The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-28

thrown down and partly buried by tn
snow and turf which broke in the out
side of their shelter.
Goodness What is this? were hi
first words. Gallison, are yen dead p
Gallison, however, was not much hurt
and pulled out his fellow-miner.
Then the grim western !humor cam
out.
Perhaps you disbelieve in heav!
snowfall now p says Gallison.
Chatter away while ye can wa
Steyens'sreply, "for we'll soon be smoth
cred here for want of air.
1t was as dark as Egypt, at first. Blu
there was more air than Stevens thought
The cavity not filed by the snow-slids
extended some rods beneath the shelter
| ing rocks; and where the pine trees had
fallen over, the snow and brush were sup
ported, leaving open spaces all along the
canyen wall.
They were literally buried alive by an
avalanche 1t had fallen from the
mountain side above the gorge, where the
snow, loosened by the warm afternoon
sun, had begun to slide, and gathering
momentum, had swept trees and boulders
along with it.
Stevens got a pole out of the wreck of
their hut and thrust it up into the snowy
mass, but only drew down streams of
water from the holes he made. Then the
two crawled this way and that, and ex-
plored their prison. There was more of
it than they at first believed.
Think we can winter here, pard -
questioned Gallison. with the irony of a
man used to hard life.
I reckon, said Stevens, if the jack
ass holds out
Then they began to dig around with
their hands and with sticks in search of
their provision.
They found what was left of their
stock of flour and pork, for these articles
had been stored in the camp. Their
supper that night consisted of -four
mixed with snow, and graced, or CREASED,
with occasional mOuthtuls of raw meat,
If we may credit the account of these
(and they seemed quite honest), they
remsIed buried here for three days and
a haY without hearing a sound from the
upper world
They could distinguish MIS- hit from
day by the alternative fading out and
Frightening of the dim trace of white
transmitted through the mass of snow
above them.
On the fourth day Stevens first distin-
guished a sound on the snow above, /
which, after anxious listening, they both /.
thought to be footsteps.
They shouted and called Help. /
We're buried here
The steps halted. They shouted again
li4a gain. I
After a minute or more Of suspense, I
they heard the steps move hastily away. /
Its some rascally Indian" exclaimed .
Stevens He thinks it's evil spirits p
Then they were in despair once more. /
But on the firth day the same sounds .
were again heard. Again did the buried .
miners send up their shouts from the /
depths of this enormous snowdrift. In a /
short time they heard many other shut .
fling footballs. 1t seemed very strange .
that no response was made to their cries. /
But their hearts bounded with hope /
when, at length, they heard unmistaka-
bly, bise as of digging and scraping out i
the snow. These noises continued at /
for many hours.
It's the redskins Stevens asserted,
Yet as the savages of this /
territory were not unfriendly to the /
whites, they did not fear much injury
from them.
But it seemed most astonishing that
no reply was vouchsafed to their often
shouts.
They now listened still more intently,
for the diggers were evidently making
good progress and coming nearer.
Presently the suspicion suggested itself
to Gallison that not men, but wolves.
were digging. Both became convinced
OF it.
It's wolves!' Gallison exclaimed
The brutes have scented US or the jack.
They think something's are spillin' down
here Aud if they get to us, we're dead
men!'
After time they could hear snufing
through the snow, and presently growl-
ing.
Suddenly ray of light which at irst
quite blinded both of them, they had
Deen so long in darkDess-shot down
nto the damp recess. 1t came in, up
fifteen or twenty feet, beside the trunk
If one of the pines which had fallen owe
hem.
As soon az Stevens could bear the
light, he glanced up and saw the eyes of
ONE large animal.
1t was the head of a grizzly bear
After a long, hungry look, the grizsly
gain piled his paws to enlarge the open
ng.
Gallison fred his revolver at the ]
'east, the report, pent up, nearly
eafened them both. The bear drew
,ack with a snarl, which was followed ,
" loud roaring, as if from several
'ears.
Then another head appeared. CALI I
on instantly shot at it. The shot seemed
o have hit; for there was prolonged ;
rowling and snarling, and great s
crambling about.
Then, for a long time, they heard
lothing. Stevens now climbed up by .
he pine trunk and worked his body up
through the opening. He says that the
,ears had dug away the snow to the
Iepth oftwenty or thirty feet.
Climbing out of the hole, Stevens saw
i've great, gaunt grizzlies sitting on their
launches off eight or ten rods watching.
Stevens dropped down through the
lole. He again climbed out, taking the
evolver, and, seeing the bears at a dis
ance, discharged his piece six times, as
asst as he could fire. The brutes ran OFF
Up the canyon, the rocky walls of which
hey ms e Ie-echo with their roars.
II UaS now late in tho offarT1Oon and