The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-08-22
GHAPTER XIII

also because of the magnnceut views
that 1t presents to the traveller.
Moreover, it offers to them a choice
either of making a passage over the snow
clad mountains that rise above II, ana
across the great SChwarzweiss glacier, or
of keeping TO the path that while rising 10
the height at some places Of lo,OoO rect
is. except at the summit, perfectly passa-
BILE in good weather.
1t is true that he who. even while on the
path, should turn giddy, or walk careless
", would risk his life, for though above
him only are the vast white horns ana
"Piz," below him there are still the ra-
vines through which run the boiling tor
rents known respectively as the
"Schwarz' and the Weiss rivers -riv-
ers that carry with them huge boulder
stones and pine trees vrenched from their
roots: dry slopes that fall hundreds of
feet down into the valley below; and also
the Klein tor littleD SchwarZweiss glacier
name so given it, not because Of its
smallness-fOr it is two miles long, ana
in one place. half mile across-but TO dis
tinguish il from the Gross SchwarzweiSs
glacier that hangs above on the other side
of the pass.
1t is a lonely and grim road, road in
which no bird is heard or seen from the
time the village Of 81. Christoph is left
behind on the Swiss side until the village
of Santa Madre is reached on the Italian
side; a road that winds at first, and ut
last, through fir-woodS and pine trees, but
that in the middle is nothing but a path,
cut in some parts and blasted in others,
along the granite sides Of the rocks. and
hanging in many places above the valley
far below
Patches Of snow and pieces of rock
that have fallen from above, alone re
Eeve the view on the side Of the path; on
the opposite side Of the rayiue is nothing
but huge wall Of granite that holds no
snow, so slippery is it; but above which
hangs, white and gray, like the face of a
corpse, the glacier from which the pass
derives its name
lonely and grim road oven in the
daytime, when a few rays Of sunshine
manage to penetrate it at midday, when
occasionally party Of tourists may be
met with. and when sometimes the voice
Of a goatherd calling his ilocBs rises from
the valley below; but lonelier and more
grim, and more black and impenetrahle
at night. and rarely 1r ever then trod 10y
human foot.
For he who should attempt the passage
Of the SchWarZweiss Pass at night, I'M
less there were brilliant moon to light
him through its most dangerous parts,
would take his lfe in his own hands
Yet, on an August night Of the year in
which this tale is told. and when there
was moon that, being near its full, con
sequently rose late and shone till nearly
daylight, a man was making his way
across this pass to Italy.
Midnight was close at hand as, with
weary steps. lie descended a rough hewn
path in the rock-a path which, for safe
~, had a rude handrail of iron attached
to the side from which it was cut-and
reached small plateau, the size, per
haps, Of an ordinary room, and from
which again the path went on.
From this plateau shelved down, for a
hundred feet or more, an almost perpen-
dicular moraine, or glacier bed and at
the foot of this lay the Klein Schwarz-
weiss, with its CrevaSSes glistening in the
moonlight; for the moon had topped even
the great mountains above by now, and
lighted up the pass.
1t was evidently considered a danger
Gus part of the route, since, between the
edge Of the plateau and the side of the
mOraine wooden railing had been erect
ed, consisting of two short, upright posts
and long cross one.
As the man reached this plateau, hold
ing to the rail with one hand. while with
the other he used his alpenstock as =
walking stick, he perceived n stone-it
may have been placed there for the pur-
pose-large enough for seat: and taking
off his knapsack YEARLY, he sat down
upon it.
Time presses" he muttered to himself
yet | must rest. Otherwise | shall not
be at Santa Madrc by eight o'clock to-
morrow. l can go no farther without a
rest"
There is an indefinite feeling Of awful
ness in being alone at night amongst the
mountains in knowingand feeling that for
miles around there is no other creature
IN these vast. cold solitudes but ourselves:
and this man had that feeling now.
How srIl-how awful this pass is
ne said ia himself, with no sound but the
creaking of that glacier below-with no
human being mere but me. Yet. l should
be glad | am alone"
At this moment few stones in the NOR
aine slipped and fell into the glacier and
the man started at the distinct sound
they made in that Wilderness Of silence.
hen. as he sat there gazing NJ at the
moon and the snow above him. he con
tinUed his medtations
IT i hest.' ne thought THAT the moor
old mother did not know when I said
goodbye 20 her this afternoon, ana She
babe me come back soon that | should
never come back. that ! had 2 farther
destination than Italy before me: best
that my father did nn5 KNOW thar wo