har-
vest this year, please God"
81 hope so, neighbor. Won't you sit
down minute? It's warm walking"
"Thanks, I WILL Holloa what's the
matter over yonder?"
Right opposite them, 5000 feet over
head, lowered the dark:. mass of the Ross
berg, the highest of the surrounding
mountains. Just as Schwartz spoke,
its huge outline seemed to be agitated
by slight tremulous motion, like the
nodding of plume of feathers.
"Well, my friend, what are you star
ing at? Did you never see the trees shak-
ing in the wind before ?"
"Of course but it seemed to me
somehow as if it wasn't only the trees
that shook, but the whole mountain.
"You're easily scared" chuckled the
old man. 81 suppose you are thinking
of the old saying that the Rossberg is
to fail some day. Bah they have been
saying so ever since I was a child, and
it hasn't fallen yet"
Schwartz laughed, and the two friends
went on talking. But suddenly the
visitor started up with unmlstakable
terror; and no wonder. His spiked
staff, which he had stuck carelessly into
the ground beside him when he sat
down, was moving to and fro of itself.
Good gracious do you see that,
Father Kraus? And look at those
birds yonder, flying screaming away
from the trees oil. the Rossberg! Some
thing wrong, say what you will."
At that moment Hans Godrel, the
miller, came flying past shouting
"Run for your lives The stream is
dried up, and that always comes before
an earthquake or an avalanche. Run %
"Pooh I'll have time to fill my pipe
again, said old Kraus, coolly producing
his tobacco pouch.
But Schwartz was too thoroughly
frightened to wait another moment.
Down the hill he flew like mailman,
and had barely got clear of the village
when the earth shook under his feet SO
violently as to throw him down. He
sprang up again and just in time to see
poor old Kraus' cottage vanish in
whirl of dust like bursting bubble.
The next moment there came terrific
crash, followed by another so much
louder that it seemed to shake the very
sky. In a moment it was as dark as
night, and amid the gloom could be
heard medley of fearful sounds-the
rending OF strong timpers, and hollow
rumble Of falling rocks and gravel, the
crash of wrecked buildings, the shrieks
of doomed inmates, and the roar of the
angry waves from the lake below, as if
the angry waters were breaking loose at
once.
The last house of the village, on the
side farthest from the Rossberg, was
that of Antoine Sepel, the wood-cutter,
who at the first alarm snatched up two
Of his children and made for the hillside,
calling to his wife to follow with the
other two. But the youngest, Marianne,
little girl of 6, had just run into the
house. and before her mother could
reach her the first crash came The
terrified woman seized the other girl,
and fled without looking behind her.
But the old servant, Francoise, could
but think of her little favorite under the
shadow of coming destruction. She
darted into the house, and had just
caught the child in her arms, when the
tremendous din of the final crash told
her that it was too late. In an instant
the house was lifted bodily from its
place and spun round like top. The
child was torn from her clasp, and she
felt herself thrown violently forward, the
strong timbers falling to pieces around
her like pack of cards. Still, however,
the brave woman struggled 10 free her.
self, but the weight tnat kept her down
defed her utmost strength. For her
own safety she cared but little, although