The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-12-23


his guide, zurbriggen, and Mr.. Har-
per, were surprised by darkness In a
position where it was impossible for
them to advance. AS it was equally
impossible for them to spend the night
where they were, hanging to narrow
Lodges of rock covered with thin ice,
they were obliged to retrace their steps
"a slow and painful process. At last
they reached a spot that might answer
their purpose--a ledge some fourteen
feet long and eighteen inches broad, on
which the three men could just manage
to sit. .
1t seemed to us as sheltered a place
as any upon-t the slope, but should there
be any great fall of stones in the night,
l feared that We should have but a
small CHARGE of escape. No sooner
had we seated ourselves than we
heard the omnibus whiz of fall
ing stones. This was but the
was kept up at intervals through
out the night. The rocks flew past us
SO close that at times we could almost
feel the wind on our faces. We never
dared go much as to close an y all
night for fear of slipping into the abyss
below,
The cold became intense, the Their
mometer dropping twenty-five degrees,
and as most of our garments had been
soaked in wading through the melting
snow, they froze hard.
Harper took off his boots and placed
he fallen, he could not possibly have
recovered himself. Zurbriggeh also
took off his boots and sat upon them tt
keep them warm for the morning, les
they should be frozen, and he should
find himself unable to get into then
again.
We did our best to keep UP oul
spirits by singing songs, the most ap
propriate of which seemed to be, "W'
Won't Go Home Till Morning"
There was no moon, and the nigh
was intensely dark, though tn
weather was clear, while the Sigh
hreezes from the southwest seemed t,
chill us to the bone. After midnigh
we gradually fell silent, and did no
even talk, while Harper dozed for
moment or two and nearly tumbled of
I had to catch hold of him and retail
my grip till he could regain his bal
aEce 1t then occurred to us that if W
spread one of the pieces of mackin
tosh sheeting over our heads and light
ed some candles beneath it, we shout
be warmer.
We found the plan successful, an
kept on lighting candles, so that W
could warm Jul fingers at them an
still remain seated in our cramped pc
sition. Luckily we had an ample SUI
ply, and could continue to burn thel
till the dawn began to appear. 1t seen
ed to us as if we had been seated fc
weeks on this ridge; and when at las
it became light enough for us to NOV
we were SO stiff that it was with diff
Guilty that we gained our feet. w
now began making preparations fl
departure. The rope was like an ire
bar, and our frozen clothes would NJ
give to our motion. Harper's boo
were frozen so stiff that he was oblige
to cut them open and burn immune
able oandle-ends inside of them befol
he succeeded in getting them n
had kept mine on all night, as l kne
l how much trouble l should have
| putting them on again in the mornir
if / took them off, Zurbriggen, hoy
ever, was the very best of us all, fl
his scheme of sitting on his boots al
warming them had worked most a.
: mirably, though during the night
complained several times that Il
, nails in them were rather hard.
We were extremely stiff, all of L
and for some distance literally limp
g along. However, when the sun rose
gradually thawed us, and We were alb
O to make better time.