The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-02-02
iarizc Ourselves with This strange mountain.
but It's unearthly aspect did not change

iarizc Ourselves with this strange mountain,
but Its uucarthly aspect did not CHANGE
In us
at is terrible to he up there!" said Hal,
with almost Il >htIdder "One is in no dam
/. + of forgetting the experience AS was
following that lava ridge this side OF the
Devils Thumb, | saw far of on the snow n
black object about the si2e of my finger
wriygling and staggering about, falling fiat
occasionally aud then rcsllmng its fantastic
gvlnt'ons. observed it carefully, and dis
GOV red that the object was forke,l, and then
1t flashed through me that it was Il man
climbing the glacier. When our party
reached the cleft peak that forms the summit
We werr met by Il perfect avalanche of
clouds that tossed and lmnble,l about. giving
gho>tly mdistinctuc>s To everything. We
appeared L" he i'll IL worli of uurculitirs. pso-
pied by sha,towy creatures that heightened
and contracted, and flung about their vast.
white wings above the sickcning fumes that
steamed up from the kissing, squirting hot
springs at our feet. y monrntary PARTING
of the clouds showed the sky blue as i'll
dlgo, closing down i'll awful ncarncss.
Through Il revolving glare the blood red sun
swung Ill the iriShttul purple of the heavens.
Fronting these unarcustomcd elements Il sol
cnh dignity possessed the soul and gave a
conscious feeling of iniinitu,lc The loss of
all familiar landmarks lent an i:llescribubl,
terror to the scene This dead volcanoes
throat Is chokcd with SHOW. On its lev rim
one of the ladies' slipped and fell hcudlonr
over the fearful chasm. The guide caught
her ny one OF her feet. Her escape from n
horrible death was almost miraculous. w,
were nearly frozen with the cold, and vet
our mouths were parched and hot as in Il ,les-
crt. Our hearts throl,bcd painfully, and WE
drew our breath in gasI,s
Before Wccomncnced the descent a fierce
blast tore the mists asunlcr, revealing the
Grlndest picture we shall over behold ON
earth. From the majestic temple WE could
see hundreds of miles OF kalclduscopc land
scape. Mountains, rivers and valleys, with
spurs OF rocky ridges cutting through tawnv
lli'n lieldS far away; green meadows siarrct
with lakes, and hllowy ranges running to.
"ard the SEA, while fifty miles of ,clis,. pine
forests slanned the McCloud and Pitt TO
touch the snowy heads OF the Sicrras. And
OreSon's rich prairics, linked To ours bv a
cham of silver surfaced lakes; to the south.
beyond the mighty Lasscn ButlrS, we eaten
II glimpse of ,lusky plains, with isles of
clustering peaks. Three time, | have seen
all this, and yet feel an rrcsis,ib!c desire. t.,
20 again. In spite of the labor and nx
lla'ston attending the ascent, the vi~,nn
from the top is worth Il greater sacrifice"
We slowly descended the mountain. nnzit,.,
silently toward Mount Shasta until the infer
vcninS silver frs shut "r our view. TIn,
'l'lih was two hours late that night, and rs |
turned from bidding Hal e"od-by We saw y
radiant mantle fall on Shasta's head from
the departing sun. ''lAnl the glory of tine
Lord was like devourins fire on tile top ol
the lnount!' he quoted solrmnlv, and within
It's reflected light We parcel hands
MOuthlY