The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-03-07

that an hour ago on the fee beside the
crevasse."
"In other words" said /, eve have
been travelling in a circle for the last
hour"
Eyes, the crevasse is all around us,
he replied, with a dropping head
+" We are Imprisoned upon an island Of
ice"
was silent for q moment, strug
Cling with my own dread. "Well,
said ], "we must make the best of II
and wait until the crevasse closes
again."
He shook his head sorrowfully
The mass of ice we are standing
upon will be more likely to split up
and we be aNnt to the bottom"
"The cas0 is hopeless, then," said.
1--WE can de no more. Let us meet
death as bravely as we can"
"Old Kober was right" he NUT
tered. "IIe warned me and 1 have
led you to your DEATH"
"Let us not speak of that" l an
swered. 81 do not blame you, Franz.
Let us shake hands, then sit down and
wait for whatever Providence sees fit
to do unto u.s."
"You are brave man." he said,
grasping my hand.
Desiring to prepare myself for what
was to come as well as 1 might, 1
withdrew a little distance from him,
and sitting down covered my eyes
with my hand. Meantime the grind
ing and crashing went on all about
me. The fog had settled down so
heavily that it was almost like night.
Suddenly and without warning, there
was roar like a thousand thunder
peals, a binding dash of ice particles,
and felt as if / had been seized and
hurled bodily into the air. Then, with
Franz's wild cry in my ears, and the
sound of furious wind rushing past
me, / seemed to be sinking down,
down intounfathomable depths. Then
came aviolent jar and 1 knew no more.
When consciousness returned found
myself at the bottom of tremendous
gorge, one wall of which receded up
ward at an angle. It was by sliding
down this incline that l had escaped
being dashed to pieces-only
to await death in more
lingering and horrible form.
The gorge was lighted by pale-green-
ish glow from the polished faces of the
ice, and far above could see narrow
streak of outer day.
My shock and fall had aroused a
temporary resentment against my cruel
fate. ] looked around for some means
of escape. One wall of the crevasse
asolutely leaned over me, and this q
cat could not have climbed; the other
as have already said, sloped upward
at considerable angle, but it was SC
slippery that l could find no foothold
upon it.
/ had with me nothing but a strong
clasp-knife, but with this poor tool ]
began desperately hacking inches fol
my hands and feet in the ice. It was
slow and painful work. When at the
end Of four or five hours found that
had not progressed more than ten
yards upward, my heart sickened, Ire
laxed my hold, and slid, numbed and
despairing, to the bottom again.
BY this time night had come upon
the world above, and in the chasm II
was perfectly black. / wrapped my
coat about me and lay down in the
crevasse, perfectly careless as to the
end of 1t all. Some time toward
morning, worn out with fatigue and
excitement, / fell asleep.
1t must have been late in the day
when awoke. i started to my feet
and looked around rue. A significant
change had taken place in the condi-
tion of the crevasse. When / had
fallen into IL the chasm had been fully
twenty feet in width. 1t was now
less than six. The cleft of sky was
reduced to mere white line far
above. The walls were approaching
each other-the crevasse was closing
again. In the course of few hours
should be crushed to pieces between
the meeting masses Of ice.
The thought had now no terror fol
me- Mentally and physically l was
benumbed and callous. / sat down
upon the bottom of the crevasse, stol-
idly watching the slow approach OF
the opposite wall, until it began tC
press against my feet; then I'arose to
a standing posture and continued to
eye it vacantly as before.
Another hour went by; 1t might
have been a moment OF an age, so fan
as my dulled comprehension was con
cerned. The walls had now approached
so closely that could touch the oppo
site one with my outstretched hands
AT this juncture a small object strucl
me sharply upon the head. supposed
it to be a fragment of ice detached
from the ice-walls above, and paid ne
attention to it. But the blow was re
peated more violently, and looked W
carelessly TO see whence it came
1t was with a sense of absolutepain
so great was the reYulsion from de
I J., a. Al. -