The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-08-28
VOL. VINO. 9.
there to erect the house Of the Lordi
From the 81. Louis ReveiIlr.
"2N AT TssE DEATgs."
ii ROcky Mountdin Sketch.
BY SOLITAIRE.

Ely SOLITAIRE.
On a bright June morning, while
seated in camp or lofty ridge near
the Colorado river, in which, with
two companions, was engaged in
trapping beaver. | deserted, far
down on the plains, an object NOV
ing, which knew to be buffalo,
although, in appearance, from the
distance which lay between it and
the spot upon which | stood, it look
ed no larger than common sized
dog. | had but few moments be-
fore returned from five mile tramp,
after an unsuccessful examination
of our traps, and, though tired, re-
solved, if possible, to have taste
of buffalo, for this was the first we
had seen during a months sojourn
among the hills-the herds seldom
travelling so high up. Acting upon
this resolution straightway put on
my wet moccasins, which | had, a
few moments previous, hung upon
rods near our fire.
The Indians so infested our neigh
borhood that we never moved from
camp but with extreme caution; so,
after concluding my necessary pre-
parations for start, took a gene
raj survey from a neighboring peak,
without. however, discovering signs
Of an enemy. counselled my COM
panions, before | parted with them,
to keep watch of my progress, ond
in the event of their discovering In
dians, to inform me of the fact by
waving their handkerchieis, and
pointing in the direction in which
they were seen. Having concluded
all preliminary arrangements, | de-
scended into the valley, rifle in hand
and knife in belt, with my ear open
to hostile sounds, and my arm nerv-
ed for vigorous defence. After IA
tedious travel over broken ways,
and through deep and dark ravines,
reached the valley, and struck out
from the timber, in order to gain
view of Nell's Peak, near where our
camp was situated. Another reason
for avoiding the covert was the fact
of its always being the red mars
lurking place. In about two hours
travel | came near the solitary buff
falo, quietly feeding upon a slope
near the edge Of deep ravine,
through which the Drip, small
tributary of the Colorado, winds. |
now edged into the timber, and, hav-
ing gained a closer position, discov-
cred my prey to be large bull,
which, judged, from his timid man
ner of feeding, had been separated
from the herd by ar attack Of Indi-
ans, and, having gained tie entrance
to the valley, had pursued lis way
, to this quiet spot. Carefully ap-
preaching him, / gained favorable
stand On his left, and, posing NJ.
trusty rifle, fired. With a snort Of
j. pain, he backed several PAGES, and
f fell upon his launches. Loading
b. again, | advanced to despatch. him,
when, with roar Of pain, and with
sudden bound, he approached to
; within few PAGES Of where stood.
! Having but an instant to spare, /
:, hastily raised my rifle and pulled
; trigger, when, to my horror, the
, piece missed fire, even while the in
furiate animal was so near that his
breat', mingled with his blood, was
) blown upon my person. Time for
thought there was none. | could
not regain the timber, so, dropping
, my rifle, | made for the ravine. The
rifle was a moments diversion in
, my favor, for the beast paused 10
smell the death dealing weapon, but
, the next instant, with blood-shot
eyes, he madly rushed towards ME.
looked into the ravine, and a glance
revealed to me perpendicular pre-
, cipicc of one hundred feet, with the
, stream iretting and boiling, dark as
ink, at the bottom! To leap across
it was impossiblc-to plunge down
was not to be thought Of but as an
act Of despair, and alternative there
appeared none. To thus have to
come to hurried decision, with per-
, il on every side, the chances were
{ ten to one that the worst horn Of the
t dilemma would be CHOSEN. The Sc
quel will show.
a small projection Of about three
feet long BY one wide, upon which
grew few scrubby bushes, presen-
ted itself at about ten feet distance
: from "a edge Of the inc, and,
. wii'rl. second thought, | held u
moment by the edge Of the preci-
picc, and dropped upon this small
shelf, Which shock and quivered
; from the conclusion Of my leap, un.
, til | iancied | could feel it sliding
, from its place! The thought was
horrible, and | shut my eyes in
5 partial swoon, expecting the next
+ moment to be dashed into the bub-
bling current below; but after wait
n IL