The Red Cloud chief., 1886-01-29
IN TIE CREVASSE.
An A~dventurer An But Ground
Between It's Horrid Jaws.

Between It's Horrid Jaws.
"Thc glacier will not be safe Today,
said the old guide. shaking his hea
gravely. There is a yellow mist owe
the cap Of old HciIgen Alp. and tbs
means a thaw."
"Well. and what Of that2" asked tn
younger man whom I had chosen 10
my guide. Neither one days nor on
months thaw is going TO melt the Me
de Glace."
NO" said the old man, s'but q thav
sometimes splits tho glacier into crev
asses. I've seen the Mer dc Glacc a,
full Of cracks as the bottom of a dried
up pond in summer. Many a gooe
fellow has lost his life at the bottom o.
those chasms."
"lt's not a crack in the ice. nor q
crack in nj old mans brain that is 90.
ing to scare Franz Berg" said the
young man. laughing. ''I'vc been
guide here. boy and man. these fifteen
years, and I never heard of even a goa,
being lost in a crevassc."
-'Well. we'll. have your own way"
muttered the old man. "wisdom is
learned by. experience. Happy for you
If you live to profit by it,"
l was somewhat disturbed by the old
guides OminOus words. but moi de-
TERED from my original purpose. /
ha< come all the way from Geneva to
see the glacier. and it was not the
prophcsyings Of a doting old MAJ that
was going TO interfere with my object.
4 had but n day to spare. The
weather was beautiful. The sky was
brilliantly blue. and the snow-crowncd
caps OF the mountains sparkled like gi-
gantic prisms in the sun. /. for one,
could not sec the yellow mist to which
'the Old man had referred. and was
greatly inclined to attribute his warn
ing. rs my guide had done. to q me-
grim of his old brain.
Our preparation. consisting of high
8eHNA shod with spikes. steel-tippcd
stavSs s03<s wicker flask of spirits
apiece. were S.oa complete. We set
out at ten in forCsesn and by twelve
had reached tho leAs bank Of the great
Sce river which we prcapsed to cross.
Ipaused q moment assQ -strnck at the
magnificent spectacle. imagine a gi-
gantic river. perhaps tive Dies broad.
whirling between vast snGG-cappcd
hills. suddenly frozen to . slow. moving
torrent Of ice. Vast heaps Of snd Z lay
upon it and here and there massSA Of
rock. weighing tons. detached frSp
some gorge far up the impossible cliassa
Very near Is . narrow assure or
cleft ran diagonally across the body of
the icc. the sides smooth as glass and
of a deep lustrous green. descending
sheer into impenetrable darkness.
Such a crcvasse n this. the guide said,
was always to DO found in the glacier
and only the most ordinary car was
necessary TO avoid it.
We scrambled down upon the ice
and began 70 mako our way across It.
Owing to various distractions. such as
heaped-up snow OF soft spots in the ice.
our progress was very slow. After an
hour of hard work We had not accom-
plished one-half Of the distance. / sat
down upon . cube Of rock to rest and
look about ne.
A change had already taken place in
the weather. Tho sun was obscurod
by . dense. leadcn-colored mist, and
the valley OF the glacier itself seemed
to be choked with masses Of whirling
vapor. Ny outside garments were wet,
and all around us the loo cent up .
cold aud benumbing steam-
As I sat in . far from comfortable
frame Of body and mind I was startled
by . far-od. dull. booming sound. the
echoes Of which seemed 70 be repeated
intcrminably among The hills.
"What was thasP" I asked The guide.
"Nose likely a avalancAe On the
Hcilgen Alp" he replied. "They arc
always falling tAers-
He was Interrupted bya repetition Of
She sound. much nearer % N. accona-
panied BY . tremeadoas shock that
seemed 70 shake To loo beneath ~ I
looked athim inqatringly. and observed
that he vas slightly pale.
"A creva8s." he sid. answering my
look with IN cir a ancoacsg1 that I
could 30 vas not wholly real when
the ice pa<te Il makes . neis1 like .
cannon. n = nothing. However. We
asad betssf - nosing.. Idea't lks he
Hooks q tAis fog"
We arooo ind roou0ed t3f journey,
ahs guids diFeceiAg sar ooazss y seea-
Stonal giinRsss q ~ Alp thrssGA H.
~rsats = ~whisA6ssynsasnt b.
cans 80 lsuea w NJ ~ Pc
ossdsd tweoH sespA legevsr. Wa
- gutds 0d1Gn6 Pe1bsd snA 10
AaentNehask. Athne hseank thseo
~tsnotAsr sspsst - - sAap