Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-12-22


strikes the foot of the divide There /
halted and kindled fire against q dry
log. l covered 'Jupe' with blanket,
to keep him from chilling, aud then
squared myself before my blazing heap
of dry limbs Oh, but it was so nice and
comfortable to my stuptfed senses! For
q time / seriously contemplated staying
right there until the weather should mod
erate--I did so shriak from the prospect
of leaving the sc ductive warmth of that
lire, and starting out again in the pierre
ing cold. But all around and overhead
the dark leaden clouds were looking
more and more threatening every hour,
and the prospect of one of those fearful
snow-storms such as often come at this
season, caused me TO take different
view of the case. had at most but
barely enough provision for two meals,
and that fact decided me to go on.
" Gm afraid delayed much too long,
as it was. Bu I it wes go hard to leave
that comfortat lie spot When attempted
to lead my ho rse out into the road to re-
sumo the joI irney, | discovered, alas !
that the poor brute was almost entirely
helpless b is limbs were stiff and al
ready swolle n, and could see that every
effort to Dicve them was attended with
acute pal n don't think the sore regret
which tb ia unfortunate discovery caused
me was wholly on my own account and
purely selfish. The faithful fellow bad
exhau ,ted all his strength and energy IN
my be half, and how could then feel in
differ ent to his suffering2
. II T. Al IL <znt,
sltut .tion after all. | urged the horse
.alorlg with difficulty at first, leading him
unit IL the first anil most trying ascent OF
that side of the divide was passed. BY
that time he got armed and limbered up
somewhat, and recovered little more
the use of his limbs s. But it was evident
that he would be able to hold out but q
few miles further at best. The ground
was quite bare much of the distance at
that altitude, yet the road was cry rough
and stony. If the snow had been drlfted
there as it was in the valley, the lid TEL
low couldn't possibly have stag. T'red
through mile of it.
" rode occasionally short distances,
but made slow progreus, and general. '
preferred walking. Finally, about half
way down the south side of the divide,
l came to place which is considered the
most difficult and dangerous of any along
the whole route. 1t certainly is now, at
least, about the scsiest plaza ever
did pass. The trail is very narrow along
the ledge-not mora thar, six feet at any
point--and in many places just wide
enough for a mans knee to clear the
rock on horseback. Besides that, it was
filled up with snow along the whole
length, the top of the drift slanting
sharply off from the cliff like one side of
steep roof.
" didn't trust myself on old 'Jupe's
back there, you may believe. And be-
fore coming on to the plaza / stopped
about i've minutes, to allow lim to get
breath, and recover more ST ,sdiness of
limb. But it didn't help b i'm any--.in
fact | think it made him eve sitter and
clumsier than before, for he could
scarcely get mp the short rif that leads
onto the ledge. l did all could to help
the old fellow, by scraping the snow out
of the narrow path, and stf adying him
little with the bride.
About the middle of II q plaza the
ledge widsns out consider ABLY. aud when
got that far began to think we were
going to pass over in 8 afety, after all.
/ hurried up the horse, to gain as much
time as possible, and tru dyed on ahead
pretty lively, with one land behind me,
holding the halter strf %, with light,
steady pull, Suddenly l felt the strap
slack nightly and "a ced about just IN
time to see Jupe' staegcr forward, fall
ing. The poor fellow uttered q moan,
aud struggled cl imsily to gather his feet
under him, ap to no avail. / sprang
aside barely In time to avoid him and
save myself, s he reeled across the path
and plunged over the edge of the cliff.
The pre- cipice below the ledge fell no
great dists ace-probsbly forty or forty
five feet at that point, yet far enough to
have kiilf ID almost instantly the animal
or perS )n who should unfortunately 60
over tn edge, down to the cruel rocks at
the bo tom. But now the snow was piled
in a solid drift many feet deep down
ther }, and as, lying on my face, j looked
dow over the edge of the treacherous
ro' *, saw my poor brute, almost en-
u rely buried in the snow, struggling
eebly on his back.
"The sight grieved and sickened me,
rand recoiled from the precipice, to pur-
sue my perilous journey on foot alone,
weary and almost despairing. Every
thing now bad left was just what was on
my person. No blanket or other extra
clothing or covering, and not mouthful
Of food of any kind. If the worst came
to the worst, everything must depend
upon my rife and revolvers, which hap
PLY still retained.
II must have been after two o'clock
when commenced the descent Of the
divide, though l didn't take my watch
out once during that wretched day. Ac-
cording to the best calculation l could
make, il was twelve miles yet to the place
where we met the Company soldier
-and curse him wish my bullet had
not passed himl Those miles gore Cd
slowly apd wearily. A. brief struggle
through the deep drifts Of the valley
showed me how much had been assisted
by those occasional lifts on horse back.
Ny strength rapidly failed before the
task. Il became painfully evident thaf
~ . rfr.-t atnu aUnal ~ mo