Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1889-05-11

to fall aud We halted on q ledge OF rock,
utterly worn olt
The storm teaseI and in short
time was a. its height The rain
came down in torrents, completely
drenchiag us. The lightning with
binding fa>hes p'ayed all around Kissing
and I!lum ming for an instant tae aw u
grandeur OF the scene, while the thunder
lea'el and crashed overhead, each craz
and wall Of rock echoing the sound and
increasing it an hundred fnld.
We had thrown orr ri es away. AFRAID
that the lightning would strike them,
and stood waiting for the storm to
abate. When we resumed our decent
we were trembling with cold in every
limb The air, wn.ch was warm enough
before, was now piercingly cod and the
wind dro e sno. and bits OF ice against
our faces with blind ng force
went rirst, and for eng time nelthe-
of US spoke Only wen particularly
dangerous place was crossed l gaze the
warning Look to the right Or ITO
the left as the case might be
Siegel led the way when | was tired.
and thus we proceeded WITH greatest
caution, as false step would have been
amos, certain death, TIL we got to more
evel ground.
Here 3ain encountered thickets of
kn holz We were already congratl-
lat'ng ourselves on having Ct The wors.
over, when we wee suddenly stopped oy
prec pice or WAND, down which j,
would have been impossible for goat
to 60. 1t was sheer descent Of at leas,
e'gaty feet.
This was dreadful disapp ppointment.
| We walked along the edge for some way,
| but as far as we could see the Wand ex.
te1..u Z. .-i4e,. / nsd already tn ~owo
.Url Oh the ground and had given up
III kopes of life when snoutfrom Siege
who had gone on little way, made me
once more spring to my feet.
| hastened to M He was standing
over a narrow no in the rock Amos
+! hidden by bushes OF the kne holz
ave are saved we are saved,' b.
cried. He explained to me how, when
had given up in despair, he suddenl'
thought that he remembe.et the plac'
we were in, and had embered, too
that if it were indeed the part Of tn
mountsin he supposed it to be, ther
was circular hoe in the ro,k formin z
the Wand by VIII ch the chamois hunter
scaled this otherwise inaccessible place
He had gone on, had found the opening
an fearful of los ne the spot hal stoo(
over it and called til cam,
We sid safely down this ch. mney lik
loic, which is not mu more thas
wenty feet in depth, aad easily descend
~ the lover part Of the Wand, whit
here much broAea, arrive |, fam slei
nd half frozen, at - O'Clock at night
~ a woodman's hut Siegel knew of i
the valley below Here VIC obtained
warmth and shelter
Three Of he woodmen immediatel
tartsd ur TIE monnta'n and retnrneo
+ lew hours with poor Franz, who wa
erv much exhausted, not so much frof
old-as Gotting had contrived to hgE
ire, and they had provisions -as fro.
oss of blood.
l once asked Siegel what he wou
ave done if he had not found that ope.
inc eve should, lie sad, nav
struck our alrenStocks into the g.ound
and have walked round them all Ii
night to keep OF sleep. whichif it con
Quered Us would. of course, have beel
atal If we lived TIL day broke V
should have tired to find our way hac
20 the others"
Whether we were likely to succeed |
so doing. cold, hungry and exhausted 9
we were. the reader may Judge,
AS for franz. lie completely recove-e
from his wound, and | have hunt,
many time with him since that memo
robIe I ay T.sfk'. IAN yt.;IgE