Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-06-28
Nor L. / had thought Of the same

~ VIC Z " VIZ tOAh hs tAS
dogs whar we ar; but you see we haint;
an | can tell by their growl, thar Amt
less nor a dozen on en-
Its no use to remain here; lead us to
the creek, Raoul!' and, following the
Frenchman, we dashed recklessly thro'
the thicket. 1t was one of those noun
lain torrents-common in Mexico-spots
of still water alternating with cascades,
of amygdaledate basalt. We waded
through, and then clambering among the
rocks entered the second. This was a
good stretch, a hundred yards or more OF
crystal water in which we were waist
deep. We took the bank at the lower
end, on the same side; and, striking
back into the timber, kept parallel to The
course Of the stream, lest we might be
pushed again TO repeat the ruse. All
this time the yelping Of the blood-hounds
had been ringing in our ears. Suddenly
it ceased.
They have reached the water said
Clayley.
mo- rejoined Lincoln, sfopping a
moment to listen, they're a chawin them
bones.
There again. cried one, as their deep
voices rang down the glen, in a chorous
of the whole pack. The next minute,
the dogs were mute the second time,
speaking at intervals in a fierce growl
that told us>they were at fault. Beyond
an occasional bark we heard nothing of
the blood hounds until we had gained at
least two miles down the stream. We
began to think we had bafled them in
earnest, when Lincoln, who had kept in
the rear was seen to throw himself fiat
up on the grass. We all stopped, look
ing at him with breathless anxiety
1t was but a minute. Rising up with a
reckless air he struck his rifle fercely
upon the ground, exclaiming:
Swamp them houns! they're arter us
agin!'
By one impulse we all rushed back to
the creek, and scrambling OF the rock,
plunged into the water, and commenced
wading down. A sudden exclamation
burst from Raoul, in the advance. We
soon learnt the cause, and to our dismy
we had struck the water at a point
where the stream canoned! On each
side rose a frowning precipice, straight
as a wall. Between these the black
torrent rushed through a channel only a
few feet in width, so swiftly that, had
we attempted 10 descend by swimming,
we should have been dashed to death on
the rocks below. To reach the stream
farther down it would be necessary to
make a circuit of miles; and the hounds
would be on our heels before we could
gain 800 yards. We looked at each
other and at Lincoln-all painting and
pale.
'Stumped at last cried the hunter,
gritting his teeth with fury.
MOI shouted, a thought at that mo-
ment flashing upon me. Follow me,
comrades! Wen fight the blood-hounds
on the cliff | pointed upwards. A
yell from Lincoln announced his ap-
proval.
'Hooray!' he cried, leaping on the
bank; that idee's just like yer Cap
Hooray! Now Toys, for the bluff!
Next moment we we're straining up
the gorge that led TO the precipice; and
the next we had reached the highest
point, where the cliff by a bold projec-
ton, butted over the stream. There
was a levi platform covered with tufted
grass and upon this we took u stand.
We stood for some moments gathering
breath, and nerving ourselves for the
desperated struggle. l could not help
looking over the precipice. 1t was a
fearful sight. Below, in a vertical line
200 feet below, the stream rushing thro'
the canon broke upon a bed of Jagged
rocks, and then glided on in seeihing
snow-white foam. There was no object
between the eye and the water, no jut-
ting ledge-not even a tree to break the
fall-nothing but the spiky boulder-be-
low, and the foaming torrent that washed
them.
1t was some minutes before our UNI
natural enemies made their appearance,
but every howl sounded nearer and near
er. Our trail was warm, and we knew
they were seeming it on a run. At
length the bushes cracked, and we could
see their white breasts cleaning through
the leaves A fev more cnrin9e and tho