Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-03-28
A NARROW ESCAPE.

From the St. Louis Home Journal.l
In the extreme north and northwestern
frontiers of the State of Georgia the
country IS one. yast bed of mountains,
wild, rugged and picturesque to super
lative degree. For hours the traveller
will pursue his solitary way over these
without ever Dne glimpse of human
habitatior, to cheer the dreariness of the
srene; ard if perchauce, he is un luckily
benighsed in this gloomy, out-of-the-way
region thousand perils from dangerous
precipices, from dark yawning chasms,
and lurking wild beasts, constantly beset
his feet.
A few years ago, recollect, business
led me to the little town of Batesville,
and my route thither lay directly through
this almost entirely abandoned tract Of
country. ! made the journey on horse
back, and the first day. ride was agree
able enough in itself; for as ! yet had not
left the borders of civilization, and there
was plenty to be seen to relieve the te-
dious monotony of the ride. But on the
second day, after passing over a few
miles, the road began to grow rougher,
and the towns and fields topresent them
selves only at rare intervals till at length
about ten o'clock, / struck into the noun
tain desert.
Through this all day long, and until
nightfall, / pursued my course without
seeing a single human beng; and when
| saw that night was actually at hand i
made up my mind thRt | would be forced
to spend it there alone, without shelter,
and exposed to all the dangers of the
place Of which ] had heard so much.
7 was revolving this matter in my
mind, and trying to urge my jaded horse
on faster, so as TO make as much use of
the lingering twilight as possible, when,
on turning the brow of a toilsome hill, a
faint, glimmering light, at some distance
ahead of me, greeted my eye.
MY first thoughts were of the hopita-
Bile Georgia mountaineers (every traveller
who has been in the mountains of Geor-
eia knows them), and patting my horse
upon the neck ] exclaimed aloud
"Cheer up here are signs of COM
Portable nights lodging for us both,
without spending it alone in the woods
and among the mountains, at that.
The poor tired creature seemed in
stinctiyely to understand, for instantly
pricking up his ears he gave slight
neigh and started in full trot
There was path leading from the
main road toward where the light came
from. and as it had not grown totally
dark yet, | had no difficulty in gaining
IL. This / cautiously pursued till | came
to rude cabin, which stood in a small
clearing some hundred yards from the
highway, and which ] gladly hailed asa
harbinger Of rest.
Dismounting and throwing the relns
Of the bride over a post that stood IN
the yard, ! walked mp to the door and
raped loudly.
"Who's there2" came the surly voice
Of a man from within.
A traveller" / replied, who seeks a
night's lodging"
In a moment the door was opened and
the same surly voice bade me come IN.
The hut vas a small one and very
shabbily furnished. The only occupants
we're a man and a woman, both i'll, sour
looking people, who eyed me closely
upon my entrance.
The man was a sbOrt-set, burly figure,
of middle age perhaps. and wearing the
unmistakable garb Of a hunter. His
countenance was low and villainous; his
eyes we're small, grey, and shrunk far