The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-05-08
A RACE FOR LIFE.
Thrilling Adventure with Rocky Noun
tain Lions,

In the winter of 1865, a couple
Canadian voyageurs, by the names {
Nicholas and Jules Semineau, wei
caught by terrible snow storm Will
taking up their traps on the head {
the Big Horn river in the Rocky mouI
tains. The storm lasted for sewers
days, nor was there any hope of escap
until the snow had become compa(
enough to bear their weight upon sno
shoes.
The yoyageurs were yet striplings
scarcely arrived of age. Hitherto thei
father had accompanied them upo
their expeditions, but now he was q
home at his rancho on the great oyel
land route.
The tepee,, or lodge, of the brother
consisted of couple of buffalo robe
stresched IN front of an overhangin
lrock that overlooked the river.
Here were slowed their furs, neatl
tied up in small sbales, made mp prin
cipally of the skins of minks, otter
and beavers, with a few pe1ts of tn
silver fox. Over these were laid robe
which served them for bed. A littl
fire was replenished from time to tim,
by the dry branches of pine and cedar
of which they fortunately had an ampl,
supply. Thus they were enabled t.
pass the days pleasantly, notwithstand
ing the raging of the elements without
Up the canon through which the
river flowed, the wind sucked anG
roared terribly. The icy face of the
stream was soon cleared of snow, which
| drifted into the lateral canons, gorgine
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 had learned
while boys on the broad bosom of the
st. Lawrence.
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 juni-
per lifted their dark green heads, now
burdened with a 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 all veni-
son.
It was not long ere he spied herd of
the latter, of which he had the good
luck to kill two. The 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
a 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
distinguish, also, that the cries pro-
ceeded 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
saddle, hoping thereby to satisfy the
hunger of the lions. He found pres
entity, however, that they made no halt.
It was the young man they ragged after,
and naught but his blood would ap.
pease them.
He now cast aside his remaining sad
die and his rife, and leaned forward
upon his skates with all the power he
Nevertheless the beasts
gained rapily upon him. He conld
hear their mighty bounds. At times he
fancied he could feel their hot breath.
He gazed over his shoulder, and the
glance revealed the lions, their mouths
wide open, and their blood-red tongues
hanging over their jaws, while their
cries we're as freqeunt as the baying of
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 a
skater, combined with wonderful ac-
tivity, he eluded the efforts made by
the lions to seize him, and drew slowly
towards 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 a rife,
and one of the lions tumbled over dead
almost at his feet. The voyageur again
turned towards the rock. Jules had re-
loaded. His unerring aim stretched the
lion upon the ice, and Nicho-
las was saved. It was some months,
however, ere he fully recovered from the
efforts made by him in his
race for life.
The next summer he served as a
guide, and it was while fishing in this
same river that he related to the writer
his thrilling adventure.