The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-14

W IKE ALL forest inns situated in
the Alps, at the foot Of glaciers,
those rocky and barren passes
which cleavc the white SUBMITS
Of the mountains, the Schwar-
cnbaCh inr served as refuge
for the vOyagers who followed
49, the Gemmi pass. Pend
ing six months 1t was
open, occupied by Jean Hausers ram
fly. then, so soon as the snow that
heaps in drifts and fills the dales rend-
crs the decent to lsoeche impractical,
the women. the father and the three
sons all depart, leaving the old guide
Gaspard Hari, the young guide, rlrich
Kunsi and Sam, the st. Bernard, 10
guard the place.
Two men and a dog remain until
spring in this prison Of snow, having
nothing before their eyes but the vast
white declivity Of the Ralmhorn. sur
rounded by pale, glistening summits'
enclosed. blocked, shrouded beneath
the snow that towers about them, en-
Veloping, pressing, crushing the little
habitation, TOPPING the roof, banking the
walls as far up as the windows ana
walling the door
II was the day the Hauser family
was returning to Loeche, winter was
coming on and the descent was be-
coming pcrlOus
Three mules started In advance laden
with bags and baggage, led by the
three sons. Then the mother, Jeanne
Hauser and her daughter, Louise
mounted on fourth mule and fol-
lowed the lead.
The father then came, accompanied
by the two guides. who were escorting
the train to the brink of the descent.
They first made the circuit of the
little lake, now frozen, a the bottom of
great cavern in the rocks, which eX-
tended as far as the front of the inn,
then they followed the dale, smooth az
a sheet of linen and dominated ON all
sides by mountains of snow.
The suns rays poured down upon
this shining. white glacial desert illum-
mating it with Il flame binding and
cold. Not sign of life in this sea of
peaks: not movement in this immc as
ureable solitude; not murmur dis
turbed the deep silence.
Gradually the young guide, Ulrich
kunsi, tall Swiss with long limbs,
moved ahead of Father Hauser and
old Gaspard Ham to Join the mules
carrying the two women
The youngest looked at him as he
approached, appearing t. beckon tn
him with her trustful eyes. She was
Il little blonde peasant, whose milk
hued cheeks and light hair looked as
though they were blanChed because of
long sOjourus amid snow and ice
AS he reached the animal that car
ried the girl he placed his hands up
on the animals rump and slackened
its pace. Mother lIauser spoke with
him, reiterating with infinite details
all the recommendation for the hi
formations Ii was to be his first win
Ger up there, while old Hari had al
ready passed fourteen of them under
the snow in the Schwarcnbach inn.
Ulrich KunSi listened without ap.
pearing to comprehend, gazing con-
stantly upon the young girl. From
time to time he responded: "All right
Nine Hauser," but his thoughts
seemed far away and his placid coun.
tenance remained impassive.
They arrived at the Daube lake
whose long, frozen surface lay perfect.
ly fiat at the bottom of the vale. TC
the right the DaubenhoTn Shove,
its black. pointed rocks near the enor,
nous mOraines of the Loemmern gla
cier which overlooked the Wildstru
bel.
AS they approached the neck of the
Gemmi, where the descent to Loech'
begins, they suddenly perceived th'
imposing horizon Of the Valais Alps
from which they We're separated by
the deep, immense valley of tn,
Rhone.
1t was multitude of SUBMITS
white, uneven. crushed and pointed
shining beneath the sun-the Mscha
bel, with its two horns, the might!
Wissehorn, the ponderous Brunneg
ghorn, the lofty and redoubled Cervil
pyramid, the man-killer and Dent
Blanche, that monstrous coquette.
Then below them in an immeasura bl,
cavern at the bottO of an awful abys
they perceived Loeche, whose houses
looked like grains of sand thrown int
an enormous crevasse, which CLOSED
and terminated the Gemmi. opening
again far away upon the Rhone.