The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-03-26
A Race for Life.
Narrow Escape of n Young Rocky Noun
tain Trapper.

Narrow Escape of n Young Rocky Noun
tain Trapper.
In the Winter of 1866, a couple of
Canadian voyagers, by the name Of
Nicholas and Jules Semineau, were
caught by q terrible snow-storm while
taking up their traps on the head of the
Big Horn river in the Rocky Mountains.
The storm lasted for several days, nor
was there any hope of escape until the
snow should become compact enough to
bear their weight upon snow. shoes.
The voyagers were yet striplings,
scarcely arrived of age. Hitherto their
father had accompanied them upon
their expeditions, but now he was at
home at his rancho on the great Over
land Route.
The tepee, or lodge. of the brothers,
consisted of a couple of buffalo robes
stretched in front of an overhanging
rock that overlooked the river.
Here were slowed their furs, neately
tied up in small bales, made up prin-
cipally of the skins of minks, offers and
beavers, with few pelts of the silver
fox. Over these were laid robes which
served them for bed. A little fire
the dry punches of pine and cedar, of
which they fortunately had an ample
supply. Thus they were enabled to
pass the day pleasantly, notwithstand-
ing the raging of the elements without
Up the canyon through which the river
flowed, the wind sucked and roared
terribly. The icy face of the stream
was soon cleared of snow, which drifted
into the lateral canyons, gorging them
completely.
In order to pass away the time, the
young men busted themselves in max
ing skates from the horns of an elk
The art of skating they learned while
boys on the broad bosom of the st. Law
renee.
Their meat running short, Nicholas
concluded to have run on his skates
up the river, with the hope of killing
an elk, which were numerous on the
pine-covered slopes of the mountains.
Rife in hand, he. started in high
spirits, gliding by rocky cape and
frowning promontory, made by the
sharp bends and curves of the river.
Where the activities were gentler, for
ests Of the yellow pine, cedar and
juniper lifted their dark green heads,
now burdened with weight of snow.
The quick gaze of Nicholas searched in
every shelter for the mighty 'antlers of
the elk, or the blue coat of the black
tailed deer, the best of ali venfso1.
: 1t was not long ere he spied herd of
the latter, of WHICH he. had the good
luck to kill two. Tie. saddles of these
he secured together, strapped them
around his shoulders, and started on his
return home, distant about four miles.
He skated leisurely along, humming
light French air, when suddenly his
ears were struck by an unearthly cry,
which he at once recognized as the roar
of the mountain lion, and he could dis
tinguish, also, that the cries proceeded
from more than one.
He quickened his pace; his skates
rang hard against the solid ice. The
cries became clearer, and he instructive
ly felt that he was pursued.
Fear lent him wings. He dropped q
saddle, hoping, thereby, to satisfy the
hunger of the lions. He found pres
emily, however, that they made no halt.
1t was the young man they ragged after,
and naught but his blood would appease
them.
He now cast aside his remaining
saddle and his rifle, and leaned forward
on his skates with all the power he pos
| sessed. Nevertheless the beasts gained
rapidly on him. He could hear their
mighty bounds At times he .fancied
he could feel their hot breath. He
gazed over his shoulder, and that glance
revealed the lions, their mouths wide
|
hanging over their jaws, while their
cries were as frequent as the baying OF
| bloodhound.
He was now compelled to double on
his course, the weight and impetus OF
the lions carrying them beyond him.
Happily Nicholas preserved his pres,
ence of mind, and by his skill as g
skater, combined with wonderful activ.
ity, he eluded the efforts made by the
lions to seize him, and drew slowly to
ward home. Presently he saw the smoke
curling from under the rocky shelf, and
as he shot past his ears were greeted by
the welcome crack of q rifle, and one OF
the lions tumbled over dead almost al
his feet. The voyager again turned
toward the rock. Jules had reloaded
His unerring aim stretched the remain
| ing lion upon the ice, and Nicholas was
saved. 1t was some months, however
before he fully recovered from the
superhuman efforts made by him in his
race for life.
The next summer he served as {
guide, and it was while fishing in this
same river that he related to the writer
his thrilling adventure.