Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-01-17

lIuSllSH, ant. 10 U.lh Vi TSCeHl ucpul-
lures for London and St. MoritZ, Pom
tresina and Davos.
Meanwhile Grant seized the opportu-
nifty to engage Miss Morland in few
minutes earnest conversation apart.
which. pleasant as it seemed to both
parties, did not appear to promote
Lawrence's equanimity. But it re-
quired the sharp eye of Mrs. Morland
to detect this much, for the artist was
at no time accustomed ito wear his
heart !. upon his sleeve However,
without further episode. the gentle
men took their leave and together
returned to their hotel.
Next morning rose bright and cloud
less, and found the two pedestrians
already well on their way to the upper
slopes, where, f1aEked on either hand
by crags and cliffs, and pinnacles Of
rock, lay the glacier they were about
to cross 1t had been arranged that
they should make the descent into the
adjoining valley by the Stieffer Pass
to the village of Fluela, which they
would reach in time to catch the dill
gence in the evening, and so return to
Dorfli. A guide had been dispensed
with, and, indeed, with their expert
ence in mountaineering and the COM
parative ease of the present expedi-
ton, there was no occasion for one
The few early watchers from the ho-
tel balconies could easily descry them
when they cleared the wood and pro-
ceeded to make their way over the
grassy activities on to the morIine,
and thence to the glacier.
Over this their courst was toilsome
and slow. The suns heat of the pre-
vious day had slightly melted the sur
face of the snow, only to have it frozen
hard and slippery at nightfall. In the
higher attitudes, too, Il slight covering
of snow had fallen. treacherous to the
foot and in addition hiding dangers
that might lurk underneath However,
they were seen to reach the skyline, to
linger on the highest level of the snow
as If for a short breathing space, for Il
few minutes, and reSuming their toll
some walk to disappear down the 9th
er side.
Here, Lawrence, / will let you have
the benefit of carrying the axe on the
way down." said Grant; IF there are
any steps to be cut / will let you know
in good time"
Grant was leading. as he had done
all along since they had quilted the
stones Of the moraine. A strong rope,
some twenty yards long. with the OPP
posite ends passed around the waist
of each, bound them together.
Half of the distance over the glacier
had been accomplished, when sudden
ly the leading man slipped and fell at
a steep part Of the descent. Before
Lawrence had noticed it, the loose rope
had become taut. and in an instant he
had lost his footing and was following
his companion in his rapid glissade.
A few moments later, and their pace
had accelerated to a dangerous de-
gree, though at first the motion was
pleasant enough, and Lawrence's sub
| Sequent wild efforts to retard it with
, the help of his axe We're fruitless. be-
cause of their wildneSs. Their course
Lad become almost headlong, when he
saw his companion, who was some
what in front, bound off shelving
mass of snow and then disappear. Next
moment he was caught on the same
shelf, buried to the shoulders. and
felt himself almost suffOcated. as the
rope frightened around his waist and
chest.
He was safe so far, but in deadly
peril, on the edge of Il crevasse, into
the depths of which his cOmpaniCns
weight was slowly dr. ring him. TO
seek to stay his downward course with
the help of his ice-aXe, and devise
some means of rescue for his friend.
was the one imperative step that lay
before him. But that step, though he
bitterly regretted ii after, he did not
take. A struggle of conflicting emo,
tons, of past friendship and present
| jealousy, of sympathy and despair, and
in one overwhelming moment of era
ven cowardice he struck blow at
the rope now stretched to its utmost
tension. One of the strands gave way,
but the other two still held together,
| though almost at the breaking point.
| Another blow, Il muttered curse, and
again Il wild curse, and then--Law-
renee was free, his safety assured, WITH
a sickening feeling at heart that whis-
pered to him Murderer"
Without yenturing to peer over the
edge of the yawning chasm, he crawled
on hands and knees from the fatal
| spot, and slowly retraced his steps
ever the glacier. He had presence of
! mind enough to fray the ends Of the
tell-tale strands of rope before reach
ing his hotel. whence Il search party
was Immediately dispatched for the
recovery Of the unfortunate Grants
body. 1t was sunrise Of the next morn
ing before they reached the fatal spot
Traces of the tragedy were all too APP
parent on the surface of the snow,
but the icy cavern hid all else in its
| depths. A man was lowered. His face
was ashy pale when he was drawn
up and it was some time ere he could
speak.
Il slipped off a ledge some thirty
feet down." at last he managed to say,
land thought my last hour had come.
Nothing below that but two walls of
ice as far as l could look. The fall
would have killed him at once.
Those who are living twenty years
hence will find his body at the foot of
the glacier" said old Andreas Mettier,
the guide. II remember when q boy
an accident like it, and the body was
found unchanged after all that time"
1t was some days ere Lawrence
could set off for home There had been
n heavy fan of SNOW and the roads