Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-02-18

simply.
Yes" l replied, as quietly as l
could. "but we must do our best to
got out Of il. What do you adviser"
I'VE must not stop here" he said,
pcering into the fog; 1--we are evident
" in the very center Of these crevasses.
II We could get nearer to either bank
we should be safer. | think We had
better follow one Of these cracks until
we can cross it. We shall have to feel
our way, for this fog hides every
thing"
Very good" l replied; "lcad on
and will keep close behind you"
Crouching almost to our hands and
knees we proceeded slowly onward.
keeping the main crevasse, q cleft
some twenty feet wide, on our left.
For nearly AN hour W. went ON in this
way. and still the awful chasm yawned
beside Us. Indeed. ii seemed to me
that we had not moved at all, and
that recognized certain peculiaritics
in our surroundings rs similar to those
| had noticed at our point OF de-
parture.
While l was bordering this dis
quieting notion, saw the guide stoop
aud pick up some object from the ice.
He turned and looked at me with 4
white face.
I'VE need go no further" he said,
holding up his spirit-hask. - dropped
that an hour ago on the ice beside the
crcyassc."
lin other words" said l. 1--WE have
been travelling in circle for the last
hour"
"Ycs. the crcvasSc is all around us"
he replied, with II dropping head.
We are imprisoned upon an island of
Ice"
Twas silent for n moment, struggling
With NV own dread.
Well" said eve must make the
best Of it, aad wait until the crcvasse
closes again"
He shook his head sorrowfully. 1.-THE
mass Of ice we are standing upon will
be moro likely to split up and we be
sent to the bottom"
The case is hopeless, them" l said.
We can do no more. Let us meet
death a. braycly as we can"
"0ld Kobcrwas right, he muttered.
"IIc warned me and have led you to
your death"
Let US not speak of that" i an
swcred. lido not blame you, Franz.
Let Us shake hands, then sit down and
wait for whatever Providence sees fit to
do unto us"
You are brave man." he said,
grasping my hand.
Desiring to prepare myself for what
was TO come rs well as might. / with
drew little distance from him, End
sitting down, covered my eyes with
my hand. Meantime the grinding and
crashing went on al about me. The
fog had settled down so heavily that 1t
was almost like night.
Suddenly and without warning there
was a roar like n thousand thunder
peals, n binding dash Of ice particles,
and felt rs il l had been seized and
hurled bodily into the air. Then, with
Francs wild cry in my ears and the
sound Of furious wind rushing past
me. seemed to be sinking down,
down into unfathomable depths. Then
came 4 violent jar and knew no
moe.
When consciousness returned /
found myself at the bottom OF tro-
gorge. one wall Of which re-
ccdcd upward at an angle. 1t was by
sliding down this incline that l had es-
capped being dashed to pieccs-only TO
await death in u more lingering and
horrible form. The gorge was lighted
by pale-greenish glow from tho pol
ishcd faces of the zee. and far above i
could see narrow streak Of outer day.
NY shock and fall had aroused u
resentment against my
cruel fate. / looked around for some
means of escape. One wall Of the
creyasse absolutely leaned over me.
and this cat could not have climbed;
the other. as / have already said. sloped
upward at considerable angle. but 1t
was so slippery that I could find no
foothold upon It.
had with me nothing but strong
but with this poor tool l
began desperately hacking inches for
my hands and feet in the ice. II 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, 1 re-
Taxed my hold. and slid, numbed and
to the bottom again.
BY this time the night had come upon
the world above and in the chasm 1t
was perfectly black. / wrapped my
coat about me and lay down in the
crovassc, perfectly careless as to the
end of il all. Some time toward morn
ing, worn out with fatigue and excite
ment, 1 fell asleep.
II must have been late in tho day
when / awoke. started to my feet
and looked around me. A significant
change had taken place in the condi-
ton Of the crevasse. When / had fallen
into 1t the ehasm had been fully twenty
feet in width. II was now less than
six. The cleft OF the sky was reduced
TO a mere white line far above. The
walls were approaching each other
the crsvasse was closing sgaip. In the