Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-19

swhoopl whocpla The indians wsra
cominef -
Faster and faster, sped the two. Tn.
girl was painting from her tremendous exer
lions and could hardly retain Der footing
The tall hunter gathered her In bis strong
arms and pressed desperately forward.
4 The snow, detached from the bushes
few around them; stray rabbit, frighten.
ed from bis hiding place in the hollow Of
q tree, dashed fsnticilly across the path; q
few stray birds, few, screaming, overhead,
but the wiry scout never paused. Oeca-
sionally he would glance over his shoulder
at the pursuing Indians, who were sever al
hundred yards behind him. The fierce chief
headed the pursuit; but the chivalrous
| young warrior was nowhere to be seen.
| s'We cannot reach the camp" groaned
Carson, wOnly one loop-hole Of escape re-
mains, and 1t is desperate venture"
"Oh, my friend, do not let them overtske
| you. Leave me aud save yourself, whis-
pered the girl, with paIing face and tremb-
| ling form.
aLeave you to diein exclaimed the reso-
lutte Carson. eNo thousand times, no!
will save you or viii also perish.n
She said no more, only chung the closer to
him. --
He dashed from the midst Of the trees
and hurried with unshrinkiDg footsteps up
the long slope of snow covered bill. Tha
Indians gave a yell Of joy as he did 30.
They thought they had driven him to the
wall at last. EaaaE 49,
Onward and upward be pressed, and
when he gained the summit of the hill, the
pursuing Indians were no more than one
hundred yards behind him. Two resolute
warriors, far ahead Of their fellowe, were
close behind him. They dashed forward,
weapon in hand. - rs
The scout paused snd placed the girl upon
her feet, and leveied his long rife at the
head ofihe foremost warrior. An instant
later stream of fire famed from the mouth
of the piece, and the savage, with shrek
of agony upon his lips, lesped forward and
fell headlo1g, bullet IN his brain. The
second lesped upon the scout, Ratchet in
hand. a1e rra2 efoa
The main body were coming. They were
but short distance from where the scout
stood. No time was to be lost, so Carson
met, with pistol bullet, the second In
dian; then, taking the girl by the band, he
bounded across the plateau like frighten-
ed deer.
A howl broke from the Indians as they
observed tie fate of their late companions,
and with yells of vengeance pealing from
their lips, they followed the redoubtsble
scout. Finally he paused, and pistol in
hand, looked back.
He could go no further. A deep chasm
yawned bsfore him; l9dge of rock, tower
ing high toward the clouds, was on each
side; half score Of Infatuated savsges were
close st hand. The distance to the bottom
of the chssm was at least seventy feet. To
leap down seemed fesrfully desperate ven-
ture; to 60 back was certain destruction.
The savages paused when they were within
forty feet, and the chief spoke tauntingly.
ssThe great pale.face hunter is swift of
foot, but the red warriors have caught up
with him. The white hunter can no fur
Their. His legs are long, but the way is not
open.o And the chief smiled derisively.
sThe Indians are dogs" said the scout,
adogs that bark loudly but do not bite. The
pale-face does not fear the painted wolves"
The red warriors might have shot Carson
long before he reached the plateau. They
might have shot him as be stood upon the
verge Of The chasm, but such was not their
policy. They well knew who Carson was.
They had heard of his great deeds and they
wished to secure him as prisoner, to take
him, bound captive, back to the village of
their tribe; to fasten him to the torture
stake, that they might dance around him
while be died. They saw no chance of es-
cape for him aud, exultant as arch demons,
they glosted over their supposed prey.
evil the white hunter yield?" asked the
chief. M
Carson gazed upon the painted warriors.
He gazed upon the pale face of the beauti-
fnl, shudde,ing girl, and then upon the
deep masses of STOW at the bottom Of the
chasm; then he answered the chief.
"Wonld the chief yield TO wolf! think
not. Neither will the white hunter yield
to the red dogs. If the chief wishes the
scalp of the hunter, he must fellow the hun
ter and take it."
The Indians raised their rifles. Carson
gathered the girl in his arms and sprang
from the cliff
Down, down, while the swiftly rushing
air cut bis cheeks and lifted high his hunt
ing cap; down, down, ten feet into the drift
below went the daring scout. The Indians
clustered on the edge of the cliff above, and
watched with dilated eyes the strange, and
to them, thrilling spectacle. No one of
them dared follow Carson. They stood
still and saw him founder from the deep
drift. They saw him take refuge beneath
the cliff where he was out of reach Of their
rifles, then they turned aud silently retraced
their steps to where their two dead COM
rades lay.
Carson lay at the foot of the cliff painting,
the girl by his side. She gszed with looks
of gratitude beamiDg in her eyes, on the
stalwart form of the exhausted scout. He
was her only friend, this tall, majestic hunt
er, who had saved her, and upon whom she
depended. Gratitude to him filed her
heart to overlooking. She was no longer
alone and unprotected.
s'You are SAFE" whispered Carson, tthe
Indians, if they follow us, will have to make
a long detour in order to enter ibis valley.
As soon as / get over this little weakness we
will Journey down the chasm until we come
to tie hunting camp. 1t is only three miles
distant"
"You have saved me-" said the girl with
quivering lips, land cannot express ="
sTutl tut" broke In the hunter, 'if you
say anything more about 1t shall be very
angry" ~
The two reached the camp in safety, |
where the story Of the race and escape was |
told to the wondering hunters, and ever |
after thst time the place from which the |
scout sprang into the snow was known by |
all hunters as the place of "CarsoD's Leap"