Bridgton High School - Corona Yearbook (Bridgton, ME)

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THE CORONA 13 In about three-quarters of an hour they arrived at the camp. Upon entering it man they found it was the camp of the who managed the ski tow. It was a two- room affair, with a bed, stove, table, and three chairs. Finding wood behind the stove food in a carton under the table. they de- cided to fix something to eat. Soon the camp was warm and golden pancakes sizzled on the frying pan. Nancy, jean said, I do wish I could turn out something like that. I really can't boil water without burning it. You'll have to give me some lessons-. Her sentence was left in the air. VVhat was that? That horrible roaring noise! They rushed to the door. Like a bolt of thunder echoing across the heavens it came. Tons and tons of Hying snow, rocking the earth to its every foundation. All were struck dumb for several minutes! They retreated into the cabin. Would they escape? Wfhen they had awakened from this stunned silence, and found that they had been spared, they made a rush for the door. Nancy reached it First. Looking out she cried, Oh! Just Chl VVhat a terrible, horrible situation, Jean whispered. XVhatever will we do? The snow avalanche had missed them, that is true. But it had left them stranded ! Actually marooned on an island of ice and snow. VV here the party had come up a few minutes ago there was now a steep precipice of snow. Look, everybody, Jack suggested, let's take an inventory and find how we stand. I'll be honest. I don't see any hope of being rescued. I think we're in an ut- terly hopeless situation. I know that's not the right spirit, but it's the way I feel. On examining their supplies they found a ten-pound bag of flour, a tin full of biscuits, and besides the wood in the box. some in the shed. They decided the food must be rationed. Qn the fifth day their food was all gone. They had used most of the wood. XVell, folks, said Jeff, I guess we're about done for. It's been nice knowing you all. and Jack took Jean out onto the porch. You must know that I love you, Jean, he said. VVe might as well be happy our last few hours. That is, if you like me, he finished. Like you! Jack, I'm crazy about you. How could anyone help loving you? You must know that I think you're the most wonderful- Their conversation was in- terrupted by the drone of airplane motors. In a moment everyone was outside. Could it be real. VV ere they going to be saved? It semed too good to be true. The ,plane dropped food. rope, and di- rections for using the rope. Following these directions, they tied the rope to a corner of the house and dropped it down over the cliff. There was a crust now and they were not likely to start the snow fall- ing again. They had nothing to lose, any- way. In an hour everyone was safe back in town. It seemed that a plane from the Inland Fish and Game Commission had seen their smoke while flying over. Sus- pecting trouble, he had reported this. An- other plane had been sent out to investi- gate. Now .lean is Mrs. jack Mason, and everybody is happy again. VVINNI1-'RED HILTON, '-L7. DOUBLE DEATH During a severe blizzard in one of the Northeastern states, two inexperienced mountain climbers were caught in a se- cluded valley of mountain ranges. Realiz- ing they would be unable to find their way out until the storm subsided, they went in search of shelter. After many hours of searching the men found a cabin which was used by trappers. But by this time one of them, Ted Houston, was seriously ill from exposure. Looking around the cabin, his sturdier companion, slack lien- son, found enough Firewood to last a day. There was also some dried herring hang- ing on the rafters. That night Ted's condition was worse and most of the time he was delirious. Once during the night he regained semi- consciousness, and kept saying over and

