The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1879-08-22

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On unr utrnssan II waa sns fuFtnat III
iHAt iaufNts#eh ltip Ifem laan sansis
Az 49, kana~hA valley. mcrnss III f-.Hts
uss aAsl. ~ nis tlms vas rather hntslssi.
vas constrained NJ tile Alfsf ,iatk in
sseian III ,hai tssnr sliagsshef Nv.
se'iisa anil Wild; ast,l, worst ~ I'll IN
my vasr iet night fidr. nne unise WA.
familiar t. lne. TN thr night IN ones.
tim. lnd lnne IN several miles aftst
passing th, lae, rahin sren in VIII alter.
ntun. sui ~ Ill. thick darkness eaine
down like lall. preventing me in the
si.a., forrest trutn wen seeing the ground
itself under ny hutNes feet. 10 my ,is.
ronsiett and perhaps tlismn,. began H.
hear The isvr mu,sering ~ thunder ri.
schoesl w. the mountain ranges In the
mr. distance while ri rocky anil ronrh
was tie winding pathway along which
my tired horse WIS stumbling that there
MAS ~ such thing ~ hnrrying him In tile
ehanrr ~ finding some place ~ shelter
for The night. md from tho coming
Tempest.
uf course, blamed myself for no,
stopping nj tho last cabin hal passed,
instead IL tempting nn,ried AMI Wild
forest paths nj that time of night. hut
sl.at did not help the case. and could
only drop tho reins On tho neck of my
,ade.i -t-rsl, md leave hlm to ilnl his
wnv III some clearing III such waa
within reach. In time enough a. escape
the storm.
vas creeping along lii this manner,
SLOWLY, my lenrse sometimes stumbling
over log or fallen tree and coming 10
Ills knees. ut ether times sliding down
some tank, when, In the far distance.
4 heard something tl,At sounded
worse than the mnttering thunder u
me- that pest vi those Wild mountain
regions at that period tito scream III ii
panther. II came occasionally In short.
Anappish qinvcrr, making my horse
FESTIVE and fairly trembIc under me-
and set, after hearing II once or twice,
fell treasured when II seemed 10 grow
fainter, ~ II dying away III the distance.
finally ending altogether hut II had
Ind the effect ~ lurrying mo forward
nj whatever iisk 81 possibly breaking
my neck, until Ut length WAN satisfied
TINT had gotten into the hridlc-path
apain. "a came 10 mn open piece of
water. tho oro.sing 81 creek. nppal.
cmt - The faint reflection ri the fnr.
fHce. despite the deep darkness, making
II plainly lcrccpsible.
hnpposinR. 81 course, that II must he
ford Or regular crossing place, /
rode straight across. and found myself
IL al ss. l.1 -
laurel bushes = could feel illrin Int
ny horse couldn't climb mp the steep
banL. Thoroughly rerplese,l, and get.
ting uer,ena nv The heavy thunder.
storm naA rapidly coming closer and /
had 10 desire t. BE- eanght ont there In
the creek. or EVEN On IN hanks, not
On my horse aud down into tic water,
nll nnd.linok carefully ~ feel for
loru tracks, to nee, IL possible, how,
after entering the creek, they turned on
leaving it InHble IT, satisfy mys.li
next tflci III tie deep dark
ness, 10 ride down the bed of the
creek: Int I'M. yards or W oi expert.
mcni. ns tlonnlered in aud oul OF deep
holes aud over slnken logs. satisfied mt
thar II wouldn't 10; W.. returning 10 the
fofd puee more, forsnnasclyn sharp fimsl,
III lightning showed mo horse tracks
and art 81 path leading down thu
hank ol tile creek on the same side
Ind approached IL /; and finally .l,ar1
Gnllpp III twenty minutes. ~ the light.
ming wns more frequent, enabled me ie
rcach a clearing and cabin. and 10 geI
my lorse and myself under shelter JUS,
NJ ilr storm came down with the utmost
fury. making me thankful enough tha,
II had not caught me ont III the darI
WOUNDS, That jannt ~aH one al man,
such experiences. where ! had, III ths
blind forest paths, 10 trust the instinct,
III my horse for holding Tho right III
rnction to places u shelter, although
NJ Il pfosrd-~he was not capable u
leading ufi after getting clear 81 iii,
woods and into the bed 81 lhe creek.
hnd dropped In upon 4 settle
nAm.,l Bill Short. who, late IN Ii was
did not intend 10 lot me 40 supperles
10 bed. With honse fnll oi children
aud only tho ono room below and Iii
1bft above IL " accommodate the who'll
crowd, he MA about the jollicnt clap
hnd encountered for many day. TAX
Ing down some strips II dried venison
hia vile soon made sort 81 nayory ste,
u IL. and this. hanked by corn.dOdger
hurried up IN thc same handy why, M,
some honey he hal found i bee
tree few days before left me notl,in
N wish; for, besides this. milk supple,
the place ri coffee. 10 me always d Hrs.
rate substitute Or alternative,
The lodging war not W easily man
aged; nj least there waa no chance II
ma excs pit on the floor. with my saddl
for pillow anil my aaidle.blsnkes nj
der me: Int II has always heen q pm
xle 10 lnc where and how the GOO
woman slowed away eight childrei
three of them daughters almost growl
although two truckle.bedr played
large part In disposing u the smalle
nv. and tho loft ~niiiued for tho boy
there l,cing but two beds III tie roof
below. Ii, after all, shows how ver
little could accommodates. and antiaf
TOO, the early settlers. for 4 mcrfis
crowd ] have auIiom fallen among |
any circle tr condition In Iifr.
Tho nest morning, when came |
leave, 0Ouldnt induce my kind hear
cd and pleasant host In take anything
but II was some satisfaction finally,
rsmuncrntr him with good supply /
powder. which caused b BIZ convene
i 10 him: for that articis senmed 10 i
MI that b. cravcd Or needed III max
him reasonably happy. arnrt from III
\ inuate and complete freedom frol
care,
Tn my return by another roa.l, how
sver. on reaching tl.r banks III III
sandy, and proposing ~ ford II, ! v,
diverted 10 d ford several malls. froi
where / rtrnck Tin hank ~ lIic river
Int my trials IN ll,is journey Mppesrc