Buried in the Snow by Franz Hoffman

Author:Franz Hoffman [Hoffman, Franz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Classics
ISBN: 9781584740476
Goodreads: 3153895
Publisher: Lamplighter Publishing
Published: 1879-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER VII.

THE BITTER CUP.

NOTWITHSTANDING Jacques’s thankfulness for his deliverance from a horrible death, he awoke upon the following morning feeling more than usually depressed: their imprisonment seemed to him more irksome than ever, for he knew that now it was not only necessary to remain within the chalet, but that they could no longer admit the pure, fresh air into their little room: door and window must be suffered to remain blocked up with snow, and neither he nor his grandfather could refresh their weary eyes with the light of the sun or the blue heavens. Without this protecting wall of snow, their situation would have been in the highest degree critical.

Before the visit of the wolves, the boy had in imagination drawn a cheerful and almost pleasant picture of the way they would pass their time in the little chalet; but now there remained to them only the same cheerless monotony, and no relief from the darkness which hemmed them in. All the hopes from which he had derived comfort, courage, and endurance, had been crushed at one blow. Then, too, their scanty store of provisions was gradually diminishing, and they were beginning to feel the want of more nourishing food; their diet consisted of the goat’s milk and a piece of hard bread, varied occasionally with a potato, seasoned with a little salt.

The boy’s grandfather sought to cheer and comfort him in his despondency, and reconcile him to his hard fate. At last Jacques found employment, that for a few days at least diverted the current of his thought. To guard against a second attack from the wolves, they were obliged to keep the trap carefully closed, and by so doing they could have no fire, as the smoke had no other outlet to escape. The boy found in the stall an old iron pipe, which he determined to make use of. Cutting a circular aperture in the trap large enough to admit the pipe, after much thought, contrivance, and labor, he fitted it as desired in the hole, securing it firmly with pieces of wood. And now the feasibility of the contrivance was to be tested.

A fire was kindled upon the hearth, and the poor captives saw with pleasure that it blazed cheerfully, without their being annoyed as before by the stifling smoke. This arrangement added greatly to their comfort, being both safe and convenient.

Their next employment was to barricade the window effectually, their weakest assailable point: this was done by means of poles and boards from the crib and manger.

Jacques and his grandfather preserved their little store of oil in a large stone jug, which stood in a corner of the kitchen: one day the lad accidentally overset it, which caused them both for the moment considerable alarm; fortunately there was no oil lost. To protect themselves against such a misfortune in the future, they concluded to make a hole in the ground in which to place the vessel, where it would be secure. Hardly had

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