Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-04-29
AN ALPINE ADVENTURE
IA MOUNTAIN CLIMBER DESCRIBES
A DAY AMONG THE GLACIERS.
Dssstifai tisiis 90 sssv Esd white csp-
p.d Peaks whs.. Death waits On . sis-
gle Nl...sp-Rsss.ss f'e. .. Essssd-
tasiy Dssgsr.as resitiss.

4
gle Nls.,sv-Rsss.ss fss. .. Esessd-
iasiy D..s.r.as rssisiss-
Tom Kenyon never felt 80 unwilling
10 get up as he did one morning early "
September, IS.
lie and Frank Marshall had settled 10
make the ascent of the fisch Horn; they
had arranged Il with the guide. Jules
f>~--ore. and they had ordered thu i-oots
OF the hotel "a call them nj 0 o'clock In
the morning.
by 4 o'clock they started. There was
slight rain falling. but Jules declared
that u would clear. On leaving the ho-
tei they turned 20 the left. and for .
mile or two they kept 10 the level rad.
Tho guide turned oil to tho right, and
followed by Kenyon and Marshall. be-
gan o. mount q steep. narrow paih. 10
~as gradually growing light.
They turned shoulder % the rocks
which they were olambsring. and they
saw through the rising mist the dim out
line 81 the huge Rlnderborn; the Wild
sccne hal become extremely dcsolaie.
The Hotel dies voyageurs. perched high
up ON the farther side % the valley. ~as
the only sign ~ life or hab,taiion. Nov
and again q patch % snow told them
that they were leaving the snow line DO
meath them. After time they reached
the foo, % PERCEPTIONS mas % rocks;
the jagged. cruel looking rocks lowered
up pitilcssly above them.
Le-oc stopped his regular. machine
like strides lie quickly ropcd Kenyon.
then Marshall. and then himself. leaving
about iifte,n feet % rope bstwc.n each
% them.
The snow Geld stretched on for rather
more than a mile. and at last they came
IA the foot u the highest peak % tho
mountain. II rose up hercely into the
sky. The rocks forming this peak were
partially covered with snow. and they
lookei terribly grim and forbidding.
but nos that the goal vas Ia view they
pressed on eagerly. II "a. a severe
scramble. The snow hal made the rucks
slippery. AMI II was necessary In places
10 clambsr like cats, bat eventually they
reached the top and at down upon the
sharp. jagged point Every side Of them
the rocks shelvej down prccipiiously for
thousand. II feet. The sun had become
overcast. cloud. were gathering. u was
bitterly cold and -oon &c bsgan % snow.
There was a sudden and awful roar.
like the sound % thunder. then a deep.
terrifying vibration. "what on earth IL
THAR cricd Kenyon.
IL suspect u u an avalanche on tho
Rinderhorn.- aid the guide.
There was a dead silence. then an
other terrific roar. announcing that the
avalanche vas going further on it, way
down the mountain. After a short rcsi
on the top % the peak they bsgan 10
Descend In reverse order. They found
the way down mOrr easily. The Keen
air and the r,si on the summit had thor.
oughly braccd them up. They reached
the snow field again without much din
Guilty. They had got half way across
the snow AMI were congratulating them.
selves that they would soon b. over u.
when suddenly. without warning, jules
and Kenyon fel, a sharp jerk on the
rop-. Marshall had sunk into the snow;
ouly his head and arm, were visible.
"iIullo!- cried Jules, what 10 the
matter now
"Quick. quick~ Marshall cried; "puli
mo up OF I shall b. through. Ny feet
and legs are dangling In the air and ]
can feel | am npidly sinking"
julie. pulled hard upon the rope AMI
went closer to Marshall. Kenyon fol-
lowed on behind Ia give play 10 the ROPE:
he and the guile drew nearer 10 the
dangerous spot
Will the snow hold. Kenyon thought,
until Marshall l. outl lie seemei % feel
the snow giving way beneath him. Mar.
shall grew pale: hi, nerve began to fail
him as he thought % his dear ones In
England. b. had promised his wife that
be would attempt nothing haKa.i0us and
thi, promis. came suddenly into his
mind. Tie danger was imminent; life
and death were struggling In the balance;
% Kenyon. surprise Jules stooi still
bu, only Tor an insiant--tben With
mighty effort he pulled at the rop- and
drew Marshall on 10 firner fcotbold: but
the greatest danger was 10 come. Tor
Kenyon had still TO pass.
lie made a cautious step, aided by
Jules directions: be saw a yawning
black hole where Marshall had sunk
into what had seemed substantial snow.
Could he cross IN II SEEMED almost
impossible. Zoe the snow appeared 10 DO
giving way rapidly. The footing OF
Marshall and Jules was anything hut 80
cure, and II the snow gave way alto
gcther b.fcre Kenyon was past the hole
they must all 20 down together.
Al thi. instant he felt the snow give
under his feet lie SEEMED 10 IL falling
a. he sprang and plunged forward-he
turned giddy-something was dragging
him down: but u was Jules Who pulled
vigorously at the rope and landed him on
the firm snow just a. the soft mas gave
way precipita,ely and fell hundreds OF
fc,t ON 10 the rocks below.
Kenyon was dazed for minute OF two.
but then he joined his companions as
they stool ON the edge of the abyss dis
closed by the mas that hal failen' they
looked down brrathless and awestruck.
IN Jules had been one second later IN
pulling the rope they would all have been
dashed Ia death on the sharp, Jagged
rocks below. :.
They walked safely over the rest OF
the snow field. There was some danger.
Gus scrambling down the rocks aud over
loose stones. bat at last they reached the
region Of turf and trotted down the steep
mountain slopes with the aid Of their
Alpine stocks They came In sight OF
the valley leading 10 the village FROM
which they had started. A. they reach
ed their hotel utterly exhausted ths
clock struck5 They had been walking
and climbing for the best part OF thir'
teen houn.-rhomas Stanley In Phila-
delphia Times.
The rat plague In Lincolnshire con.
tinues In spite Of the enormous destruc-
ton Of the animals by the farmers dur.
ing the past few months One farmer.
who scaiiers poisoned harley about his
yards every night, gathered In one day .
crop % 1900 rata Three hundred rats
we're killed from one stack Of grain In
another place.