4. I had stopped, but the snow behind me was still in motion; its pressure on my body was so strong that I thought I should be crushed to death. This tremendous pressure lasted but a short time, and ceased as suddenly as it had begun. I was then covered up by snow coming from behind me.

5. My first impulse was to try and uncover my head —but this I could not do: the avalanche had frozen by pressure the moment it stopped, and I was frozen in. Whilst trying vainly to move my arms, I suddenly became aware that the hands as far as the wrist had the faculty of motion. The conclusion was easy; they must be above the snow.

6. I set to work as well as I could; it was time, for I could not have held out much longer. At last I saw a faint glimmer of light. The crust above my head was getting thinner, and it let a little air pass, but I could not reach it any more with my hands; the idea struck me that I might pierce it with my breath.

7. After several efforts I succeeded in doing so, and felt suddenly a rush of air towards my mouth, and saw the sky again through a little round hole. A dead silence reigned around me; I was so surprised to be still alive, and so persuaded at the first moment that none of my fellow-sufferers had survived, that I did not even think of shouting for them.

8. I then made vain efforts to extricate my arms, but found it impossible; the most I could do was to join the ends of my fingers, but they could not reach the snow any longer. After a few minutes I heard a man shouting: what a relief it was to know that I was not the sole survivor! to know that perhaps he was not frozen in and could come to my assistance.

9. I answered; the voice approached, but seemed un

certain where to go, and yet it was now quite near. A sudden exclamation of surprise! Rebot had seen my hands. He cleared my head in an instant, and was about to try and cut me out completely, when I saw a foot above the snow, and so near me that I could touch it with my arms.

10. I at once tried to move the foot; it was my poor friend's. A pang of agony shot through me as I saw that the foot did not move. Poor Boissonet had lost sensation, and was perhaps already dead. Rebot did his best: after some time he wished me to help him, so he freed my arms a little more, so that I could make use of them.

11. I could do but little, for Rebot had torn the axe from my shoulder as soon as he had cleared my head, -I generally carried an axe separate from my alpenstock, the blade tied to the belt, and the handle attached to the left shoulder. Before coming to me Rebot had helped Nance out of the snow; he was lying nearly horizontally, and was not much covered over.

12. Nance found Bevord who was upright in the snow, but covered up to the head. After about twenty minutes the two last named guides came up. I was at length taken out; the snow had to be cut with the axe down to my feet before it could be accomplished. A few minutes after one o'clock in the afternoon we came to my poor friend's face, and could see that he was dead.

13. I wished the body to be taken out completely, but nothing could induce the three guides to work any longer, from the moment they saw it was too late to save him. I acknowledge that they were nearly as incapable of doing anything as I was. When I was taken out of the snow the cord by which we had been attached had to be cut.

14. We tried the end going towards Bennen, but could not move it; it went nearly straight down, and showed us that there was the grave of the bravest guide the Valais ever had, and ever will have. The cold had done its work on us; we could stand it no longer, and began the descent. We followed the frozen avalanche for about twenty-five minutes, that being the easiest way of progressing, and then took the track we had made in the morning, reaching Ardon in five hours. PHILIP C. GOSSETT.

LESSON LXII.

THE ANGELS OF BUENA VISTA.

Lançe, a soldier armed with a | Foot, infantry soldiers; those who march and fight on foot.

spear; a lancer.

PEAK and tell us, our Ximena, looking north

SP ward far away,

O'er the camp of the invaders, o'er the Mexican ar

ray,

Who is losing? who is winning? Are they far, or come they near?

Look abroad, and tell us, sister, whither rolls the storm we hear.

2. "Down the hills of Angostura still the storm of battle rolls;

Blood is flowing, men are dying; God have mercy on their souls!"

Who is losing? who is winning?"Over hill and

over plain,

I see but smoke of cannon clouding through the mountain rain."

3. Holy Mother! keep our brothers! Look Ximena, look once more.

"Still I see the fearful whirlwind rolling darkly as

before,

Bearing on in strange confusion, friend and foeman, foot and horse,

Like some wild and troubled torrent sweeping down its mountain course."

4. "Jesu, pity! how it thickens! now retreat and now advance!

Right against the blazing cannon shivers Puebla's charging lance!

Down they go, the brave young riders; horse and foot together fall;

Like a plough-share in the fallow, through them ploughs the Northern ball."

5. Nearer came the storm and nearer, rolling fast and frightful on!

Speak, Ximena, speak and tell us who has lost, and who has won?

"Alas! alas! I know not; friend and foe together fall, O'er the dying rush the living: pray, my sisters, for them all!

6. "Lo! the wind the smoke is lifting: Blessed Mother, save my brain!

I can see the wounded crawling slowly out from heaps of slain;

Now they stagger, blind and bleeding; now they fall and strive to rise;

Hasten, sisters, haste and save them, lest they die before our eyes!

7. "O my heart's love! O my dear one! lay thy poor head on my knee:

Dost thou know the lips that kiss thee? Canst thou hear me? Dost thou see?

O my husband, brave and gentle! O my Bernal, look once more

On the blessed cross before thee! Mercy! mercy! all is o'er!!"

8. Dry thy tears, my poor Ximena; lay thy dear one down to rest;

Let his hands be folded meekly; lay the cross upon his breast;

Let his dirge be sung hereafter, and his funeral masses said:

To-day, thou poor bereaved one, the living ask thy aid.

9. Close beside her, faintly moaning, fair and young, a soldier lay,

Torn with shot and pierced with lances, bleeding slow his life away;

But, as tenderly before him the lorn Ximena knelt, She saw the Northern eagle shining on his pistol-belt.

10. With a stifled cry of horror straight she turned away her head;

With a sad and bitter feeling looked she back upon her dead;