Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-12-18
Written for the PUBLIC LEDasR.l Z
BOOK -OF.TRAVEL SKETCHES,
NUMBER XII. 80 x
A Mid Winter Be out.
By ATT o q .


tContinued1 s1-u - :.
II was considerabIy past the middle OF
the afternoon when we set out to return TO
our camp Of the preceding night, and
almost dark before the Cascade was reach
ed Our secreted goods were found
exactly as We had left Them, and to oil
appearances no one bad passed along the
trail during the dey.
The sun had gone down in clear sky,
and the air was pretty sharp at this ALL
tude, yet with the dry pine aad hemlock
knots with which these cliffs abound, we
we're able to keep up FIRE that threw Sqf
q sufficient degree of warmth fer OUT
comfort
Sometime past the middle Of the night,
Lambert was awakened out ofa deep sleep
by a strange sound that proceeded from
the mountain side below the cascade.
| He arose aud sat some minutes beside
the fire, listening TO this sound. which
still came at intervals, borne on the
silent air, above the distant roar OF the
waterfall, before be ventured to awaken
Dillon and myself -.
"What is 1t, Matt7" inquired the for
mer, in a cautious whisper, his mind eyi-
IDENTIFY disturbed with visions OF lurking
Indians, and scarcely less savage "Greas'
ets." ;,
swell. what do you imagine would
travel at this hour OF the night, and IN
that duced blundering styleY' said Matt
in reply, as again we caught the sound,
as of fIoose rocks rafting down the face 81
the cliff aeit. ,
"R ,pahoss-do you think2" suggested
Dillon. .aau. srlo.,, lq
"R ,pahoes be DANCED T. retorted L,m-
bert. That's grizzly, boys, or else I m
a mutton. .
After waiting as long as Matt thought
adyisable-he being the only one who
properly comprehended the situation
we brought forth our rifles, re-prlmed
| and capped them, and sailed fbr'h TO
see what he intended to do, for be was
very reticent on the subject.
"A little way bwelOF the falls broad
ledge of rock ran horizontally along the
face of the cliff, averaging in width,
through most OF its length, perhsp'
twelve feet. We crept out along this
shelf for distance Of more than two
hundred yards. clambering over irregular
beaps of rock which had lodged there
in their descent from the dizzy nights
above
TWAS laborious and dangerous nm
dsrtakiug, stilI slowly aud cautiously we
proos.asd, following Lambert, who took
the lead. The moon was near the rass.
ridian, and lay we'll toward the south, %
that in many places the cliff which pro-
jected quite abruptly above cast then
shadows across oar rath, and thus OBJ
scnred our movements.
4 Finally the ledge terminated abruptly,
| severed BIZ o "chute"-the path Of .
mountain avalanche, or landslide. There
we all Icy Fat on the rock, in the shadow
of the cliff. The descent OF the chute
was not very rapid at this point, and We
soon discovered-what Matt already
knev-thst the grizzly Was slowly ascend
ing the mountain by this only accessible
route.
he had not yet made his appearance
above the edge Of the rock on which We
we're lying, though We we're not long kept
waiting for the advent OF his bearship.
Our irst intimatiou Of his presence,
although we had continually heard the
sound Of falling rOcks, displaced IN bis
clsmbering ascent, was the crack ol
I,amherfs rife. The sexi instant we
,,iiso,,. .gss It's l=z> I==-. s.-.eeeaed
ana euyeioped IN dark shadows, bis EEssl
paws resting on the edge Of the rock,
struggling to raise his pondercns eScy 70
our level.
Dillon and cred At him almost 81