The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1872-07-18
Rocky Mountain sheep eau, do it, how am

preston, looked down at bis short legs,
and took a general survey Of his very stout
person, as if to assure himslf there was
not tn, slightest possible resemblance be.
tween himself aud Rocky Mountain
sheep.
"We're got to leave here, and that
right off Scc..,hc water is up to the cabin!
shouted a powerful .boncd man, the
oldest ofthe party, who had up to this
time been sitting IN moody silence, with
his eyes on tho floor.
You are right Bulscr; the logs are
shaking, Let us only take what We can
carry without trouble"
Allen Smith threw on his oil skin coat,
fastened his pistols about his waist, and
stood ready for bis friends. Bulgcr SO.
cured the little buckskiu bag which con.
tanned the wasl'iugs oftho past six weeks.
and Dick Gross made dash for the havcr.
sack. containing their very limited supply
Of food. aud thrust it into his capacious
pocket, with more eagerness than i it Ind
been gold. Sim jerks thought there was
no necessity for loading himself down with
anything so be prudently threw bis rife,
pistols and mining tools intoa crcvice in
the rocks back Of the cabin,
Already the water was knee deep, and
in the darkness Sim jerks volunteered to
act as guide, going ahead with arope, and
followed by Dick Gross holding on. Bull
ger aud Allen Smith brought up the rsSfs;
Behind them they heard crash, g
they knew the cabin had gone to picci!.
while the maddencd waters, as il delightet
by 'their conquest, roared through Jack
sons Gulch with renewed fury.
Clingiug to the slippery rocks. with
numbcd aud blistered fingers. they scramb
led up, up, till some overhanging ledge
would appr isc them Of the iutility Of their
blind, and desperate exertions. aud force
them down in the darkness to the foaming
waters edge to seek some other avenue gf
escape,
Aas!hsra,GQat "a 4!led Smith, who
Sums!sed Tor an insab', saw before him
the idlistinc, fash cf.a knife in the un.
csiain light, aud hs ~ y(sll' graspias in his
fight hang the ftag6snt Of severed rope.
He struck ,.sgaiu.ts loose rose that
,hrokc Install part. and the rock, loosed
from Its insecure fSlnda,ion, thua2cred
down the precip'ioaS6nk and fell with a
crash that was heardAbovo tho roaring Of
he stream and the villa anger Of the e.
ragged winds
CIingiug With desperation to slippery
point that overhung shes yeast Of waters.
Allen Smith still bad aime for an age Of
flying thoughts. The rDpc was cut when
he fell-cut by Bulgots thc man in front.
What he bad long suspected. now, as be
hung on the edge Of tho grave, he plainly
saw. The man hated hin, and that ha-
tired bad its foundation 10 the rejection Of
Bulger BY Lucy Heuphill. nearly year
before.
Gradually Allen Snah's hold loosened
on the rock. He felt bib.elf going, and
be asked Heaven for mercy between the
rock and the.river into which. like an at.
ON, he was plunged. Up, through Gro.
vice in the bank Sim Jsoks struggled and
'ugeed, followed BY The putting Dick
Gross and The gloomy Bulger, till they
reached little rocky plateau, that give
them barely standing room, and there
they determined to stay until daylight
should enable them to persuc their jour
uey With more certainty
Dick Gross, not knowing bow long the
se;gc might last, with shrewd thought
very selfish ,precaution, which the darkesss
enabled hin to take without being detected,
transferred the food from the .haversack to
tho "holler" under bis wide belt. and .hep
threw the haversack With great prudence,
into the miniature torrent that boiled
down the crevice iu ito hurry to join tho
waters in jackson 8 Gulch.
Toward morning the wind changed, and
the rain turned to sleet and snow. which
the miners did not accept as an improve
ment on tho previous condition Of the
weather.
Sim jerks and Dick Gross commenced