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12 THE CORONA Now, for the first time since leaving the bathroom. Abner faced his wondering wife squarely and what the good lady saw made her eyebrows pop way up under her hat. Ohhhhh, Abner, she squealed. That horrid mustache. You cut off only the left half . Huh! What the- he stammered dumbly, feeling of his lip in frank disbe- lief. Stiff bristles, however, met his fin- gers. Well, can yuh beat- he trailed off in amazement. Oh, you absent-minded wretchf' shrilled Amy. brandishing the umbrella. I'll brain you, you conceited, dispis- able- she swung hard at his head with her rain insurance. but missed for the first time in her married life. Abner Ran- kin was already ducking low and sprint- ing madly for sanctuary in the nearest ,barber shop, holding one hand cupped tightly over the half-vanished mustache. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE EXAMS Study, study. study! Nothing but end- less study for one whole afternoon and evening. VVhy on earth did I leave all this work until tonight ? If you had visited the Cascy's home on this special night, these would be the lam- entations you would have heard. They came from fmvurteen-year-old Jimmy Casey. He was studying for the twelve- week exams which were scheduled for the next day, and, as you gather. .lim was trying to cram twelve weeks' work into one evening. The clock ticked on--11.30, 12.00, 12.30 - Suddenly - Ujimmy! James Henry Casey. You get to bed this instant! Look at the time. That was mother. jimmy continued studying. Oh! VVhat is the difference be- tween a complex and compound sentence, and which is correct - who or whom? And who was supposed to figure out the hypotense of a right triangle. Oh. heavens! I've forgotten what a vertebrate is- jimmy! If you don't go to bed imme- diately you won't go to school tomorrow ! That was Father. Jimmy worked on- Now let me see, you take the square of the right side and- jeepers! what is that horrible looking thing? It looks like the picture of a caribou in the Biology book but it has donkey's ears and bear's feet and-wait! Here is a whole row of triangles marching toward me. They have arrows in their hands. On the other side is an army of who's. whom's, and verbs. How horrible! VVhat if they should start fighting. Did I say start! They are at it in full force now. There were three monsters roaring and stamping around now. The fight continued. -lim started running. The monstrosities followed. ,Iimmy screamed. They grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. The largest one let out an awful roar- ,Iimmy! jimmy! VVill you wake up and get upstairs to bed. I've been shaking you and hollerin' for the last minute and you never stirred. Now go to bed. The very idea fallin' asleep on top of your school books. Pnvl.l.ls liUSWlEl.L, '-17. MAROONED They were a gay party. the five of them, as they set out that bright morning in early lfebruary. There had been a snowstorm the night before and now the whole world seemed to have the atmos- phere of a beautiful fairy kingdom. The members of the party were: 'Tack Mason, fresh out of college. with high hopes of becoming a Navy pilot: ,lean fkdams, a .lunior at college: young Dr. Harry Henson: his bride, Nancy: and jeffrey Prale. a guide, who was a very good friend of -lack. They had left the car at the little settle- ment, about a mile back, and were pro- ceeding on snowshoes. Mount VVashington. here we come, shouted black. See that little hut off to 'the right, about a mile and a half up? Let's go ex- plore it, he said to his wife. Yes, I'm green as a cucumber, she answered gaily. but I can see now that it's grand fun.

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14 THE CORONA g over, to Jack's horror, that he didn't want to be buried alive. Later the next evening Ted died. His words of the night before kept running through Jack's mind, as he made sure that his companion was really dead. Early that morning the storm had let up enough so that Jack could bury the body in the snow. When he returned he built a fire with the last of the wood, ate some of the scanty provisions and went to bed. When he awoke it was a grey dawn outside and the cold penetrated the camp. He was startled by an instinct that some- thing was wrong. Looking about the room his eyes fell upon the figure of Ted Houston sitting stiffiy upright in the chair beside the table. Immediately Jack stumbled toward the Figure that was once his dearest friend but was now something horrible. Gathering all his courage, he dragged the body outside and reburied it. VVhen he had finished and had gone back to the camp, he sat for hours trying to puzzle the thing out. As he grew calmer he convinced himself that he had had a horrible nightmare and that he was not insane. To help him stop worrying he got his axe and went hunting for firewood. It was late when he returned and he was more than ready for a good nightys sleep. The next morning when he awoke he was petrified at seeing the same horrible thing happen again. He told himself that he must keep his sanity no matter what happened. Some evil power must be play- ing a game with him. Again Jack buried the body and went dazed into the cabin. That evening he was too excited to get the cabin ready for the night. Jack de- cided that this time he was going to sit up all night and see just what was happen- ing. He took out his diary and wrote down all his thoughts of the episode. But he could not' resist his exhaustion and early in the morning he went to sleep. He awoke late in the afternoon and there was the same cringing nightmare be- fore him. This was too much for him. He was going to make sure this time that it would never happen again. NVith his old hunting rifle he stood over the corpse and shot him through the head. Then he used the last bullet on himself. Late that same night three men came stalking into the camp. One was a stalky- built doctor, one, a sheriff from a nearby town. the other was a close friend of both Houston and Benson. They were sent to search for the two men but when they saw them lying on the floor of the cabin they realized they were too late. At once they all agreed that being lost had worn on their nerves so that they had been in a fight and had killed each other. All this theory was shattered when the doctor examined them and found that Ted was already dead when shot and was also frozen. Investigating around they found a shal- low place, ten yards from the camp, that would be big enough to place a human body in. Around it were dozens of tracks leading to and from the camp. Wliat did all this mean? Ted had been dead for hours, perhaps days, and since he could not have frozen to death, as there was still wood in the camp, there was only one thing left: Ted must have died and jack probably buried him in the grave. But why had he dug up the body, brought hi1n into the camp and shot him when he was already dead! The sheriff then searched the cabin high and low for clues. He almost missed the most important thing, the diary. .He was sure it would contain the missing pieces. In scrawly writing they read of jack's ad- ventures and of his thoughts. Then they all realized what must have happened. When Ted kept saying he didn't want to be buried alive it worked on .Iack's sub- conscious mind so deeply that when he was asleep his inner emotions made him go and release his friend's torture of being buried alive. He tried to remain sane but he was overpowered when it kept repeating. If he had been able to remain awake all through that one night, Jack would have probably been cured of his fear and therefore automatically stop dig- ging up the body. But the last time over- powered him, and he insanely thought that the body was something he could get rid of only by killing and ending his own life. VIRGINIA BRooKs, '47.