Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-12-27
ife; and the region re-echoed with

~ tile HTSb. AUu, vi tuc tHiius ouC
obliged to attend to their
cattle, were leaving for their homes,
promising to keep open eyes for the
in their own neighborhood,
but with the silent conviction that
Senner Martins daughter was lying
dead in some n ountain stream.
As chief senner, occupying the
highest Alp, it was Martins duty to
salute the mountaineers at set of |
sun.
This impressive ceremony is called
1.-THE Senner's Good Night When
darkness has already settled in the
valley, and the sun shines only on
the highest peaks, the chief senner
energies from his hut, and blows
through his Alp-horn, 'sPraise God
the Lord !'' Immediately every senner
for miles around appears on the
threshold of his hut, and repeats the
words. So, during the lapse of ten
minutes, the name of God reverber-
ates from every rock and ravine for
miles around. Then there is a SOL
emn stiffness. Every senner, with
barred head, now kneels in prayer un
til the last rays of the sun have gone
down. Then "Good-nlght ]" sounds
from the trumpet of the first senner,
and "Good-night - is repeated from
the alp-horns of all the rest.
Somehow, for the last two nights
Senner Martins alp-horn had not
given forth its wonted strong inspir-
ing blast in praise of the Lord of
hosts; and everybody who heard 1t
knew his heart was prone to murmur
against this blow of loss and grief.
Arnold, too, who alone had not
given up the search, and was still en-
gagged in 1t some distance from the
hut, heard the weak sunset salute,
and joined the chorus of alp-horns in
vigorous reply, as the faiths answer
that was still in his young, hopeful
heart.
The echoes of alp-horns grew faint
er and fewer. Arnold barred his
head in silent evening prayer, as
every senner was dong over all the
Alps, still, in spite of all hopeless
appearances, putting in a petition for
the finding of Martins daughter.
With a strange hope he kept his
eyes riveted upon the sky. A black,
moving speck appeared, which soon
proved to be a lammer-geyer circling
down with slow, majestic sweeps,
and finally alighting on a snow-cov-
cred rock.
Arnold's heart beat wildly AS he
crept up to the bird of prey, and
grasped his knotty alp-stick tighter.
Its beak was dug several times deep
into the snow. Its talons grasped a
black object with which it was about
to spread It's wings, when Arnold
bounded forward, and, after short
battle. he pulled the little kid of Mar
gretta goa; from the birds stiffening
claws.
To find Margretta dead or alive
now was not hard. After signaling
his master to come, he dug, like a
young giant, into the snow. A wide,
projecting ledge of the rock was
found to have formed an admirable
roomy cave. This, instead of being
filed up, as it at first appeared, had
only its entrance closed with snow
and Ice; and there were small aper-
lures, accidental cracks, through
which air and litlle daylight could
penetrate.
Arnold noticed all this, and dug
away at the entrance with growing
hope. That Margretta might have
died of starvation never occurred to
him.
'sAllve! alive! Thank God y
came simultaneously from Sennel
Martins and Arnold's lips, as hap.
py lift of shovels revealed Margretta
and the goat huddled in the farthesl
corner, the former with little milk
still in her canteen, the latter feebly
chewing the remains of dried herbs.
"It was 'valancher," cried Mar.
gretta feebly. sit came all of a sud.
den. We couldn't run away, only
the kid. And l guess it's dead. The
goat let me milk her, and l let hel
eat my herbs, else we would have
died of hunger. I'm dreadfully hun.
CRY, anyway
Margretta could say no more, fol
she was pressed close in her fathers
arms, and hurried home; while Ar.
mold, like good shepherd, swung
the half-starved goat across his shoul.
ders, and followed his master.
Meanwhile. the senners everywhere
were waiting for their chiefs "Good
night p ere they closed their huts
and retired. None came, however
and for one long half hour theil
hearts were filled with hope and fear
Had he found his daughter, and for.
gotten his customary duty in his joy
or what
At last there came a stirring blast
But it was not Goodnight ]" Il
was that ringing, rolling sound which
meant an extra thanksgiving for life
saved, d,-"Praise God, the Lord Je
hovah evermore - The senners knew
what that meant, and hundred re-
turn blasts were given with will