Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-10-22
PETER II. BURNETT.
AN ADVENTURE AMONG THE HILL.

AN ADVENTURE AMONG THE HILLS.
1t was weary ride the " hite W eaths
were increasing in size and number. and
The escapes of man and horse were oftener
than they knew Even the hounds became
nearly exhausted, and whmpersd as they
struggled through The snow.
A long sharp ridge rose before him
He made his horse Chamber 10 lis summit,
and looked anxinuslv around him, in the
hope OF seeing light; but hs saw nothing
but the white hills and the whirIinq storm.
He heard the gurgls Of a stream below the
sounds were FAINT and hollow. as if the
banks were deep and PERCEPTIONS. He kept
this sound for guide, and WHY he ha rdlv
knew. proceeded in what seemed TO be the
direction OF the stream. Tn, ground con-
ilnued TO rise the sound OF the wafer be-
came fainter, except now aud then, when
the noise the stream made. gushing over
broken rocks, rendere it audible ia spite
of the vast depth OF the narrow rayine
through which II ran.
After proceeding for some time thus, in
one OF the temporary pauses of the storm he
caught glimpse Of fain, light, winklng
some miles in the distance, on the other
side Of the stream. By this time The at
mos phere, dim and stormy as il was, beg
to pc partially illuminated by the rising
moon.
His object now was, if pos pie, TO cross
The Stream and reach the light. Urging
his tollIng horse along the edge of the ra-
vine. he sough, for place at which he
might descended the bank but The chasm
became gradually wider, and lis SIDES even
deeper and more PERCEPTIONS. The partial
cessation OF the storm, howe, err, continued,
although the clouds. nov partially revealed.
were dark and ihrea ening still.
AT length he saw a narrow ledge run
ming like spur from the precipice, and
seeming TO cross over TO the other side
1t appeared 10 form kind of natural bridge
across the hdcen river, although the mas.
ses OF snow piled about it made its real
character ind.tinct. A, the bes, il seemed
desperate crossing place, but not more
desperate than his condition was. Patting
his horses neck with his frozen glove, he
felt its mouth with the bride, touching it
with the spurs. and with tha, strange teel-
ing which in desperate e&tremities mal es
US sggravate rtckIessness. he resolved 10
make the hazardous passage in The saddle
The animal snoried, and advanced re-
luc'antlv. The sides Of the ridge wers of
s ddy depth some OF The snow that hung
on them fell down, and revealed ma rrower
footing than he Ind reckoned on At some
places it seemed not TO exceed foot and
half in width, and was apparently about
twenty feet long. Its junction with the
opposite bank was hidden bv masses of snow.
but ii appeared TO be broader there. He
now repsnted of having renfured TO cross
such place on bareback hut it $ too
la:e to retreat: one false sep. far less an
attempt TO turn, would have nrecipitated
horse and rider down the abyss
Just h. reached The middle Of the ledge
the moon shone fosth. The clear light
rave led terrific view To man and horse.
The animal paused, and H. started rider
looked around m. Fer down the prec;-
pice the hight shone on the black narrow
stream tufts Of lurzc loaded with snow
~-.rees hanging forward on their strained
rouls that the sparkling icicles rn,ngled with
and, lower down, sharp points oil rock.
which The riser-mists lad prevented iaa
snow from lying on chequered The sides
the right and LETT. The long yauuing
abyss seemed in the stance to join the. H.
regular grad atoms OF the lonely bills, now
white, ard CHANGING coldiy in the msaa-
beams.
Gerald hastily removed his eves from
the depths Immediately beneath h m, for the
| sight made ban dizzy, aud urged on IA,
horse again. But Row the animal refused
10 stir. With IFS fore-legs planted firmly
before it. lis nostriis dlsten6ed. and is rs
/ pressed back. II seemed under rhe influenre
| Of panic. and It's head only obeycd The
raised bridie-the animaI would not bulge.
/ The thlck-crewdng clouds at that moment
came over the moon again, and the drifting
snow began to fly across me hills.
Gerald struck his spurs 10 the horse
The animal slightly swcrved and the RI
der. by a sudden NOV ement only prevent
ed them from both falling down the preci
Pice. The hedge here was not two feer
VIDE.
The horse became resiive and affempt-
cd TO turn Maddened by This ne " danger.
Gerald spurred The animal again. The
horse reared and when the startled ri.
der, bending forward. slackened The bride,
the anlmal attempted once more to lurn.
lis hina feet slid on the lev path, and rs
launches seemed sinking; bun suddenly re-
gaining It's foo'lng, the young manfred 10
urge il on by gentle means; but the terrified