The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-11-08


The sun was up. very red and bold. as
we passed through Zurich; and where it
touched the great lake, the waters shope
scarlet as blood under the slanting rays
Before rs the Alps were heaving upward,
growing mightier every hour, with the
pinnacIes of their strange frost Kingdoms
blrshing in the early sunshine. By eleven
O'Clock we had left the open country.
passing into a labyrinth of valleys,
crowned with pines. waiting black and
silent on their snow carpets, scored with
torrents and patched with frozen tarns.
Coire was reached By half-past one. and
the narrow gauge of the Thusis line car
ried Us through meadows and brushwood
morasses until We crossed the upper
Rhine and drew into the station which
is set under the cliff bastions, outworks
of the Alp citadels beyond
It was then three of the clock There
were still forty miles left of our journey
"a ten hours drive over the passes TO
the distant Engadine.
A carriage with three horses was wait
ing to our order without the station
We entered il at once. and the driver
swung his team into the Tiefenkastell
road. Fifty francs from Graden had inn
pressed him with the necessity for haste.
Yet our progress was insufferably tedi-
Gus. Once across the bridge. we dropped
into walk. while our straining team
tugged heavily up the pass of Schyn.
To our left the ridge barred the view; but
on the right, narrow valleys sliced deep
into the glittering heights above gave US
sight of the stately peaks that senti-
nelled the ea stern sky. In an hour we
had entered the forest o. Versasca-for
such, / have learned, Is its name-and
so climbed on through the dismal ave-
nues of pines TIL we passed through gal
leries and tunnels. hewn deep in the cliff
side. out into the barren snow fields once
again.
The sun was setting as we ratified over
the pavement of the hill village of lief
enkasten, that crouched in the shadows
of the Albula Gorge. The dying rays
struck fercely on the distant peaks. IN
til those pale ice maidens found rosy
bushes for such reckless gallantry. 1t
was a spectacle of infinite grandeur, and,
despite my impotence, l leaned from
the window watching the light fade and
whiteu into the opals of the after-glow.
I'VE can thank our luck that there's
moon" said my cousin, as drew back
into my corner These drivers know
the road like a book. but 1 should like
our fellow to see where he's going in
the Berguner Stein"
lis it dangerousY
a ledge for q carriage way, and a
precipice for ditch on the near side, is
not particularly pleasant for the nerves
when you can't see your hand before
you
You have been here before. thenT
.'Oh. yesr' he said, and so we fell into
silence.
1t was past six o'clock when we left
Filisur. tiny group of deep-eaved
houses. and dropped down the hillside to
the stream. As we rose the further slope
through a wood of scattered pines. the
moon came peering out from behind two
bare and lofty peaks that lowered above
Us into the southern night, lighting their
icy SUBMITS so that they glittered like
blades of polished steel. 1t was a scene
of such melancholy desolation that as our
horses halted on the crest OF the hill,
lowered the window, thrusting out my
head for a better view
In front of US the white road curled
1ONn iAbO a SUI rs iHh-D4dNh "CAeS
of shadow that drove into the distance
between silver cliffs bright with the
moonlight.
as this the place you spoke Off" 1
asked
Its the Berguner Stein. if it's that
you want to know" growled my cousin
from amongst his wraps. ALSO, | wish
you would have the goodness TO shut
that window"
But the remembrance Of what he had
told me about the dangers of the place
sent my eyes 10 the drivers box. AS
was leaning from the left-hand window,
/ did not expect TO see more than the
fellows hat; but, to my surprise, there
he was well in view, his coat huddled
about his ears. AS we moved forward,
the mystery explained itself. The man
/ saw was not driving.
We've taken up a passenger, Cousin
Graden," said /, pulling in my head.
whats thatY he asked sharply, for
my voice had been lost in the load COM