The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-01-29

white covering he laid bundle at the
feet of Father IIofer and looked up into
all their faces as much as to say: 81
could not bring Uncle Josef TO you, but
l bring news OF him." They picked up
the bundle. 1t was a doll, only doll in
a very dilapidated condition. The feat
ures of her once lovely face were quite
obliterated by the snow, and her laces
and silks were limp and bedraggled.
Katrina placed her upon the stove to dry.
Their terrible anxiety was now intensi-
fed, especially as the dog bagan to pull
at first one and then another, and to run
to the door as if begging them to follow
him. What was to be done? Uncle
Josef must be somewhere on the noun
sain, freezing perishing, and how could
they find him. Night dark and bitter
cold was upon them and the storm had
driven them back once from the foot of
the Saumweg. But go they must. Heavy
coats, mufflers and snow boots were
brought out and they prepared to start
again. The boys had given Leo hearty
supper and the good dog, having sue
cumbed to exhausted nature, had fallen
into sound sleep under the stove, and
nothing could arouse him. They pulled
lillll9 Nailtu lOl III lllt
salvation of Uncle Josef. Nothing was
to be done but await the awakening of
the exhausted animal. What if he
should die, and they must go on their
search alone! From time to time, as the
hours passed away, they looked anx-
iously at the dog, but his breathing told
that he was but sleeping heavily. Sor-
rOwful were the hearts that gathered
around the green stove, grief-stricken at
the thought that he whom they loved so
well might even now be cold in death,
with the Christmas pack his only pillow,
and the bleak, Implying plateau of the
Krimmler Tauern his only resting place.
Before the children went to bed the
family all knelt in prayer before the
household shrine, praying long and fer
vently for the safely of the lost one.
When human aid is past the bereaved
heart turns involuntarily to seek in
Divinity that which it never fails to find
"a comfort, peace that passeth under
standing.
As the night waned, the storm subsid-
ed and Christmas broke, bright, beauti-
full. The sun arose from behind the blue
distant peaks of the ross-Venediger
Alps, and shone upon the Immaculate
landscape over which the only movement
was the smoke from the scattered vii
lagos and chalets and the little band of
rescuers, well on their way over the path
less waste. The dog, refreshed with his
deep and long slumber, ran on before,
every now and then turning back as if to
keep up the courage of his followers.
1t was slow and dangerous journey
upon which they had set out. Schuster
Sepperl and Max StrOmbacker, the guides
had joined them, as well as several other
willing, hardy mountaineers. With stout
lalpenstocks and stouter hearts they Trad
started, followed by the God be with
you!" of all the villagers. From the
windows and door of the Gast-haus
mother and children had watched until
the men were out of sight, and then had
turned sorrowfully to eat in silence the
breakfast of black bread and coffee.
Dark in its corner stood the Christmas
tree, half adorned, awaiting the treasures
that might never come to bend down its
branches toward the happy children, as
if to offer for their culling its harvest of
Christmas fruit.
Down through the long valley of the
Pinzgau tramped and tOiled the men for
two hours, until they reached the foot of
the Krimmler Falls. The magnificent
lNdSNdNlGbs tNO lllpuotNuu lCNl III ltlHhN'
cleaned like sheets of polished silver in
the brilliant sunlight-gorgeous, prisma-
tic, flashing in myriads of crystals-a
glimpse into the fairy regions of the Ice
King. Slowly they tOiled up the steep,
icy and almost Obscured steps of the
Saumweg, where great drifts of snow
had to be dug through.
Toward the middle of the afternoon
they reached the HOspice of the KTimm-
Ter Tauern, that for four hundred years
had been the shelter for travellers over
the Pass. To their great disappointment
they did not find Uncle Josef here, nor
could they learn any news of him. He
had not been seen by the brothers. The
party stopped here only for a short time
to to unload the pack of good things
sent by Mother Anna for Christmas cheer
to the brothers-Kuchen, boiled meats,
wine and Wurst. Leo would not enter
the HOspice and kept up loud barking
near the door. Wearied and heartsick
they again started to endeavor to scale
the icy and perilOus heights of the pla
teau of the Taueru, which even in sum
mer is dangerous wilderness of rock
and snow. Soon they found the way alb
. solutely impossible and Karl's life was
nearly sacrificed in the attempt, for in
jumping across a small chasm he lost his
: footing, and it took them some time tC
raise him from the pit into which he had
! fallen, and they then found that his ankle
, was badly sprained. Hopelessly they
turned back and night was already fal
advanced when they reached the Cast
haus. It was not until then they dis
covered that the dog was not with them
He had followed them reluctantly fol
some distance, then in darkness they had
, lost sight of him.
, Winter had now settled down in dread
earnest over the Alps. Snowstorm fol
lowed snOwstOrm in the Pinzgau valley
and although several attempts were
made by the Hofers and the guides t.
ascend the Tauern, they found it impos
! sible to 90 far, and on one occasion sew
erJll lives were nearly lost in the terrible
, hidden chasms of the gracier, so they
= gave up the search PRAYING that wheI
, spring should come, and the mountains
, be again passable, they might hear thai
, Uncle Josef was safe at his home in Bru
neck.
long, dreary winter it was to the
Hofer family. The children had nc
= heart for their play, and the Christmas
tree was taken down and burned The
; paper snow, the gilded nuts, the "Christ
Kindr' were put away, perhaps never
again TO be used.
With tardy steps spring came into the
valley, slowly the SHOWS melted away;
slowly the buds of the Alpine rose, the
purple vetch, arnica and braunellen con.
sented TO smile a welcome TO the sun.
It was well on toward summer ere the
mountain passes and the heights of the
Tauern were attainable. No news came
from Bruneck and no one had ever seen