The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-11-20
IT'S zHE TRUTH mir HURTS.
VoIAxIV Weston, Virginia November 90 1880

vigilance. Then he moved cau.
ti6usIy forward, gliding through
the bushes almost as silently as q
serpent till he reached the lick.
4 lick, us it is called in Western
parIancc, is Il salt spring, where the
overllowing waters deposit II thin
incrustation of salt upon the sur
lace of the ground. These springs,
here and there, dotted the great
American wilderness Of that period,
and were tho resorts Of all the
wild animals, especially of the her
bivorous kind, such us deer and
bulTnlo, which came to satisfy the
cravings Of nature by Licking the
saline earth.
As there was seldom any long
period when some animal was not
present ut one Of these licis, they
became the favorite resorts for
hunters; but there was always
more or less danger in approaching
them, especially in a country in
tested with Indians, because they
were attractions 10 the rcd man us
well as the white.
As our hero came in sight Of the
tlccr-lick which he had selected for
Ills present sport, he redolIblcd his
precautions first, that llo might
not put his life in the power of
some Sccrrtcd foe: and, secondly,
that III ease no iUe were there, he
might not trighten away any chance
gatne.
The lick, however, proved 10 DO
clear Of both man and beast; and
having drawn near enough 10 make
his shot ccrtnin, he proceeded to
erect Il temporary screen, or blind,
cutting down some bushes, and so
arranging them. l,cl"re him us TO
present Il natural appearance, at
least to the scrutiny ola deer, and
behind which he could remain con-
Cralcd from the animal.
Here, stretched out upon tho
ground, and his rifle pointing for
ward, ready TO lcal sure death to
any living object, the young man
waited with the quiet patience OF
an experienced hunter. Birds flew
over him, insects droned about
him, the soft wind sighed through
tho grcat forest, but no other sights
or sounds broke tho dull mOnotony
.of=his zlonely#Walcll,=till# lie found
.liimSclillnconsGi0usl yielding to
Il tltowsiness that would soon have
ended in unconscious slGcp.
Housing llimsclf=Witli kindzof5
start, llnlookcd sllarplyaronnd and
through his blind, and fancicl he
saw the bushes carefully parting
un the other side of the lick.
"Wcll, something at last, Il hope"
lie said to himself.
But the something he saw was
not the something he was wanting
to sec, for as the bushes parted
further he beheld first, the grim
lnco of one savage, and then that of
another pushed cautiously forward,
their black eyes seeming to glitter
as they surveyed tho whole scene
hcfnrc them.
They had evidently come hithcr
for the same object as himself, the
hope Of surprising some animal at
the spring; and when they found
there was none, they stepped bold
~ forward, and stood revealed in
the open space around the lick,
which the Snline Overilowings al.
ways kept clear and bare fvegctN-
ton.
They were two strong, formida-
blc.luoking warriors, armed with
guns, tonmhnwks and knives, and
our brave hero would glally have
withdrawn and left them III peace
ful possession Of the place if this
could huvc been done with safety
to himself. But his artificial blind
was only hrcast-high, and they
were so ncar to him that any ut
tempt TO retreat up the hill behind
him would have been certain to
result in discovery, and perhaps be
quickly followed by either death,
or whit WAS still worse, n fearful
captivity and probable torturcs at
the burning stake.
It was II critical point of time in
his adventurous career, and
thoughts rapid as lightning whirlcd
and flushed thnugh his dizzy
brain, sending Il burning heat down
through every portion Of his phys
ical system.
AT lcast, if l must tlic, I will
only Yield 10 fate after | have done
my best tor IllG, was HIS mental
comment, as he ran his eye along
the barrel Of his rifle and took de-
liherate uim ut the heart Of the
most formidable of the two warri,
ors, WHO clanccd to he facing him
and was booking down into the
spring.
81 can at least kill one of them,
and then shall be man to man
with the other"
With this last determination he
pulled tie trigger.
The forest resOundcd with Il loud
explosion, aud the Indian he had
splcctrl for his target IlWuprd mo.