Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-05

past, favore, tormenting phrase with them
They who had once envied attacked me now became
my friends. 1t comforting to them to call me of
themselves and this patronage paid them for their for
envy and punished me for my former superiority.
Though no longer dwelt upon the peaks yet still
painted them. became known among the dealers
painter of mountains, landscape specialist. The blues
purples and whites of my peaks and ranges cleaned
upon the walls of many prosperous burghers house in
France, England, and America.
DAINT me the peak of the Dracfenkopf from the
peak of the Pigersberg," said Arson Trowbridge
to me day. He of my wealthiest patrons
"You will wonderful cloud effects about that
tain, and sometimes strange aerial phenomena human
shadows like gigantic ghosts in the skies!'
With this sensational commission departed for the
region of the Tyroese Alps. Arrived at Mittenhal,
chose to quarter myself at comfortable little inn rather
than at the barracksike Grand Hotel made inquiries
what ghosts in the heavens Trowbrdge had meant
to paint.
at is mirage an effect of light and shadow in these
parts" said my good innkeeper "Often when the
SETS and clouds and air and Just the
outline of the Pgersberg flung upon the clouds that
gather the Drachenkopf Then, if there be human
beings maybe channels, old Peter making his
per prayers the shadows clear against the clouds,
of enormous size, all magnihed!'
Curious said l. "And who may old Peter be?'
"He is queerish peasant fellow who lives in a hut
the top of the Pigersberg, said the landlord of the
inn. "He's bit daft and bit heathenish; had his
brain turned, it is said, by the loss of he loved
when he young
was writing letters in my room that evening when
the innkeeper knocked at my door.
Quick quick sir" he cried. "Come out on the bal
cony! There's fine shadow!'
From the balcony of carved wood the colossal piano.
of the peaks stretched and lifted before To the
they dark and purple about the dominant Pill
gersberg Above the sinister snout of the Drachenkopf
the east gigantic of cumuous clouds lowered
tier topping tier, walowing and billowng, packed
and Tapped ary together like blown piles of foam
loosened bales of WOOL all stained with dye of soest
And purplish upon their surfaces rising from the
glowing shadow of the Pilgersberg cast by the
setting sum- there blotted an enormous
shape, shifting and moving against the rolling
faces of the clouds 1t was the shadow of
upon the crest of the mountain, man with bare
head, long hair, and gaunt arms; the details
of short breeches and thick padded calf stockings
of the Tyrolese mountaneer were to be deserted
in the titanic silhouette He extended his arms;
he bowed he bent low to the ground; he knelt,
his head on his breast and made majestic ges-
lures of alteration.
at is old Peter praying to the setting sum-"
said the landlord.
@To the sum-" l exclaimed.
dyes. That is why we call him heathenish,
and why our Herr Pastor has forbidden him :
the church. =
Then, in expanse of murky crimson and an -
avalanche of reddish light, the clouds drfted y
into other strata of the air and the great ghostly
silhouette of the praying peasant shot off into
empty space Then realized that this startling
phenomenon of refracton and reflection,
akin to those had seen at times on the deserts
of the Great Northwest ice fields, on the /
prairies-images of unknown distant towns
floating above the horizon, trees and islands
swimming in the haze, many odd tatG inorganic 4
projected in the skies.
THE next morning | made my first ascent of
the looming Pilgersberg. The good trail led