The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-30
HUNTERS WONDERFUL ESCAPE.
Story Of a Chamois Hunter who Fell
over Cliff with His Game.

They tell wonderful tales Of the cham
OILS and the chamois hunter in SwitZer-
land said one who had been in Switzer-
land frequently, and was a good listener
while there, "anU Antoine Ormlich
middle-aged hunter. agile and elastic In
mind as well as body, | imagine, had in
MS repertoire Of "reminiscences OF that
shy and sure-foted antelope Of the Alps
more 10 ecite the interest andstrainthe
credulity Of the listener than any other
Swiss mOuntaineer l ever heard give HIM
self liberty on the sugject. Antoine was
a dweller i'm the Bernese Overland, and TO
hear him tell II, he had hunted and was at
home I'm every part of the Alps. His fav-
orite narrative, for it was the first one
he always told when he had a listener
was of an adventure he had once at the
head OF the great Zmutt Glacier. He
had been following chamols for two
DAYS among the perilOus rocks and icy
slopes in that locality. and at last dis
covered it on the apex Of a high rock that
rose fifty feet above him. lie himself
was standing at the top of a steep slope
OF glacial debris. where the footing was
insecure. and which terminated on the
brink OF a chasm hundreds OF feet deep.
The instant he saw the chamois above
him he fired. The animal tumbed from
the rock and fell at his feet. II was not
dead. and il struggled to rise. Antoine
seized il by both hind legs, and In doing
SO lost his footing. He fell forward stu
holding the chamois by the legs, and
instantly both hunter and quarry were
sliding down the slope towards the chasm
Antoine made desperate efforts TO
thrust his feet in some crack or creVice
IN the debris to save himself and even the
poor chamois paWeu desperately with IT'S
forefeet and stay the journey to death.
The efforts were vain. Antoine retained
his hold on the chamois' legs in the des-
perate hope that impels the drowning
man 10 grasp al straws. As they neared
the brink Of the chasm the channels, in
its struggles, had turned upon It's back.
Antoine suddenly felt the solid ground
fan away beneath him, and he knew he
had passed owed the precipice's edge.
But instead OF tumbling down into the
abiss. he found himself suspendedfrom
the cliff, hanging 10 the channels legs.
Antoine glanced upwards. The curved
horns OF the chamois had plunged into
deep crevce near the precplce edge as
hunter and antelope shot over e. The
strong horns withstood the shock or the
sudden cessation Of motion, and there
Antoine hung.
Antoine al once uttered a fervent
prayer of thanks for being thus uneXpec-
teddy saved from the plunge, and when he
had time 10 collect himself he changed
his mind He had nothing 10 be thankful
for. he thought, for at the best he could
not see how the situation was anything
more than a reDrieve. II was impossible
FOR him 20 draw himself back 20 the slope
by means of the chamOis; the chances OF
his being discovered and rescued were as
one In "A thousand and even with that
IA.
quickly. II at all. TO save him, for his
strength could not long sustain him sus-
pended by the antelOpe's legs IN mid-air
II seemed an hour that ne hung over That
waiting abyss. suffering torture In mind
and body, and ne felt that his strength
could last but a few minutes more, Wneh
he heard n shout, and then another. lie
tried 10 answer the shouts. but only
hoarsA gasps came from his throat. An
age seemed 20 pass Then he heard the
sound OF men making their way down the
slope. The sounds came nearer tnen
voices Presently the forms or two hunt-
ers filled the space within the range OF
his vision. and on the edge of the preci-
nice above him. Words Of cheer came
from them. Antoine grasped the ante
lope's legs firmly with an his remaining
strength. He felt himself gradually ris-
ingtoward the slope. He closed his eyes,
his heart stood stil; he scarcely breathed.
BY and by strong hands seized him. lie
knew no more until he found conscious
ness In a place Of safety. His rescuers
were with him. and OF course no language
could tell them what was IN his neart.
Everybody knows Antoine IN the Der
nese Oberland. l never found anyone
who knew the two hunters who rescued
him that day at the head Of the great
Zmutt Glacier."-New York sun.