Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-03-05
A MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE.

u FOUNTAIN ADVENTURE.
The river Traun forms large an(
beautiful lake In the midst OF the Alps
and on It's border lies the town O
Gmunden. The houses arc ~ white a,
snow, the church steeple 10 tall and
tapering, tho background In formed by
hills clothed In iuxuriant verdure, and
the whole IL reflected In the crysta
waters Of the lake. From the opposite
side the Alps look down with solemn
yet benign c0untenanco light clouds
hang about their brow, from which
descend from time to time short but
smart showers OF rain. A small steam
boat Is lying In the harbor of G munden
and the deck Is crowded with q mot
ley ccmpany, among whom two lovely
girls in the national Cost me, with
black silk braided into their long
tresses, arr conspicuous. There ID
nothing to spoil the fresh rural scene
except noble banker from Vienna
With wadded coat and q gold eye.
glass
The anchor was soon weighed, and
We rushed through the foamiDg waves
On both sides Of us steep rocks rose
almost p1rT.ndiculsrly out Of til.
water, and the heights were crowned
with dark pine wOoda; soon they ap.
preached nearer TO each other, and the
steam boat had reached the ond of its
voyage.
An old man was standing on the
shore, and offering Alpine roses for
salt; l seized a bunch and placed
them In my hat, and prepared to ascend
thu mountain. Several Of the passen.
gers joined our party. and we set out
laughing and singing, With the inten.
tion OF descendiDR 10 Ischl before ths
evening closed. Oh, how different are
these Alps from our raw Northern
mountains! Their outlines are 30 clea
AID pure, that they seem TO swim in
the atmosphere. The Rlesengebirg
aud tbeHarz have their stately heights,
but their outlines are harsh, their forms
are cold.
Here The summi.s are almost lost In
light; sparkling mountain streams
spring out from the wallis of rock;
larchos, with their delicate light green
foliage, rustic Oh the edges uf the preci.
pice, and with the dark Pine trees form
. pleasing mixture IF light and shade.
How much we had TO admire, 10 ex-
AIN Inc, and TO take with US! One found
q remarkable geological specimen;
another picked fragrant bunch of
lilac cyciamen; a third sketched o peas.
ant In green velvet jacket and scar
let vest. The hours flew by without
our thinking of time, and we had
ascended to a considerable height.
Suddenly the trees, The rocks, and the
waterta. Is, were glowing with tho
light of the setting sun. We FASTENED
our steps, but ii was In vaiu; long be-
fore We could reach the valley dark
shades lay all around us.
Now we called council of war. As
none OF US knew the way, and we fear
al that we might ioss ourselves In the
woods, and AZ we had sufficient sup
ply OF provisions, and some we'll lied
traveling-h 'sks, we resolved to rest
until midnight, when the moon would
rise, and her light would enable us 70
proceed. Only one of the party,a ducal
cham berlatn, opposed our proceedings !;
he laughed at our cowardice, and, de
clariDg that he would sleep conf tably
at lschl, started alone.
We whiled the time with pleasant
conversation until the silvery light of the
moon began to glitter through tho dark
foliage; then each man seized his staff,
and walking rapidly forwards, W.T.
reached, in about an hour, the edge of
the wood. Here, to our astonishinent,
we found our late companion; he look
ed bewildered, and terror was depicted
upon his pale, rnoonlit countenance.
We assailed him with questions, and
he narrated his story with evident
alarm. 1t appeared that soon after
quitting the wood he perceived q
house, which WAS built against a very
high r)ck, and with assteep precipice
in front, between which and the house
there was only narrow path.
The brave youth prepared to follow
this path; but on approaching the
house be discovered an enormous black
dog, who was evidently prepared
to defend the pass, and whose
attitude showed that be was
ready to spring upon the first assailant.
Our friend hesitated, aud from a dis.
lance threatened the monster with his
stick, but 1t was to no purpose; the
dog would not quit his post, but re-
NAMED motionless, with bis Java
open, and his eyes fixed upon the
unfortunate wanderer. An attempt to
rouse the people of the house by shout
ing WAS also unsuccessful. They were
all asleep, and, as he did not dare TO
approach nearer, he resolved, not
without fear of pursuit, to retleat to
the edge OF the wood, where he was
found by us.
After having heard the chamber.
lain's story, we prepared to continue
oar journey, although he entreated us
to wait till daybreak, when the inhalt
tants OF the house would doubtless
chain up the savage creature. We in
our turn laughed at him, and said that
six men armed with good sticks ought
to be able to pass Cerberus himself. As
his entreaties were In vain he Joined
our forces, and we advanced, like an
army eager Tor battle. Soon we saw
the white house in the moonshine, and,
true enough, there was the terrible dog
close beside the door. 1t was . beast Of
extraordinary size, az black as a coal,
and with broad shaggy chest. Invol-
unfairly we formed into close ranks,
the chamberlain prudently occupying
the centre.
The creature uttered not q sound,
which In dogs Is considered q sign of q
savage disposition ; but our courage
did not fail. At last we were quite
close to him, and still he neither moved
nor barked We cautiously stretched
out our sticks toward him and discov.
ered-that the black monster was re-
markably we'll painted upon the white
wall OF the house, In the Intention, no
doubt, of frightening away thieves.
1t may readily be imagined that tho