So sudden was the catastrophe that not a single escape
is recorded. A large portion of the mountain crest, as will be observed
when it is seen in profile, descended to the valley, burying the
unfortunate village to a depth variously estimated at from 1000 ft.
to 1800 ft. The geological causes which produced this extraordinary
displacement have been fully discussed, but the greater evidence points
to the theory of subterranean glaciers. 5 M. beyond ---- the train
crosses the R. bridge."
I laid down the guide-book in breathless astonishment.
"And you never heard of this in all these years?"
"Nefer! I asked no questions, I read no pooks. I have no ledders from
home."
"And yet you"--I stopped, I could not call him a fool; neither could
I, in the face of his perfect composure and undisturbed eyes, exhibit
a concern greater than his own. An uneasy recollection of what he
confessed had been his mental condition immediately after his accident
came over me. Had he been the victim of a strange hallucination
regarding his house and family all these years? Were these dreams of
revenge, this fancy of creating a new village, only an outcome of
some shock arising out of the disaster itself, which he had long since
forgotten?
He was looking from the window.
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