Year: 1869

all his efforts, began to trickle into his
mouth. In another moment he would be
stangled with them, his hold would be
torn away, and his body dashed hither
and thither against the sharp points Of
the ice. 40, God Save me Save me "
burst from him in the terrible agony Of
the instant-the moment of time that lay
between him and death.


A noise like thunder "a shivering
crash--resounded through the chssm. II
appeared as if the very foundations Of
the world were tottering beneath him
Now, indeed, he felt that his end had
come. MOI Terror was instantly changed
to rapture The water rushed out of the
cavern with the most amazing velocity
he could descend and stand upon the bot.
tom without fear. How this had been
accomplished, he was forced to wait until
the morning light to determine: and,
with the first beams, he saw a great fls-
sure had been opened, through which the
imprisoned waters had found their way
to the valley below. This unlocked for
preservation again inspired him with con
tidence rendered more firm his trust
in God, Through that tunnel he saw q
way to freedom. It was small to be sure,
but he could enlarge 1t /; and he worked
diligently, until% his strength utterly
failed The ibex was entirely devoured


lie had split the bones and sucked the
marrow; he had gnawed them over and
over again to appease his hunger. For
two days he had not tasted morsel of
food The hatChet had slipped from his
hand when he had endeavored to strike a
blow, and he was forced TO abandon the
undertaking There was nothing left
him now but to die.


10
He lay crouched in a corner wishing that
the end would come and that swiftly.
His eyes were already filmed and his heart
beat family. Then strange noise aroused
him. He looked aloft and saw chamois
vainly striving to defend itself from the
attacks of two old vultures that were
striking at it with wing and beak. 1t was
an unequal contest; and, at length, the
animal, driven to desperation, attempted
to leap the broad chasm. The effort was
a noble one, but it failed of success. The
chalnois missed its footing, and fell,
bruised and helpless, at the very feet of
the starving man. In an instant, his
knife was plunged into its throat and the
warnd blood was drained by his eager lips.
This gave him new life and he renewed
his labor. 1t was almost a herculean task.
More than once, he fell fainring beside it.
But hope was very strong within him.
Still, he would have utterly failed, had not
heaven assisted him.


Again, the fohn was busy atits work of
destruction; again, the windows of heaven
were opened, and the Grains descended,
and the floods came," and accomplished
more in a single night than his hands could
have dohe in months. With the morning
light, he crawled through the now large tun-
mel; but when he reached the outer end,
found, to his horror, that he was on the
top of mighty precipice. His blood
boiled; his brain seemed on fire ; his heart
beat as if it would break through ribs and
flesh. He was, if possible more desperate
ly imprisoned than before. How was he
to get down? Through his bewildered
mind suddenly flashed the thought of the
skins of the ibex and the chamois, and he
was not long in making a rope of them.
He then cut a deep hole in the ice, drove
down his alpenstock, fastened one end of
it, and swinging himself off, reached the
bottom in safety.


With cry Of joy and prayer of thank
fulness, he hastened along the well-known
path and when the bell of the little chap
ell, that reared its gilded cross in the Mat
ter valley, was tolling for the evening
prayers, he staggered like drunken man
lnto Tue very mluSI Vi Jne dStOulboeu WOr-
shippers, even as the voice Of the good
priest was repeating, =" God is everywhere
with me and everywhere, even in the
most threatening dangers his voice speaks
to me in tones of comfort, and says, Call
upon me in days of trouble, and / will de-
liver thee, and thou shalt glorify me ~
staggering toward the altar, to kneel at it,
but fell fainting into the arms of his wife,
who agein nursed him to health, strength,
and manhood.-MeTry's Museum.