News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
LOST ON THE MOUNTAINS.
A TRUE STORY FOR BOYS.
BY HAROLD W, RAYMOND,

Have any of you boys ever been over
the big mountains of Switzerland? l
wonder how you would feel if you found
yourself lost among them, as my friend
Pat would say. with only a few pieces
of silver in your pocket and couple of
dozen words of the language of the
country at your command Ticklish,
eh? Well, / should say so! ought to
know, for have been there. | wonder
If the brave boys of the Christian Union
would be interested III my two days and
night upon the mountains?
was almost sixteen, and thought
myself so nearly a man that the differ
ence did not count. was six feet tall,
and had a pair of quite presentable
whiskers. NJ, legs were long and stur-
dy, and | was proud OF my ability as
long distance walker But was moth
ing but big boy, after all, and very
foolish boy too, as you will agree when
you hear the goosey-poosey way l walked
myself off upon the wrong road, and
never knew of my mistake until I had
put whole mountain between myself
and my poor frightened father.
You see, we had spent the night at
Hospenthal. little village part way up
the st. Gothard Mountain, and we were
going over the pass to the Rhone Glacier
a great gorge of yellow ice which never
goes away, but out of which is pressed
the tiny stream which grows into the
river RhOne. If you have been to
Switzerland, you will know all about
the mountain passes, those splendid
roads which the people of the country
IN ,Nf ho
mountains, and which go zigzagging up,
up, like big snakes, so that the stages
and the huge freight wagons can be |
drawn over them. If l had not been |
boy, should have consulted my guide
book, and learned that there were two
passes above Hospenthal, the road TO
the left going over the st. GOthard
Mountain into Italy, and the one to the
right over the Furca Mountain to the
big glacier, and then to Interlaken.
Being boy, l took everything for
granted, bade good by to the party,
who were to follow me in a carriage,
and started boldly up the mountain SIDE
A little footpath led me straight up over
the rocks, crowned with pretty blue
bells, and when | struck the pass again
/ was far beyond the forked roads, and
on the wrong one; and / never dreamed
that there were two.
Away went, singing blithely, and
putting in my best licks, for | had
boasted that could beat the carriage
In couple of hours | had reached the
summit, and looked with wonder at the
patches of snow which lay about me.
Such ignorant snow not to know that
it was August, and time to melt! II
was about four O'Clock in the afternoon
when l reached little village at the
foot of the mountain. To my astonlsh-
ment the people there were Italians in
stead of Swiss. l was in Airolo. / be-
gan to suspect something was wrong,
but could not quite understand 1t.
Along the base of the mountain, toward
the west, | saw a little valley with a
brawling mountain torrent in the mid
de, and at the further end a glacier
glittered in the sun. That must be my
destination. So, after lunching and
resting at little inn, again set forth.
At seven o'clock reached the upper
end of the valley, and found myself in
a sort of pocket, with no chance of GO
ing further Ever since leaving AirOlo
had been following a little foot-path
through the most charming little valley,
which, venture to say, had never be-
fore been explored by an American.
The people | met, down to the little
children, were most polite and respect
full, and wished me good afternoon in
tongue which l could not answer,
though l understood their meaning.
At frequent intervals beside the path |
would come upon little wooden cru
cifix, which the simple peasants thought
a great help to them in saying their
prayers; but all this time, with a loud
roar, the mountain stream came dashing
down and beat itself white with rage
against the big rocks that stood IN its
way. So much wa | interested by all
these quaint and novel surroundings
that I clear forgot about the Rhone
Glacier, and the party of fellow-travel-
ers whom had expected to meet long
ere this.
But stayl There comes chill breath
over the mountain, and l have reached
the upper end of the valley. There is
glacier, to be sure, but it is small af-
fair. / have certainly gone out of the
way; but where? how2 have seen but
one road, and followed that. Where
could | have blundered2
If there had been any use in getting
frightened, your uncle Hal would have
been the scaredest six-foot boy in all
Switzerland. He certainly felt cold
shivers in plenty, but, realizing that
they would not get him out of his trou-
bles, he decided to do the manly thing.
He was tired and foot-sore from long
days tramp, but that must not count
On the other side of the torrent was q
little village. There was no bridge,
but at the risk of my life l managed to
get across over the slippery bowlders
On the other side l found man who
could talk French. could not, but
could barely understand small portion
of it.
" Gzace du Rhone ?" inquired, point
ing to the little glacier.
30, non! non :" said the friendly ma
tive, going off into long explanation,
out of which | managed to understand
that he had once been a waiter in Paris,
and knew an American when he saw
him; that was altogether on the wrong
track, and that the Rhone Glacier was
way over the mountain to the north
ward Could climb straight over the
mountain2 Oh, no, no; that would. be
very dangerous without a guide. l was
half minded to try, and if | had, this