The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-20

had a pairof honestly American boots,
with legs reaching nearly to the knees, and
the soles we'll filled with stout hob nails. an
81. aid in adns Pie in the the
eyed these enviously, while binding pair
of leather leggings around the tops Of his
shoes. Before we could have crossed the
plateau the ashes, 'grit and loose scorise
would have cut to the flesh through ones
stockings without such protection. Half
upon traces of snow, and soon, ice, snow and
disintegrated lava in strange piles, where,
after the wind had fiercely tossed it about,
it had been banked in most fantastic forms.
We had trouble in some of these. They
were as slippery as shot. We would climb
hump of lava and fail of solid footing on
the other side, frequently sliding and
crunching out of our way down startling
declivities, only to land waist-deep in some
of the shelly pockets, or to be brought up
with thud and thump against some solid
without serious discomfort or mishap,
we crossed the billowy masses, and reached
the base of the final cone. To my eyes it
seemed vast precipice, interminable in
height, absolutely insurmountable. And
here the real struggle began. l never had
more thorough admiration ';tis for physical
compelled. It seemed that the wiry
fellow had wings for unseen use.
Uncoiling a slender leash, woven of hair
and much resembling lariat, and leaving
me in possession of one end below, he
would appear to leap from point to point in
the darkness above, until the line was taut,
and reassuring olmentev'-''gentil-
mente!' ("easify!-gentlyr') he would half
draw me to his own safe station of ascent.
Now and then we would find few yards Of
almost level space. Again, the course would
wind about and between Jagged curling
of wave-crests whirled upon end and in
stantly CONCEALED. But everywhere were
cinders, grit, ice, snow. needle-pointed
spears of lava, powdered sulphur, ashes,
pitfalls, and worse than all, the danger of
dislodging the rocking masses above us.
and pushed our weight from treacherous
scales of mingled snow and scorie, when
they cracked away and went crumbling be-
hind, frequently dislodging other crusts
and projections, when q combined crash
and laundering into the darkness would
follow. At these times my own bravery
would forsake me, am afraid. and would
beg Balbino for indulgio and rest. With
the utmost suavity the little old roll of
bones always acceded; and, far above me,
while my knees beat the cinders from my
trousers, and my chattering teeth ratified
groves behind Catania, this human noun
tain elve would ruminatingly hum merry
Sicilian canzione, now and again letting q
few lively, though respectfully modulated,
bars escape through his not wholly unmusi-
cal nose.
But here is the crater, and its ragged rim.
It is sullen, inactive now. Hundreds of
fantastic, craggy, jagged masses stand upon
its smoother lower crust, reaching sprawl
lngly in every direction great lava claws.
Everywhere, describing the most curious
angles and curves, run slender seams with
lips of green and yellow, where the sui
phuric breath has left it's stain and poison.
Shimmering waves of air, and now and
then ghostly thread of steam, rise from
these seams. These with a ceasless, tremu-
lous vibration which would not take long
to effect genuine sea sickness, are all that
tell of the internal powers beneath. Bal
bino. Struggling his shoulders: and re,
marking. ut is shamming, like a bad
womanr' descended into the pit, ran
about upon the crust, broke off relics to
take away, and punched the seams saw
agely with his pike to illustrate his
bravery and contempt. Then. one last look
at SO vast and yet SO little a portion of our
good old earth; the descent and meeting of
the belated travellers, who glared at us for
our own better luck; another meal at the
wretched Casa. where it seemed We had
been long years before; and then a light
some step out and down into the world Of
sunshine, verdure and song; while, far and
near, waking a myriad of echoes in wooded
gorge and glen, there came to us mingled
with tuneful songs of rivulets and irds,
the clear and mellow notes of the shep-
herds pipes, as, with matin melodies, their
flocks were led up lower Etna's yerdant
ides, Ep0A1 I. WAxxNAA.