The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-09-07

the snow not more y ten fcct rom the
door,
Then. as a thought struck him:
"D'you reckon you c'u'd take me 10
him? That's a good dog Where Is
hep
Shop looked into his young masters
face. then al the door. and whined
anxiously.
~ do b'lccyo the dog c'u'd end him.
lis jest awful 10 think't, mebbs he's
a.;roezin' ter death right BY the door,"
Then his face lighted with stern de-
termination
I'm try it, any how. ] don't b'leeve
I'D Git lost. with the deg. an i kin
come back ter the dug-out ef ! don't
find any thing"
He searched about until he came upon
a stout cord. This he tied about the
dog : neck. Then he put on his heavy
| coat and mittens. and fastened the
loose end OF the cord TO his wrist 50
that the wind might not wrench II
away.
Come, Shcp,' he said. pointing 70
the door. ..Hunt i'm up"
The dog seemed 10 understand what
was intended and ran covering into
the corner.
Bat dragged him out and had just
placed his hand on the latch when a
dull, rumbling sound caught his a
and arrnatod him
An instant later the mountain seemed
to tremble 10 its base
ats the slide,'' he cried, covering
to the foor in terror. as. with a mighty
roar. the avalanche passed over the
dug-out.
The room at once began to fill with
smoke. The chimney had been swept
away and the snow, packing in q great
drift above. drove tie smoke back into
the dug-out.
Bat realized the danger and quickly
~extinguished the fire. To effect this
he poured a bucket Of water upon the
, live Goals, and for a little while was al
most suffocated BY the steam and
ashes.
. The light still burned steadily. and
| on the spu OF the moment he also put
that out, thinking its flame might
yitiate the air confined in the dug-out
He was so terrified by the first shoci
Of the snow-slido that he scarcely knev
what he did. Now. as darkness en-
yeloped him. and the dog crept TO M
I side. pushing his cold nose into M
!. face. Bat realized that something mus
be DONE
: He could not live forever cooped "A
in there. The prospect OF aid fror
q the outside was extremely small n
! was forced to admit hat his fathe
. must be dead. II did not seem possibl
that he could have survived tbs
4 mighty avalanche il he was anywher
on the trail. The tunnel would amor
q a secure retreat, but Bat knew p
father was not in the tunnel.
! Knowing the importance OF haste
again lighted the lamp. The door IA
a been warped by the outside pressur
and he could scarcely get it open. ,
I whirling column Of air Q tossed u
fame Of the lamp. for the door-ws
was filed with a mass Of snow. racks
= almost as hard as ice.
y This Bat attacked with the enerf
OF despair. digging II loose with q
Z, pick and shovcling ii back into thedu
out. IL took nearly an hour TO enlarI
a space sufficient 70 turn around
i But at this point the snow was n
packed so firmly. and his progress 3
came more rapid
- The exercise warmed his "
a which would have become chilled
"a inoctiyity. Ii also gave direction
his thoughts. Youth is proverbial
u hopeful. and. as he threw down
~ pick after two hours labor, he fou
- his appetite returning. He drew
his coat. and placing the now odd ~
: per on the little table, ate with CO
siderable relish. generously dividi
a. with Shep, who crouched and shiver
II. ut his feet.
.a He returned to work strengthen
- and with the confidence in his abil
nh
"a to escape remarkably increased
ia Straight out toward the open arr
pushed the little tunnel. working VI
- scarcely a rest Il seemed an int
minable task. but he never faltcred-
Nv Hours vent by unnoted- Az
hunger drove him 70 the cupboard
no was impossible to cook any thing. !
there were a few hard crackers on
shelves and an ~abundanceo OF salt POI
no and these he devoured grcedily,
III forgetting the dog.
Then he again crawled into the y
Of row tunnel and attacked the drift
his other hour. possibly two. dragged
lex Then his pick broke through the CT
and a current Of cold air. accs
the named by a bath Of sunshine, pou
lis. in on him.
Iket II was daylight. and the storm
the cleared away.
rhe .Hurrahr' he cried. seizing
and shovel and enlarging the Q =
ny ciently to permit his egrcss-
,erc Shep bounded after him and !
.ant icked about in evident glee-
The scene Of dcsolation that gres
ced BAT caused his spirits TO sink again
~ -.tnh.. carvons and rails v