The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-09-16
FEARLESS IGNORANCE.
Illastrated By Tourist Who Insiste1
Upon Going Into . Crater.

Illastrated By Tourist Who Insisted
Upon Going Into . Crater.
Captain Basil Hall tells one Of
those stories which are always CON-
ing up to prove that the man who
knows nothing about a danger is
the one to fear it least and to neglect
salutary obedience toward those
who have trodden q path before.
The incident was narrated by an old
guide at Vesuvius.
IA few years ago. said Salvatore,
II came up the mountain with q
party of gentlemen, one of whom
insisted on going not only around
tho cone, as we are doing now, but
actually into the crater, though I
told him that such an adventure
was attended With more danger than
the thing was worth.
Pooh! Pooh! Danger?' said the
pigheaded gentleman. What do /
care for danger? Am I not SOL
dier2 Why, man, have faced the
foo before now! Lead the way. Ill
follow.
II merely said that to face q hu-
man enemy and to face an active
volcano were two very different
things.
"'Are you afraid TO go?' he asked.
al don't much admire it, ! an.
swered; but as think l know
how to evade the danger when it
comes, having been at the work for
nearly half a century, Ill 60 into
the crater if you are determined
upon the adventure. Only ! warn
you again, the danger to an mex
perienced person is very great
"'Well, welll' he called impatient
~, come along!' And away We
went he dourishing his stick like a
sword, while / only shrugged my
shoulders.
Nov. sir, / said to him. the
only plan by which we con hope to
accomplish this expedition in safety
is to be perfectly steady and if q
shower Ct stones comes about our
ears to stand as cool and collected
as if nothing were happening. /
hope We may not have any while
we are in this awkward place, but
if we should be SO unfortunate,
mind, your only chance is to stand
fast and look forward. 1t requires
good nerves, 80 brace them up.
"'Oh, nerves. said he skeptio-
ally. Is that all7 You shall see.'
$50 away we went, climbed the
lip of the cup, descended into the
fearful abyss and, though half ohok-
ed with the fumes, saw all we wish
ed to SEQ. We were on our return
when the mountain roared like
thunder, the ground shook, a furious
eruption took place, and myriads Of
stones were shot a thousand feet
into the air.
NOW, signor, mio!' I called.
Stand your ground and make good
use of your nerves! Look! Be
steady, and you may yet escape
But the man who had faced NOR.
tai foes quailed before the powers
of nature. He looked up, rs he was
hidden, but when he cav q cataract
of fire falling on his head the cour-
age of which he had boosted forsook
him, and he incontinently fed.
For my part, I Was too much
afraid to fly. l never saw such a
shower of stones, and l wonder we
were not both demolished. AS 1t
was, my companion had not run fa1
before he was struck down by these
missiles.
lone of them broke his leg. and
another stunned him, and had
enough to do to get him out Of the
cone on my shoulders. Much worn
we had to take him to Naples, where
the hotel keepers and the Italian
doctors between them had the pluck.
ing of this precious pigeon for the
next six months. Youths Com.
panion.