The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-02-20
A STRETCHING ADVENTURE.

'Isn't it beauty was my greeting as
Strolle one morning into the Snioon of our
little inn. -
Lent what a bcanty7" answered I. ~-
"This pistol Elliot bought it in Ba-
onne ye>tcaday for my birth day present. -
| think it : the very prnttiest htt'e ting
of the kind ever saw i'll my hie; Isn't it,
Mrs. Campbell?
My dear Mrs. lIariir g" | replied,
amazed, what in the world put it i'll your
head to want pistol? What mons, nse.. =
Who DO You suppose is going to hunt you?
II don't know; maybe M one, nor nothing.
and dare say It's very silly, but when | IN
out sketchine or walking by mvself miles
away from home, fancy | shall feel more
comfortable if had some sort of protec
tor with me, although don suppose |
shall ever meet with anything dreadful, OF
course, or | shouldn't go alone
SWELL" said |, after a few minute ex-
animation, ''it certainly is pnrtect little
affair Take care You dop't shoot yourself,
that S all" and with laughing promise OH
her part to TRY not, we went out differ
ent ways for an hour or two, to prepare as
usual for the expeditions Of the day.
What blind moles We are! How little
did either she or imagine that before
another day dawned, her life would hang on
the way she used that little revolver; that
in lew hours her fate would be to meet
that something dreadful" 50 lightly
spoken of just now, to conquer it, or die
one of the most horrible deaths possibly to
be conceived. '''.
We were very happy pnrtir qunrree,
Elliot Hardinge and his wife; |, ohm Camp
bell, and mine. We had got tired of the
coast of Biscay, where We had spent the
early part Of the winter, and taken to the
little villages among the Pylcnees, where
ther, was very good fishing, and occasionally
plenty of shooting besides. Our wives
sometimes accompanied us on our excui.
sions, but very often mine, who was rather
an invalid, remained at hor,e, while Mrs.
Hardinge, perfect slave to her color-box,
would go out alone, sketching, leaving FL
lot and me to our own devices.
Thus it had beeh arranged for the day
in question. Elliot his wife, and | started
all together; but we two left the lady at the
entrance to sp,all valley which ran at al
most right angles with the tract of country
we intended shooting over: In passing which
one day, she had fahc,ed some particular
view or another would make good subject
for Il picture, and determined to take ad
vantage of the warmth of this unlucky Fri
day to have a long days work there. Ac
cordingly, we bade each other good bye
and went our separate ways. She, ofcoursc
went armed with her revolver, and plenty
of ammunition, for who knows" quotf
she, latahing, but that may have to xii
a giant or two before | return"
AT this point of may story | must change
places with Mrs. Hardinge. and let her tel
her own tale as sfe told it to us long after
wards, when she had in some measures re
covered from the horrible effects OF this ter
rible day.
''Thc weather." said he, was so deli
licious, and the scenery SO beautiful, thai
instead Of sittinA down at once to my work
wandered on, always believing cctlld car
the present view with the o-c ! should gel
| by Just climbing the brow of the next hill:
| this one led to another, aud that to still an.
other; and had only just begun to find out
that had strayed much further tnan had
intended, or ttan, indeed, was quite safe at
| this time OF year, even though / had O
t, grand new pistol to take care OF myself with
when awakened to the very unpleasant
fact that the sun was rapidly disappearing
behind the high mountains to the west and
that should soon have only moonlight ts
help me to find my way back again. Oh
course, sketching was now quite out Of the
question, and turned round somewhat
anxiously to see what way-marks could
rememhsr to have passed in the morning
Luckily Though long, the valley was straight
ard in the open ground just in front Of thu
gorge by which it communicated with The
moye extended country beyond, there wa.