Butte record., 1855-09-29

t" gfadually der a.
1t ran farther nt. the mountain. and the
Sia OF Hnlch were composed Of earth
and rock Of various dimensi rs, some
projecting nearly or quite across the fs-
sur, The side which we proposed to
ascend was not quite peri, ndicular at this
spot and broken appearance, and the
shrubs growing from it, made our sue
IS "p arently feasible Impelled by
curiosity and desire to know more of
this singular opening. date mined to
penetrate farther into it, while my COM
panion trird to ascend. I proceeded
some distance, and Lotlced that the pa.
sage seemed to gov no wider; but the
vegetation became thinner at every step
and at length c ased almost entirely -
Here, on looking up, l saw that the
cre7ice WAS el,sed so'se fifty f.et abovr
"nd before me Vas darkness iuto which
dered mt penetrate. While L. king
with soft Of horror into this da chasm
which seemed to lead dir, city towards
the hart of the mountain, head
ru>tl.ng sound proce ding ftom its re
eesses, and started back, appalled, at the
thought Of hav ng entered, perhaps, the
y,rl den of the fierce tiger or the drear
lion. Fin, nois= VS. repeated, and b.. =
tily turning, l retraced my steps as 81
lent and rapidly as possible. l east my
eye up amo z The rocks TO die cover m,
COMPANION bat found that had pass d
the spot where he CONNIE aced climbing
and as l turned to 60 ; 5ack again. "
through the bushes al enorm Us serpent
gliding slowly toF ards m, along that
P'rt Of the pass' ge / had just travcrsed
He did not ser al 70 be aware Of the D es-
ence OF az FOE or victim, but crept
along VIII lis body ha { concealed among
the bu' tes, and bis head close to TIL
gror.nI unil arriving under the native,
u ID probably al rmed at some noise the
after made, he then Fl ared himself sew
, eral feet from the ground, AID beholding
the man ab"ve him, gave a lou 4nI t,r.
I r'ble his, and quick IS lightning coled
/ himself around The near st tree. md as
cended to It's FIST bon. bs. Thr sic't
parall I'D every ment ! and physical
faculty l posses, J. l hal 10 IF. but
in the horror Of gazing upon this fright
ful monster--a horror which was creai '
incrras by the p. Ill in which it pl ced
my companion. He meanwhile heard
the terrible bizzing ID low him, and he.
came fully aware Of the extent Of bis
danger He had climbed forty Or ff y
feet perhaps, and VS. v,ry n"asly as
high as the top Of th- tr~e which the
Sc pen: was ascending in pursuit OF hi l.
For ten or fifteen feet above win re he
now stood, the rock was perpendicular,
and afforded no facilities for climbing
except its crevices and the bushes that
grew from them. Up lie went, how
ever, with inc edible aeiliiy, until Within
few feet Of spot where the wall seem
ed to jut back, forming ort Of shelf
here nothing seemed within his reach by
which he might raise hims If higher
and for moment he paused Above
him, and quite out Of bis reach, was a
decayed root which did not laok strong
enough tn sustain him and above that
was a strong bu~h, which if he cuuld but
grasp, be felt Certain of being able to
reach the shelf where he would have
some chance of defending himself, and
he observed the top Of the great oSeuing
was not far above lh;>, although a SO.
examination would have shown him that
1t was impossible to reach it f ON his
present positian, for the wal above the
shelf, on either -ide, presented smooth
solid font, without shrub or creviee.-
He had but an Instant to cons der. He
heard quick Iustling in the tree be
low, tranch Of which ran very r,ar
him, and aeain th t sharp hiss told bin
that his fr'g tful en- my almost in
reach of HIM With the energy that
desperation gives in such moments, be
made spring up the perpendicular face
of the rock If be missed his ain or
the root broke, unless he could seize the
bush above it, h. VS. lost, f.r he would
inevitably fall, and the serpent would
seiZe him as soon as within his reach. =
The root did break almost an instant
aft'r his weight was upon it, but the
agile native had managed TO lay his hand
upn the bush. and after another power
tul fort he was upon the sh IT, Seeing
that it was impossible to climb further,
hc turned. and setting his hack firmly