The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-06-04
SAVED BY HORNS.

A Channels Hunters Extraordinary Adj
venture at tho Great Zmutt Glacier.
.They tell wonderful tales OF the
chamois and the channels hunter In
Switzerland. az every ono who has
travelled among Alpine peaks and
glaciers knows" said one who has
been In Switzerland frequently. to
New York Sun reporter ''but Antoine
Gimlich. u middle-aged hunter. al
though still agile and elastic. In mind
as we'll as body. imagine, had in his
repertoire OF "reminiscences oil that
shy and surefooted antelope OF tho
Alps more to excite the interest and
strain the credulty OF the listener
than any other Swiss mountaineer l
ever heard give himself liberty on the
sub. eci. Antoine was dweller In
the Bernese Oberland but to hear
him tell II, no had hunted In and was
mt homo in every part OF the Alps
His favorite narrative. for 1t was
the first one he always told when he
had listener was OF n thrilling adj
venture he had once at the head OF
the great mutt Glacier He had
been following n chamois for two days
among the perilous rocks and icy
slopes in that locality. and at last dis
covered it on the apex OF high rock
that rose fifty feet above him. He
stood at the top OF a steep slope OF
glacial debris where the footing was
insecure which terminated on the
brink OF u chasm hundreds OF feet
deep. The instant he saw the cha
mois he fired The animal tumbled
from the rock and fell Mt his feet II
was not dead. and it struggled to
rise. Antoine seized it by both hind
legs, and in doing so lost his footing.
He fell forward. still holding the
channels by the legs and instantly
both hunter and quarry were sliding
down the slope toward the awful
chasm.
Antoine made desperate efforts TO
thrust his feet IN some crack or Gre
vice in the debris to save himself from
the awful fate that yawned below him.
and even the poor .chamois paved des-
perately with its forefeet to gain II
foothold and stay the5ourncy to death.
The efforts were vain. Antoine re-
t,ined his hold on the chamois's legs
in the desperate hope that impels the
drowning to grasp Mt straws. AS they
neared the brink OF the chasm the
chamois. in its struggle had turned
upon its back. Antoine suddenly felt
the solid ground fall away beneath
him and he knew he had passed over
the precipice's edge. But instead of
tumbling on down into the abyss, he
found himself suspended from the
cliff. hanging to the chamoiss legs.
Antoine glanced upward. The curved
horns of tho chamois had plunged full
length into deep crevice near the
precipices edge rs hunter and ante
lope shot over it. The strong horns
withstood the shock OF the sudden
cessation of motion. and there with
nothing but hundreds OF feet OF cold
and unresisting space between him
and the rocks below. Antoine hung.
Antoine says that he at once uttered
fervent prayer for being thus uuex-
poctedly saved from the awful plunge,
but when he had time TO collect him.
self he was forced to change his mind.
He had nothing to be thankful for he
thought for ut the best he could not
see how the situation was anything
more than reprieve. 1t was impos-
sible for him to draw himself back to
The slope by means OF the channels;
the chances of his being discovered
and rescued were as one in a thousand,
and even with that chance in his ia
vor discovery must como quickly. for
| that his strength could long sustain
him suspended by the antelope's legs
| In mid-a was not within human pos.
sibility. But Antoine did not know
| that on the trail OF the chamois were
other hunters. 1t seemed an hour
Antoine says, that he hung over that
waiting abyss. suffering untold torture
In mind and body, and he felt that his
strength could last but few minutes
| more when he heard shout and
| then another He tried to answer the
shouts but only hoarse gasps came
from his throat An age seemed to
pass. Then no heard the sound OF
men making their way down the
slope. The sounds came nearer; then
voices. Presently the forms OF two
| hunters filed the space within the
range OF his vision. on the edge OF tho
precipice above him. Words of cheer
came from them. Antoine grasped
the antelopes legs firmly with all his
remaining strength. He felt himself
gradually rising toward the slope. He
closed his eyes; his heart stood still;
he scarcely breathed. BY and by
strong hands seized him. He knew
no more until he found consciousness
in place of safety. His rcscuers
were with him. and OF course no Ian
guage could toll them what was in his
heart
Everybody knows Antoine in the
Bernese Oberland. never found any
one who knew the two hunters who
rescued him that day at the head OF
| the great /mutt (,lncier