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

that an hour ago on the ice beside the
crevasse."
ain other Words" said /, eve have
been travelling in circle for the last
hour"
"Yes, the crevasse is all around us"
he replied, with a dropping head.
1--WE are imprisoned upon an island of
ice"
l was silent for moment, strug-
Cling with my own dread. "Well"
said l, eve must make the best of it
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 sent to the bottom"
"The caseis hopeless, then," said.
"We can do no more. Let us meet
death as bravely as we can."
"Old Kober was right" he NUT
tered. "He warned me and l have
led you to your death"
"Let us not speak Of that" l an
swered. al 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 might, l
withdrew 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 a roar like a thousand thunder
peals, binding dash of ice particles,
and felt as if 1 had been seized and
hurled bodily into the air. Then, with
Franz's wild cry in my ears, and the
sound of q furious wind rushing past
me, 1 seemed to be sinking down,
down into unfathomable depths. Then
came violent jar and knew no more.
When consciousness returned l found
myself at tha bottom of tremendous
gorge, one wall of which receded up
ward at an angle. 1t was by sliding
down this incline that / 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.
Ny 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 a
cat could not have climbed; the other,
as have already said, sloped upward
at considerable angle, but it was so
slippery that could find no foothcld
upon it.
had with me nothing but a strong
clasp-knife, but with this poor tool
began desperately hacking inches for
my hands and feet in the ice. 1t was
slow and painful work. When at the
end Of four or five hours found that
l 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. 1 wrapped my
coat about me and lay down in the
crevasse, perfectly careless as to the
end of it all. Some time toward
morning, worn out with fatigue and
excitement, fell asleep.
1t must have been late in the day
when l awoke. l started to my feet
and looked around me. A significant
change had taken place in the condi
tion of the crevasse. When l had
fallen into it the chasm had been fully
twenty feet in width. 1t was now
less than six. The cleft of sky wa;
reduced to mere white line faI
above. The walls were approaching
each other-the crevasse was closing
again. In the course of few hours
should be crushed to pieces betweer
the meeting masses of ice.
The thought had now no terror fol
me. Mentally and physically l wH
benumbed and callous. / sat dOWI
upon the bottom of the crevasse, stol
idly watching the slow approach O
the opposite wall, until it began Il
press against my feet; then I'arose t.
a standing posture and continued t
eye it vacantly as before.
Another hour went by; it nigh
have been a moment OF an age, so fa
as my dulled comprehension was con
cerned. The walls had now approaches
so closely that l could touch the oppo
site one with my outstretched hands
At this juncture a small object strucl
me sharply upon the head. I suppose,
it to be a fragment of ice detache,
! from the ice-walls above, and paid n
attention to it. But the blow was re
peated more violently, and l looked u
carelessly to see whence it came.
3 1t was with a sense of absolute pair
r so great was the reYulsion from dc