The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-02-06

more lhhn zen leet apart.
Though the chasm lay directly in our
way, TO cross it was out of the question.
The guide turned quickly to the right,
and we followed the brink of the crew.
asse, hoping to find a point where it
ended or was narrow enough to spring
over, The fog had now become so
dense that we could not see a dozen
steps before us, and we were forced to
move at a snail's pace in order to
avoid falling into some unseen abyss.
We had gone on in this way perhaps
five minutes, when there came another
report, followed by a series of weaker
shocks. The guide and l paused and
looked around us.
The situation had become, to say the
least, embarrassing. During a mo-
mentary lift of the fog, we saw all
around us a perfect network of cracks,
intersecting one another at every
angle. Then, as the vapor closed in
again, we could hear on every side trc-
mendous crashes and g~rindings, as the
huge masses of ice approached or re-
ceded from each other.
What to do now was a serious ques-
ton. To proceed a single yard might
be to precipitate ourselves to the bot
tom of some frightful chasm, and to re-
main where we were might be merely
waiting until the ice should open be-
meath Il feet and cngulf us. But we
were speedily forced to a conclusion.
While we stood a few feet apart anx-
iously discussing II position, there
was another shock, and l was blinded
by a shovel of small particles of ice.
When cleared my eyes | saw that
another cleft had opened directly at
my feet, between myself and the
guide. 1t was rapidly widening, and
in 4 few seconds would completely
separate me from my companion.
Without hesitation | sprang across it
and stood beside him. He looked at
me with a grave race.
1--WE are in great danger" he said,
simply.
Yes l replied, as quietly as I
could, "but we must do our best TO
get out of it. What do you advise?o
We must not stop here" he said,
peering into the fog; we are evident
" in the very center of these crevasscs.
If We could ret 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
Every good l replied; lead on
and | will keep close behind you"
C%rouching almost to our hands and
knees we proceeded slowly onward,
keeping the main crevaSsc, 4 cleft
some twenty feet wide, on our left.
For nearly an hour We went on in this
way, and still the awful chasm yawncd
beside US. Indeed, it seemed to me
that we had not moved at all. and
that | recognized certain pcculiarities
in our surroundings as similar to those
| had noticed at our point of de-
parture.
While | was bordering this dis
quoting notion, I saw the guide stoop
and pick up some object from the ice.
He turned and looked at me with a
white face.
ave need go no further" he said,
holding up his spirit-fask. Il dropped
that an hour ago on the ice beside the
.crevasse.'
"In other Words said l, 1--WE have
been travelling in a circle for the last
hour
Eyes, the crevass is all around u.s."
he replied, with a dropping head.
eve are imprisoned upon an island of
/ was silent for moment, struggling
with my own dread.
"Well,n said | 1--WE must make the
of it, and wait until the crevasse
again.
He shook his head sorrowfully. 1.-The
of ice we are standing upon will
be more likely to split up and we be
sent to the bottom" {
1.-THE case is hopeless, then" l said.
We can do no more. Let US meet
Heath as bravc]y as we can" {
"Oll Kober was right" he muttered.
He warned me and / have led you to l
your death"
"Let us not speak of that" l N
'wered. lido not blame you, Franz. !
let US shake hands, then sit down and
wait for whatever Providence sees fit to I
10 unto us" s
"You are a brave man." he said,
yrasping my hand. I
Desiring to prepare myself for what l
vas to come as well as | might, I with :
a little distance from him, and !
itting down, covered my eyes with .
ny hand. Meantime the grinding and :
went on all about me. Tho '
had settled down so heavily that it !
vas almost like night. L
Suddenly and without warning there
a roar like a thousand thunder
reals, a binding dash of ice particles, y
nd | felt as if 7 had been seized and
urlod bodily into the air. Then, with
wild cry in my ears and the l.
ound of a furious wind rushing past :.
1e. l seemed to be sinking down, =
own into understandable denths. Then y