Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-06-19
TERRIBLE BLANKET.

had az alpenstock in my hand; and as
/ went swinging it away, il struck
against lump of rock that hung over
precipice, so deep, that sailor as
am trembled as / looked down. The
stick bounded from the rock against
my shin, and so l resolved that the
granite should take run.
But it was tough work; for the stone
was big, and was we'll set in the rock;
but after deal of straining and push
ing, down it went.
The job must have taken me longer
than ! thought, for when / looked be-
fore me could see no one, and as look
ed began to see that twilight was COM
ing on, and since among mountains
night follows almost Immediately upon
twilight, fastened onward.
do not think / had gone twenty
yards when l saw that storm was
brewing and it was on me in no time,
and as the snow came down 1t grew
so dark that great curtain seemed to
be drawn over the sky.
Well, l CROPPED on, but didn't like
it. II it had been storm at sea, l
should not have cared much; II the
mountains about me had only been of
water ! should not have cared at all;
but when / knew that a false step
might send me topping down, as the
rock had toppled before me, | don't
mind owning that grew to like il less
and less.
! stopped down to look at the path,
as we'll as | could in the little remain
ing light; and found that was in no
path at all.
As the last rays of light died out, and
as the snow whirled about me, turned
cautiously toward slope of rock, feel
ing with my stick before | took a step
(for the snow will fill up a crevice in
no time. and you may sink twenty feet
before you know where you are), and
at last touched the rock.
There was still glimmer of light
left, and by it | just saw Il black part
of the rock, which took to be cave
So crept into it and crouched down
on the ground
Well, | hadn't lain there three min
utes when it became pitch dark. |
don't know whether any OF you have
ever been in the dark when full OF fear
and anxiety; but if You have, you know
how every minute seems like an hour.
Suddenly | thought OF my match box;
and | believe | shouted as | thought OF
it, for a second idea came into my head.
Suppose | struck the matches about
one minute, they would not help me
through the darkness, but they might
guide those who were searching for me
to my place of shelter.
So out came the match box, and the
next moment | had struck a light.
Why ! looked round the cave / can't
tell; but did, and | C ught my breath,
as you may suppose, when away in the
dark | saw two great yellowish- green
balls of fire.
| don't think | moved for moment,
and then began to ask myself whether
it was not all fancy.
So thought | would strike another
light; but the box had fallen among the
snow, and when felt for the matches
they were all mixed up with the snow.
Now, what was | to do? If | went
out of the cavern | should be frozen to
death; while to remain in the cave,
and near those dreadful balls OF fire,
was enough to drive me mad; so l
cured myself up as small as possible,
and lay shivering. had only lain
for what | now know to be a very
short time, but which | took TO be
hours, when something soft came
against my knees and elbows.
dashed out my fist and felt it sink
a foot deep in the snow, which |
found had drifted against the opposite
side of the cavern till it fell over
upon me.
so | found that ] was being showed
up, and that must either go nearer
those dreadful balls. which by this
time was sure was no fancy, and
which | felt certain were looking
toward me through the darkness, or
must stay where | was TO be buried
alive.
/ don't know how l came to the de
ciSion; but did at last decide to &C
further into the cavern, and so
shulfled out of the way OF the snow.
And then lay still again, waiting. In
Il moment or so, surrounded by danger
as | was, began to find myself act
ually going quiet to sleep. had nj
notion then that that sleep would have
been the sleep OF death.
In another minute or so l felt
warm air on my face; but / was to,
sleepy to move, and so lay still.
And then felt four weights press
one after the other, upon my body, an,
then a soft heavy weight sunk dow
upon me. | guessed it was an ANNA
OF some kind. | felt sure OF this, whel
muzzle was placed close to m,
mouth.
J dare say you will hardly believ
it, but in a few moments all my fea
had gone, and found myself growin
grateful to this creature, for he mad
me so good a blanket that the hea
came back into my body, and | felt n
longer the strange sleepiness.
do not at all know how long l ha
thus lain, when heard distant bark
which disturbed the regular breath
ings OF my hairy friend, and felt hi
big heart beat quicker above me
Again there was bark, and it sound
ed much nearer than the first As m
blanket heard it, he uttered u ha
growl and leaped off me.
The barking and the start OF tn
animal reused me; SO that / plunge
through the snow, which was aboy
my head, to the entrance to the cave
/ found the whole mountains wer
light again, with the stars and tn
rising moon, for the storm was over.