The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-30
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
Nights" MaSemturs,
!. INTHE PAR.WEST.

there. With no companions except tie
pro3lihg wolf ane the stealthy panther
pa 'Tis not an agreeable feeling to bethu'
ituaied-far from It. q 90 H1s f7r,r
Though Years have elapsed, and IN,
I hsir is white with age, the recollection
Of such night, passed in the farlses
| is sill fresh in myr mind. ri ils8ta7sa,
It was in the summer of ls-. that !
had secession 10 cross the Sierra Nevada
by way Of Mobiles Pass Our part.
consisted O, ,nearly twenty. and up to .h'
time Of which | am about to- spesk VI
had met with. bat little stirring adven,
ture. unless a chase after grizzly rant
the shooting Of few buffalo. might be q
termed. ,.,p.i isis7gl 7di qas
7. wa. a delightful afternoon. on'tht
i1O,h Of August. that We halted nj tht
foot Of high bluff. and after tpickeiine
our horses, proceeded to cook supper
The. greater par. of; the dav had beer
spent hunting small herd Of elks, bu
With very poor. success. however -.
10 be sure We had wounded two Of
three. bu, not severely enough to ensur.
their capture. They had shown unmis'
takabie signs of weariness when We saw
them ls.t. sDd Bill Arnold, an old aut
Experienced harter Of our party, express.
ed bis willingness, to bet "a pile" thu!
they we're still in the vicinity.
IL guess I'll take short run from
camp while you fellcrs are busy gittin
grab ready, aud see i'll cant stir sou''
of'em up" he suggested, as We com
lnenS.d unpacking. n -ssrH ~ G
y ssAH right. go ahsad.i replied Bol
Smith. oar COOK, "ouly mind and not b.
gone very long" ao lsr5sr s>1r4
r ll"Nevst yOa mind" mind" rejoihsd Bill, ant
shoaldtring his rife. he marched o.f
singing "old zip Coon" at the top of hi
I,o;csy ysE ;'ha7rs 81 oiai -,ss,5as.--,
t'7Half an hour latsr, and just as Boil
'hat Summoned us'to snppet,'stFe hunter
made his appearance around the side Of
the blaE. TI'us1 s.ea 'en. boys" he
tjacalated. rs sSoa "a be lin speak.
ing idiitsnee. i'iThryff. just the other
.ida oi,hat patch sf TIMBER ryOuder, aud
purity nigh tuetsrsd out. too"
we waited 10 Redr no more ) bat start.
ed for Gar horses lest no time in
getting ready aud leaving Bob to SEE Ia
thing, diring oar absence. uosu,ed and
Prode ax'sy ax's.yy0 z.as.' ''H ,ssq ils3 f'agt
|. Ten minutes later We entered the tim
Der. where. we halted. and after freshly
prin,ing our rifles, again moved on We
had scarcely gone thirty yards before St
emerged froal' the trees, and bcheld the
open country stretching out for miles be.
fore US. while just out of,be opening,
quietly feeding on the rank rruirie grass.
were the elks. s''''''s' 'i74'7s7s t52'
TLry Immediately discovered US, how
.rer, and With wild snorts Of alarn,, turn.
ed aud gallnped Of. Without plusing .
mouIens We dashed away in pursuit. aud
being all mounted, We few over the
ground st q rate traly astonishing va
gained upon them, slowly but surely. aud
before the frst uile had been run We wers
within easy rife range.
Selecting Que, Of them, a monstrou-
bull, as my meat, Il reined iu my
horse. threw up-ny rife and taking .
hurried aim, frsd. | saw him stsgger
heavily forward, aud thought a, FIRST tia,
my ,ho, had proved fatal; but recovering
himself suddealy, he broke from among
the others, aud went tearing over tht
plain as il Sa,ah himself was after him
| pressed the spur to my horse
aank, and With the reins, resting on my
left 6ngers,Iaud my rife thrown cro,,
wise, | galloped after him. 6lled.u .tb,
wild excitement that srch au adventar,
imparts. AS We few slopg | could NO
help observing the beau,y Of the scenery
The sun was just sinking in the =ulicl
west, throwing spangled rays Of crimson
light on the canopy Of heaven. The
mountains were tiuged. Nth an smbeI
light, and the.auurtoze crystals spurkled
on the peaks Of the Southern sierras. "a
My horse had now warmed to the chase
and soon perceived that 4 was closing III
fast upon the elk. Every jump brought
me nearer until there was not three
lengths between US. | had raised my ri.
ae and Nas about to FIRE. shca,my hurs,
stumbled and fell. g ..'5 q 81 a-
j l was thrown over his head. ,innddh,
next moment found myssii usiride Of Mr..