The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-11-09

nau peen watcnIng Jne WORK ran aIonr
the mountain sides shouting the glad It'd
lngs. Tho women heard the news with
thanksgiving and returned to their home,
to prepare food for the men. The chill
dren ran with them, but the youths de
layed to help the old and feeble, and theii
return was slower than that of the wo
men, but not less joyous.
But Ilka would not leave the noun.
tain, though the maidens coaxed her "a
Join their chorus of joy. She would wait
until Franz came, for so she had promised
him. She sat on the rock upon which
most of the women had camped, and lis
tened to the singing and glad shouts that
came from the valley, and all the while
looking and longing for the coming of
Franz up the hillside.
Suddenly she leaped to her feet and
held her breath, while she put her hand
to her heart and terror blanched her face.
Her rosy cheeks, which Franz loved to
KISS, and which were envied by all the
young women of Martigny, became white
and cold as snow.
A report louder than simultaneous
discharge Of many cannon had burst
upon her ears. 1t came from the direc-
ton of the gorge and terrified every per-
son in the valley. Women ran out of
the houses asking the cause. The young
women paused in the pean of thanks
giving, the youths halted with the old
men. All queried: "What was thatl"
The men leaped to their feet from the
easy positions in which they had been
lying, and wrung their hands in agony.
Some in grim irony threw their axes
into the Hood. The channel had weak
ened the great Ice dam and it could not
stand the heavy weight of the water be-
hind it, and with deafening noise it
gave way. The damned up waters
ieaped into the bed of the river, and
swept upon the valley. The men stood
helplessly watching it.
Ilka from her post on the rock saw il
coming and her clear voice rang out
like bugle:
"Run! run to the mountainsl The
flood is upon youl"
And many, needing, ran; but some
stopped to save valuables, and the youths
would not desert the feeble. These were
drowned in Martigny; they who delayed
for gold, the helpless. and they who
stayed by their side to assist them out of
tho reach Of the waters, and many chill
dren who were playing in the streets
where their mothers could not find them.
llka on the high rock saw the devasta-
ton and death wrought by the flood that
passed quickly in its wild rush. But
many were saved, and when the men.
scrambling along the mountain sides.
came looking for their wives and chill
dren, they learned that Ilka had warned
the villagers. Those who found some of
their family blessed her, but those who
came back to learn that all whom they
held dear were dead, gnashed their teeth
and clinched their hands until the nails
of their fingers drew blood
But Ilka sat still. She knew Franz
was looking for her on the mountain,
for she had been told he was not injured
by the flood; and the impulse to yodel
was strong within her. None had
voice like hers, and if it should ring out
on the silence of the valley, where there
was only dumb, despairing grief, he
would hear and answer. But she could
not; it would be such a mockery to be
joyous amid all that woe. So she waited,
and presently she'heard Franz yodeling
on the mountain, and she climbed to
him, but did not answer. She was fleet
and strong, and soon crossed his path,
and in the solitude of the mountain they
met and kissed; but they were SILENT for
both felt the presence of death In the
valley below. After a few moments of
grateful Joy that they had been spared
to each other, they went swiftly to the
valley, to minister to the sorrow stricken.
Alexander L. Kinkead in brakes
Magazine.