The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-08-06

grassy slope. There was not the slight
est covering to protect an approach,
and began to debate with myself upon
the best cource to pursue. Should I
initiate the call of one of their number
in distressP There was something so
inhuman in that / revolted at the
thought, and took the consolation that
no true hunter would descend to such
meanness. Should I tie my red hand
kerchief upon my ramrod and take adj
vantage of their curiosity They were
too shy.
All! an idea struck me. Ny eye sud-
denly rested upon blush line running
across the prairie, beyond where the
animals were feeding. 1t was either
q buffalo road or the channel of an
arroyo; but. whichever it was, it was
the very cover / wanted, and / deter
mined to take immediate advantage
of it.
Retreating as stealthily from the
thicket as 1 had entered it, I hurried
along the side of the slope toward q
point where I had observed that the
ridge was depressed to the level of the
plain. Reaching this, to my still greater
surprise found myself on the banks of
broad arroyo, whose water slowly
meandered over bed of sand and
gypsum. The banks were two or three
feet above the surface of the stream ex-
cept where the ridge came down upon
the stream. Here there was quite q
high bluff, and, hurrying around its base,
l stepped into the channel and COM
menced wading upward.
This was quite q difficult feat, as the
bed of the creek was soft and yielding,
and was obliged to tread very eau
tiously and slowly, lest l should alarm the
game. The antelope is one of the most
timid of animals, and has wonderfully
acute sense ofhearing much so, that
none but the most experienced hunters
can approach him.
After creeping along in this weari-
some manner for several hundred
yards, Preached small clump of worm
wood bushes growing out of the bank.
Thinking this might be high enough to
answer for cover, concluded to take
advantage of it. I slowly raised myself
up and peered through the leaves. I
had just the right place, and, sighting
at the heart of the buck. I pulled the
trigger. The brute sprang up and
dropped dead. l was on the point of
running forward to claim the prize,
when saw the doe run up to its fallen
mate and snuff at it as if bewildered at
the occurrence. Suddenly she seemed
to comprehend the sad truth, and
throwing back her head, began uttering
the most plaintive and piteous cries,
while she occasionally ran round the
body, as if totally unable to control her
grief.
At first it was not my intention to
kill the doe, and, had I dreamed of wit
Messing such painful scene, I should
not have done SO. How often do we
hunters, in the excitement of the chase,
commit deeds which, in. our calmer mo-
ments, we can see as heartless and
cruel! But the deed was done past re-
call, and wherefore regretp
As l watched the mournful actions of
the doe, and heard its piteous cries, I
saw that it would be a mercy to kill it
and end its misery. Actuated by what,
perhaps, was q questionable humanity,
I took careful aim, pulled the trigger,
and, as the smoke cleared away, dis
covered the doe lying dead with its
head resting upon its departed mate.
Both are out of Distress" was my
comforting reflection, "and have Sc
cured rare supper, with which will
tickle the palates of my two friends,
and convince them that they are not the
only ones who have knowledge of
hunting-but what is the meaning of
this?''
attempted to move, and found both
feet fast. My first thought was that I
had been stricken with paralysis, and a
chill ran over me from head to foot.
But no; could feel the blood coursing
to the remotest part of my system, and
1 tugged like giant. I tried to step,
twisted to the right and left, wrenched
my body, but all in vain--l was fast.
Suddenly the truth flashed upon me
Il was sinking in quicksand.
With this knowledge came fierce
resolve not to succumb Iwould wrench
off my feet before I would consent to
die in this inglorious and dreadful man
ner. Summoning all the strength of
which l was master, I tugged snd
pulled and twisted with the fury of mad
ness, and then paused exhausted. and
found that the only result was that
had sunk several inches deeper il the
quicksand. The soft, clinging sand was
already at the top of my boots. and had
so wedged them around my ankles that
it was impossible to pull them off. ALI
the time i could feel myself sinking
slowly and surely, as though some mon
ster, deep in the bowels of the earth,
had grasped me by the feet and was
gradually drawing me under.
Almost beside myself with terror, I