American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-01-23

a They obcyed by leading me 10 til
! place. where ! was securely bound t
Il IL log, my right arm alone being free
It "Once more, will yOu accede t
my requests ?" demanded the ruffian
II have decided, " replied, calmly
"Then. launch him, and Dio
If te DE- :"
| was lifted and placed within til,
!. cold waters of the Lsoscier0. A mo
meut later the swift current wa
bearing me onward toward the rock,
t gorge.
n For about half an hOur, perhaps.
, experienced no painful sensation
| save u cold, dull feeling Of numhnes,
and incapacity to move. seemed
! to be dreaming, and was being borne
through the all gently, for the eur
rent. though swift. moved smoothly
At last | was aroused from my
\ stupor by a keen, cold feeling of pain
, near my heart. 1t was the chill OF
death for suddenly my whole frame
becane racked with shooting pans,
which caused my limbs to become
almost convnlsed, and strain the
strong witches with which | was
bound
But what was the sound which
now greeted my agltated hearing
that dull, half.Subdued falling of
water! a moment later, | was
borne round a sharp curye in the
stream into The fercer cure mt, and
the full consciousness of my fearful
position suddenly broke upon me-T
had lteled the mountain gorge, and
was fast nearing the falls.
closed my lips firmly in mute
resignation and despair. Death
fearful, inevitable, awful death,
stared me in the face .
Suddenly a sharp pain shot through
my left limb, as if a swords point
had entered it. Thatmpmber became
free, and swung with the motion of
the log now to the right, now to the
left, striking against the rocky bot
tom OF the river, and mangIing it
badly.
Apparently some sharp-pointed /
rock had severed the rope, and | now
felt the blood once more circulate
through my veins.
Unbindng the rope with a severe
effort by means Of my left hand, !
had the satisfaction of feeling that |
was free, and IA wild CLEAN OF hope
shot through my soul, but | still re-
tanned my hold to the log. which Was
rapidly nearing the cataract, whose F.
deafcning roar was now to be dis .
tinctly heard.
Every moment brought me nearer !
the falls, so near indeed that | could .
see, even in the darkness. the surface .
of the water fiecked with trothy .
foam. The course became more ir.
regular and rocky, and the sides of
the gorge more shelving.
Suddenly the log shot ahead with
fearful velocity ana struck on huge
boulder that projected above the wa
ter with stunning shock, theE shot
from its course upward, | lost my
hold, seemed carried upward with ,
great force and fell unconscious on
the hard rocks at the side Of the ;
stream, while the log shot over the
precipicp, down, down sheer fifty feet.
1t was broad day light when | re ,
covered my senses. I opened my +
eyes, and stared vacantly about me. ,
1t the same time attempting to rise
My every bone and muscle seemed ,
bruised and broken yet | succeeded q,
n gaininga II straight position. Fonr :
Get below was the still roaring river,
FASTENING to the falls beneath.
had been landed on level shelf i.
IN the shore of the stream, and found >.
sut little difficulty, severe as were :
ny injuries, in scaling the Slight ,
Elevation, and reaching the more !,
evel HaRo beyond. Here | rested !,
or few moments, binding my e
Wounds, and aseertaining my where
Ibouts; then | started in a north. 3
westerly direction for the post of ,
B. y
Four hours afterward, ragged, and :"
% lame that | could hardly walk, | II
iilNiNd bhN NHNHhi I'LiCul' IHt Sell n
incl stared at me mutely, assisting a
ne to my quarters, whence, after r.,
eathlike sleep of "A few hours, | re- h
Jared to headquarters. r
Gen. Fernido greeted me warmly, r.
no little astonishment at -,
ny pale face and swollen hands. He
ad missed lie, and, fearing that |
ad probably wandered from the f.
amp and been captured by the in. ~
urgeuts, had sent out scouts, who 4
al just returned with no tidings of -,
he. !,
AstoniShmcnt gave way to crate. =.
illness when | related my strange "
Nperitnce, which one year after -.
ard, when left for New York, the =,
sbelllon having been crushed, as :,
lmed Substantial evidence of sin. -
,rity in the shape OF a splendid me r;
al and seventy ounces Of gold. n