Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-10-04
Saved By a Broken Strap
An ADVENTURE IN SWITZERLAND.

The sun was just beginning to sink
toward the great snow-pcalls of the Cen.
trail Alps, on n fine summer evening,
when three Swapping young fellows,
knapsaclI on shoulder and p;kcstnr in
hand, came tsanping down the stccp
hillside that ovcrllung one of tho prct-
lies; ynllc ys in northern Switzerland
And there, on the farther side Of il,
hnrciy three miles away, lay nesting he.
meath the shadow of vast rocky noun.
tain. thousands Of feet high. the snun
li'tlc village where they mean; 10 h.,l,
Tor the righl-a welcome sigh; 10 them
all, fer they had had long and hard
tramp ;ha, hot summer day.
But all nj once the fullest of the
three, who was tagging a few PAGES be.
hind the other two, MS if he were either
less active or more foot sore than hi,
comrades, stopped short, uttcring an
impatient exclamation.
"1hcrc's that plaguy strap given way
again. cried he angrily, as he slipped
his heavy knapsaok off his shoulders.
One would think had nothing else To
do but to keep fussing with il"
care you sure yen dim; help it a
little yourself, Ludwig" asked Franz,
with sly grin. "Ii's queer that every
time you begin to feel Il hit tired, that
straps sure TO come loose again"
well, anyhow, We can't wal, ill the
rcrnirs are completed, Ter wan my
supper said Krsmr, who was almos,
a good Al eating as at walking. 1--WE
had better - on TO The village: and
wien Ludwig straps ave mcnhcd-or
his feet are rested, which i, the same
'hing-l suppose he'll come after rs. :"
And so, .au;hng ana joking like
'cloo' boys. TIE doomed men went
mcrrily onward to the YER; spot which,
of nil places On earth, they ought to
have avoided
Meanwhile Ludwig, who really was
Ga her tired afic' his long march, and
also, mihap., somcN hat vexcd with his
.wo ri nds for leaving him, took his
me- abou; splicing and repairing The
broken strap; anl even when all was
loHc he found the grass upon which he
NY so soft, and the sha &c of tie tree
above him so pleasant, that he was in
40 huir; to move.
'ii they couldn't take the trouble to
wait 70: mo, h muttcrcl, looking af
Ter his two companions, who were Jus,
iIsapr caring among the clustering trees
Tar iciow, 81 don't see wig should
take he trouble TO run after them; so
/ I'll just lie still II little longer, and have
! a b to-
And taking out of his pouch a piece
Of brown bread and some hard cheese,
he fell 10 with will.
just as he was finishing his meal. and
thinking Of getting up to march on, he
sudd My caught sight of something in
the distance which puzzled HIM good
deal, and, to tell the truth, somewhat
frightened him
n number OF birds which were wheel.
ing around the rcc-tops Of the vale,
below checked their movements all of :
sudden, iluttcrcd confuscdly to and FRI
Tor few moments, and then, will
thrill screams of terror, came flvinr t
the other side Of The valley as if pur
sued by some terrible enemy, passing
Ludwig with rush that stirred tn,
leaves above his head like stron.
breeze.
What could it be hat was tcrrifyin.
themf L dwig strained his ewes tow
AID the village, expecting to see hawk
era mountain yulturc, or some othe
bird OF prey, bct nothing o! the kin,
was TO be seen.
"A lew minutes later, however, !,
saw something which disturbed him still
more. A flock Of sheep, which wcr
iceding peacefully in wide gree
meadow that lay midway between iIl
village and small lake in the ccrtrc a
the valley, suddenly ceased 10 feed
lifted their heads uncasiy, and then
without any apparent reas IN, rushc
wildly away from their pasture, IN
came galIoping up the narrow path t
'hc spt@ where Ludwig stood, as il