St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-01-08
Jntsrtsting Skettb.
THE STORY OF A HUNTER.

| Ss*<**"*"'s1 oS"*A*X'
THE STORY OF A HUNTER.
The following story comes to US
from a friend who actually heard it re-
lated by person in the manner here
in described: I ' 'sa ~ i..s ''.''
| About thirty-five years ago, moved
into this country, which was then
nearly wilderness !; no settlements
having been made excepting in flew
places on the borders of the lake.
/ arrived in the spring of the year, and
commenced a clearing on the farm /
now occupy. By fall / had built q
good log house, and temporary stables
for my cattle-had put into the ground
ten acres of wheat, and looked for
ward to the ensuing year for the re-
ward of my labors. My wife and
child were all my family neighbors
there were none, nearer than five or
six miles so that visiting or amuse-
ments were entirely out of the ques-
tion. You may therefore suppose that
on the approach Of long northern
winter l had ample time to gratify
my love for hunting, for which l had
a great fondness., Winter had set in
early, and all my cares were confined
to keeping a sufficient stock Of wood
in hand for fuel, which you may i'm
agine was not difficult when the trees
stood at my door, and taking care OF
the few cattle of which l was then
owner. The fore part of December,
having finished my mornings work,
| took down my gun, and told my wife
that l would, on my return, please her
with the sight Of a fat deer. Deer
are now very plenty in this part Of
the country; but they were so much
SO, that there was little merit, or diff
Guilty in achieving what ! had promised.
took my departure about north
west course from my cabin, which led
me direct into the forest The snow
was about foot deep, and the wind
blowing hard from the north, it drift
ed much in the openings yet this |
thought was much in my favor, as the
noise made among the trees by; the
wind prevented the game from hear
ing my approach in "still hunting"
But was mistaken in my calculations !;
for ! had travelled five or six miles
from home and had not got shot at
single deer, though had seen num-
bers Of them, but they were always
on the run, and at too great distance +;
and all the traces which saw show
ed that they had scarcely walked dur
ing the day. / was then a young hun
ter, but have since learned that this
animal is always on the move and
generally runs throughout winter
days probably from the apprehension
of danger from wolves which follow
its scent through the snow.
At length arrived at large cedar
swamp, on the edge of which was
struck by the singular appearance OF
large stub, twenty-five or thirty feet
high, with its bark off. From its
scathed surface, had no doubt it was
climed by raccoons or martins, which
probably had also den in it, as from
it's appearance l judged it was hollow.
The stub at it's base might have been
seven or eight feet through buteight
or tenfeet higher up, its size was much
diminished, 80 that l could grasp
sufficiently to ascend it, and ascertain
what was within. My gun and great
coat were deposited in secure place,
and being an expert climber, soon
gained the top. As anticipated, the
stub was hollow, the aperture being
about two and a half feet in diemeter.
The day, you will observe, was dark
and cloudy, and looking down the hol-
low, fancied that l could see the bot
tom at no great distance but having
nothing to put in to ascertain its
depth, l concluded that would try to
touch the bottom with my feet. l
therefore placed myself in the hole,
and lowered myself gradually, expect
ing every moment that my foot would
come in contact with some animal, or
the foot of the hollow !; but feeling
nothing, unthinkingly continued let.
ting myself down, until my head and
hands, and my whole person, were
completely within the centre of the
stub. H - aff 6tHl a45
At this moment q sudden and
strange fear came over me II know
not from what cause, for / am not nat
urally timid-it seemed to affect me
with sense of suffocation such as is
experienced in dreams under the eff
feet of nightmare. Rendered desper-
ate by my feelings, made violent
attempt to extricate myself, when the
edges Of the wood to which WAS
holding treacherously gave way and
precipitated me to the bottom Of the
hole, which found extended to lew
ell with the ground. ] cannot wholly
account for It, but probably from the
erect position in which my body was
necessarily kept in SO narrow tube,
and my landing on my feet on q bed
of moss, dried leaves, and other soft
substances, received little or no in
jury from so great fall nor were
my clothes but little deranged in my
Jouoont owinr nrOhahlv tn the