The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-10-06

sought his place oil rest.
,-H--.z
,.tt A XiGmr Of HORROR.
The Forests Of EN- COunty-frienADy
llenlOrk Tree-Terr1fie Th00sleP
HlOrm-Assarked by WilAeatS-TAe
lOmbas-!A Night Of friEhaGol Anx.
icty.
From the wiliiamsPcrt Gazette and Bulletin.
On Saturday afternoon last, the 18th inst, ,
we were visited by three gentlemen, Messrs.
J. =. Talbot, Horace Jones and Alexander
Smith, residents of Philadelphia, who gave
liz thrilling description Of their adventures
in the hemlock forests Of Elk County, a few
weeks ago.
Mr.. Talbot, il appears, hal recently made
q purchase Of several hundred acres Of TIM
Der land in Elk County, and ON the 18th of
August he left Philadelphia, in company
with his two friends, Jones aud Smith, for
the purpose of examining his purchase, with
view IF offering some Of i; tor sale. They
arrived safely at st. Mary's in due season,
and as the lands lay abou: twenty-five miles
from that place, they concluded Ia go ON foot,
carving nothing but India rubber blankets
and provisions sufficient to last them four or
five DAYS, together with light rifle each.
On the 2Sal. Of Ausssss- they left the little
village and struck out boldly into the will
derncSs. At night they kindled 4 fire at the
foot of wide-spreading hemlock, near n
stream II water, partook Of their homely
fare, and then Composed themselves to rest
under their blankets. The darkness and
gloom seemed impenctrable-all was NJ
quiet rs the grave, save the occasional ho,A
Of IN owl In the morning they resumed
theiriourney and ,rudsed through the will
derns-,s. Occasionally frightened deer
started up and bounded away, but nothing
else occurred to give them any cause Of
alarm
The land WIS foun.l on the third LAY, AMI
after travelling over it many miles, they
began To retrace their STEPS towards the set
tlemeut, which they hoped To reach about
the first or second Of September. Late in
the afternoon OF the fourth day terrific
thunder storm came up, and they were conf
relied to seek shelter under the branches Of
a venerable hemlock, whose nOss
covered trunk and thick foliage gave
evidence If great age. The stOrn,;soon burst
upon them with fearful fury. The very air
grew thick, anil darkness, sci in The light
ming flashed and Lit up the forest il almost
one continuous glare Of binding Light,
whilst the thunder csashol, roarel and ~
verberased thrUlsh uNse gloomy rsvines as
il il woald shake the mighty trees from their
rO,,s and hmrl them at their feet. The wind
blew hurricane, and the crashing Of fall
ing trevs, as they were leveled, caused a
feeling of profound fear to oonse over them,
as they knew not the moment that the old
monarch under which they stood would fall
l..c 81. Il IN,
its ruins. \ binding harh Of lightning, fol-
lowed by One of the most tremendous pcals
af thunder they ever heard, caused them 10
crouch closer to the trunk of the old tree,
when the .'splinters from another not forty
feet from where they stood, were rained
around them. The bolt had. sliversd il into
a thousand fragments, hut they luckily es-
capped, only being considerably stunned by
the force Of the electric current.
The storm continued with unalaled fury
for two hours OF more, and they found it i'm
possible to proceed any further that night.
Owing to The drenching rain they were I'M
able to kindle fire. This was important
M those gloomy forests aboundesl with wild
cats, and in the absence Vi fire they do not
hesitate to attack any one. They composed
themselves as be.s they could at the root Of
the tree, not daring u close an eye in sleep,
a. they knew not the moment wildcat
might spring upon them. All went well I'LL
about eleven O'Clock, when they heard a
slight sound in the brush, and psrP'ng out
in the darkness they discovered two frey
eyes glaring upon tiem- They knew that a
wildcat was approaching, ami tssy grasPed
their rides more firmly. The fierce animal
quietly walked around the tree three times,
.. il meditA,ing how " attack them, grad'i-
ally drawing nearer each time. Al last IL
stopped directly IN hOsa and seemed c1''en
ing As If about to sPriIS oIca thein;
At th. critical juncc're lan'ot Si.cnarged
his rifle directly q the annual =" nm iea! ).
fnl scTeech that hileti them WIN Far, n
bounded into the bush and Mheh 'i ne ecnSe
Of the rifle had d'e'' away an "a7 Hnl anu !,
deeper and more i"le'sessao1e h"m se'L
down upon Them. An hour nA~ PIo""oiy
elapsed when N theh HiIol '"s n'eIt eye
Of two more rid eats s's'as'ny lee' T TiD"
'hs'n e''s vi ~" '
sth1 eIee' anu s'IsP . Ti.. .n;u.s
tinIie oil cnaIgs "a! oS -. -" Iii. a.,'. ns
slo~,H Spf ,hsv s",H M 80 :" rs,o y.