The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-08-12
CROSSING A sNoW-FlELD.
Perilous Experience by Travellers in tho
Rocky Nominating.


Finally, through rift in the clouds
MOI fifty yards ahead, We saw the spot.
less white of the long-looled-for snow
field.
With Il feeble shout we pushed for.
ward, but when we reached its edge
our worst fears were realized. 1t was
terribly steep, being at an angle OF
about forty degrees, and the crust was
coating of hard, slippery ice, the
thickness of pasteboard. Through S
break in the clouds we saw that it eX.
tended downward to timber line, fully
fifteen hundred feet, as steep as the
roof of house and smoother than the
smoothest glass. How broad it was
we could only conjecture.
AS we came up Kellogg struck the
crust with the butt of his gun, and l
threw rock upon the surface which
went sliding and bounding down the
steep face with terrific velocity.
We looked at each other in despair
'It's no use," said
Not Bit" was the answer.
We sat down and talked it over To
retrade our steps was out of the ques-
ton, and we could not climb to the top
of the field, probably thousand feet,
in our weakened condition.
Suddenly Kellogg leaped to his feet
and rushed toward the slippery mass,
crying out: "Come on; we've got to do
it. I'll take mine this way Without
a second thought, in my helpless des-
peration, ! followed. BY using his gun
as a brace Kellogg kept his feet. but
slipped and fell on all tours and began
sliding down. In wild frenzy tried
to drive my bare fingers through the
crust, but only succeeded in tearing the
skin off them.
Luckily l had retained my rifle, and
by frantic effort drove it muzzle first
through the hard crust and came to a
stop, having gone about twenty feet
Had it not been for thi; fortunate move
my body would have been hurled to tho
bottom of the gorge, more than thou
sand feet below, and mangled beyond
all semblance to human form.
Looking up at my companion l saw
that he had turned away his head, I'M
willing to be n witness of my horrible
fate; but as I called out to him he
looked around, and saw face so white
and horror-striclzen that / can never
forget it. Cold beads of sweat stood on
my forehead, and felt my coura &c was
all gone. The experience of that awful
moment almost unnerved me, and was
weak and helpless as 4 little child.
Lying on my face held on tightly to
the rifle driven deep through the crust.
How to regain my footing was puzzle.
Kellogg started to come down to me,
and it was with difficulty that 1 per-
suaded him to desist.
At last l hit on plan. Holding on
TO the rifle with one hand, with the
other I drew my pocket-knife, and,
opening it with my teeth, cut two holes
in the crust for my feet, and after much
effort stood upright. But we were still
in a bad fix. Kellogg called out to me
to break holes through the crust for
my feet with the butt of the gun. AL
though not more than twenty feet dis
tant he could hardly make himself
heard above the roar of the storm.
But the suggestion was good one
and proved our salvation. We moved
slowly forward, breaking a hole in the
ice for each step. 1t was severe treat
ment to give valuable guns, but they
had to suffer in the best interests of
their owners.
Slowly and carefully we moved for
ward, occasionally stopping to rest and
speak words of encouragement to each
other, for now we had the first CLEAN
of hope for four long, terrible hours.
Although very weak physically, our
minds were much clearer than an hour
before, and we even went so far as to
chaff each other little. But we had
plenty of fears yet. Once my heart
leaped as Kellogg slipped and came
down on both knees, clawing fran:ical-
Iy at the air; but he regained his feet
without difficulty and we pushed on.
Altogether we were over an hour in
crossing that terrible field Chicago
Times.