Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-10-01
CHAPTER XXI.

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CHAPTER XXI.
The Schwarxweiss Pass, leading from
he southeast Of Switzerland to Italy. -
~ well known to m~ountaineers, because
~ the rapid mnnne In which they can
CROSS from a country to another. ana
also becadse Of the magnificent views
that Il presents to the traveller.
Moreover, II offers to them a choice
either Of making a passage over the snow
clad mountains that rise above it, and
across the great Schwarzweiss glacier. or
81 keeping to the path that, while rising to
the height Mt some places OF 10000 feet,
4, except at the summit, perfectly passa-
BE in good weather.
1t ID true that he who, ever while on the
path, should turn giddy, or walk careless
y, would risk his life, for though above
him only are the vast white ''horns" and
s'Pix," below him there are still the ra-
vines through which run the boiling tor
rents known respectively as the
>'Schwar5" and the ''Weiss" rivers-riv-
4rs that carry with them huge boulder
stones and pine trees wrenched from their
roots; dry slopes that fall hundreds Of
feet down into the valley below; and also
the Klein Tor little) Schwarzweiss glacier,
q name 20 given it, not because OF its
su1allness-for it is two miles long, and
In one place, half a mile across-but to dis
finguish 1t from the Gross-Schwarzwciss
glacier that hangs above on the other side
.of the pass.
It ID q lonely and grim road, a road in
which no bird il heard or seen from the
time the village of st. Christoph is left
behind on the Swiss side until the village
OF Santa Madre is reached on the Italian
aide; q road that winds at first, and at
last, through fr-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
Car below.
Patches Of snow and pieces Of rock
that have fallen from above, alone re-
beve the view on the side of the path; on
the opposite side Of the ravine Is nothing
but I huge wall Of granite chat holds no
SNOW, 30 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.
4 lonely and grim road even in the
daytime, when q few rays Of sunshine
manage to penetrate it at midday, when
occasionally q party Of tourists may be
met with, and when sometimes the voice
OF d goatherd calling his flocks rises from
the valley below; but lonelier and more
grim, and more black and ~impenetrable
at night, and rarely or ever then trod by
human foot.
For he who should attempt the passage
Of the Schwarzweiss Pass ut night, I'm
less there were a brilliant moon to light
him through its most dangerous parts,
would take his life in his own hands.
Yet, on an August night OF the year in
which this tale is told, and when there
was q moon that, being near its full, con-
o~eQuently rose late and shone till nearly
daylight, q man was making his way
across this pass to Italy.
Midnight vas close at hand as, with
weary steps, he 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 q small plateau, the size, per.
hAps, OF an ordinary room, and from
which again the path went on.
From this plateau shelyed down, for q
undred feet or more, an almost perpen-
0icular moraine, or glacier bed, and at
the foot OF this lay the klein-Schwarz.
weiss, with its crevasses glistenipg in the
moonlight; for the moon had topped even
the great mountains above by now, and
lighted up the pass.
II was evidently considered a danger
Gus part OF the route, since, between the
edge Of the plateau and the side Of the
moraine q wooden railing had been erect
Cd, consisting OF two short, upright posts
and = long cross one.
AZ the man reached this plateau, hold
ang to the rail with one hand, while with
the other he used his alpenstock as a
walking stick. he perceived a stone-i,
may have been placed there for the pur.
pose-large enough for a seat: and taking
81 bis knapsack YEARLY, he sat down
npon It.
Time presses" he muttered to himself,
yet I must rest. Otherwise l shall NOT
0e ct Santa Madre by eight o'clock to-
morrow. ! can go no farther without a
eest.s
There II an indefinite feeling Of awful.
ness In being alone at night amongst the
mountains, In knowing and feeling that fol
milo9 around. there 10 no other creature
n These vast, cold solitudes but ourselves;
and this man had that feeling now.
How still-how awful this pass is!'
Ae satd b himself, with no sound but the
ereaking Of that glacier below-with nc
human being here but me. Yet, I should
bes glad I am alone"
AZ this moment ! few stones In the NOR.
aha slipped and fell into the glacier, and
The man started ct the distinct sound
fhay made In that wilderness OF silence.
Then, - he sat there gazing up at the
and the snow above him, he CON.
ss4dnued his n~neditations.
1T = best" he thought, that the pool
-oM mother did not know when l said
Sood-bye' to her this afternoon, and she
oada me come back soon, that l should
never come back, that / had q farthe,
destination than Italy before me; hes,
THAT ma father did not know that we
should never meet again. Never, never,
~, Il II 4 long word"
Yet Il must be DONE" he went on. I'll
y want to drag this miserable life out, ]
mnst 10 It elsewhere than In England