Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-12-27

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and tired of her narrow excursion
ground. And, a few days thereafter,
Arnold was started from his musical
reveries by shadow on the ground.
s'Margretta you here, alone How
did you manage to come up?"
81 climbed up" was the laconic
reply. "My goat, here, found yours
and then it wasn't hard for me to find
you."
''But with whose permission p
"Never mind, I'm going down
right away. Only want to see the
ice caves and glaciers, and tell you
something
Margrstt made no reply to the re-
proof witch followed, but gazed in
awe-struck wonder upon the novel
scene.
Rude, wild, dazzling, yet desolate.
Snow-capped peaks staring in savage
fixedness, others leaning toward each |
other in eternal friendiness beside
them, fragrant flowers and tufts of
tender grass; pyramids of ice reflect
ing thousand hues in the sunshine,
and brilliant spray of cascades fall
inc in black chasms, which she dared
not approach.
.sThis is dreadful. l never knew
ice was hot. 1t makes my eyes
sweat, and my breath too Short"
gasped Margretta, averting her face
and wiping the supposed perspiration
from her eyes.
s'It isn't heat. It's the reflection
of the sun on the ice and snow that
makes your eyes water,' laughed Ar
mold, enjoying her bewilderment, and
directing her gaze to the peaked
heights on which his goats were
browsing, with hoof and muscle
strained to keep their footing.
Suddenly there was sharp, crash
ing report, followed by laundering
roar which shook the ground. There
was wild scramble of the goats,
and Margretta felt herself rushing
after them on Arnold's Eand.
At safe distance they turned, land
beheld sight that made Margretta
tremble.
At distance, it seemed only
gray cloud rolling over itself. But,
when it thundered past with terrific
noise, enveloping everything in its
way, she knew she had seen one of
those frequent elements of terror and
destruction-an avalanche.
"You see now why your father
forbade you to 60 far from the hut.
You don't KNOW now To avUii uhosu
dangers and, but for me, you might
now be buried in ice and snow, and
taking rolling journey to the val
ley," spoke Arnold when the danger
was past, and only the echoes were
chasing each other among the rocks.
"How did you know where to run !?
You did not see 1t coming" ques-
toned Margretta.
'But l saw the goats. One will
always be out of reach of an ava
lanche, if one can follow them quick
enough"
sYou see," continued Arnold, "the
least vibration of the earth-an echo,
slip of the foot, but more often the
noise of bursting glacier-loosen a
handful of snow, which begins to roll,
licking up more snow, and, finally,
larger obstacles on its way, as clean
as COW licks salt. The bigger it
gets, if not engulfed in some chasm,
the surer and swifter does it tear it's
way, down to the valley, with great
damage"
Margretta listened with serious
face, backing away from the treach-
erous snow, and assuring him that
she didn't care about staying any
longer, things were too touchy up
there.
Before she went she told him her
something" with great glee. 1t was
that she had been gathering and dry
ing, in a lovely rock-house of her
/ own, which she and her goat had
, discovered, large quantity of herbs
roots, and grasses, to sell to the
, apothecaries when they got down to
the valley; and that was what bro't
) her up to him in search of more
: herbs.
< Arnold good-naturedly joined in
the search and in less than an hour,
: Margretta made her way down, with
+ an armful of all sorts of plants and
: growths.
: Later IN the day, but far too early
for the usual return, Arnold heard
5 his masters signal to bring home the
, goats.
} Believing himself mistaken, he
waited before replying. But the
, horn was blown again, this time sc
A unmistakably loud and long that he
: hastily collected his herd and drove
: home, with vague fear that some
s thing was wrong.
t ''Margretta is missing" was al
: he could get from the assembled
: household. All was CONSERVATION.
q Arnold at once related the events
of the day, in the hope that they
u might furnish some clew to her where
: abouts. The cattle were put under
f shelter, and search began in every
!. dirootion