The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-06-09

ne ne gave spring to one side and pushed
whistler over. falling on to him. drag
glng the pole horses, coach, passengers.
everything-into space! Down thew fell.
over and over. crash after crash. cries
ana greans echoing up over those
silent mountain sides, until it seemed
the nine hundred feet of horrible
descent would never be over, and
silence would never come. But
al last it did. In undistinguishable ruin
the coach, passengers and three horses
lay at the bottom, crushed, broken.
wounded and dead together. The
driver, who had been alone outside.
when-in the brief instant which was
allowed him to think-he had seen that
ne could do nothing to save his coach,
had jumped with all his might into the
road and was saved. Two passengers
escaped, also, with bad bruises and
breakages OF their limbs, but the others
were killed. Three of the horses were
killed outright-but where was Whis-
tier? From every team up and down
the mountain side men had collected,
and were doing everything to aid the
sufferers, and all noticed that there
were but three horses. Where was the
fourth? The driver, Dick Swinley, at
last found time to think of his favorite.
Going carefully out onto rock that over
hung the chasm, he heard little whin-
ny underneath him, and looking down.
what should he see but Whistler, stand
ing on narrow ledge about one hun
dred feet below! Yes! he had fallen
upon his feet like cat, and bruised and
frightened as he was, he had had sense
enough to stand still, and there he was,
hung as it were in mid-air, between
heaven and earth.
But he could not move! If he had
moved one step he would have been
dashed down to certain death like the
rest! For the ledge was only just big
enough to hold him. He had not three
inches of spare space! He could lust
stand there-and that was all. As Dick
cautiously crept out little way on the
boulder, he gave low, sweet whistle
which he had often used as a call to his
fine horse, and Whistler picked up his
ears and whinnied again, a pitiful, sad
sounding whimper, as if he knew his
desperate condition and felt that he
must sooner or later die. go! bows"
cried Dick, getting back into the road,
"FIl be derned if thar amt Whistler.
alive and kickin' no, no not kickin'
cause he can't move-but thar he
stands like a statoo, a-waitin' as peace
full as lamb for me to come and git
him!n ss@1ssE EE&sSs
And with that the poor fellow, from
excitement and horror and sorrow,
burst into, tears and sobbed like baby.
'sCarn't we do nothin' fer him?" said
he. '' We've got all the folks up, and
doin' as well ez can be expected, and
can't we do nothin' for Whistlerp /
vaow!' he exclaimed. tearing off his
coat, I'm a goin' to git him myself. I
kin do it, and willr'
"Why, Dick!' every one cried,
'tyou can never get at that horse in the
world! You can neither get him up
nor down. He will stand till he can t
stand any longer, and then he will have
to fall over"
"He sha'n't! He sha'n'tr' cried Dick,
"Pll save him if you kin help! Whar's
the ropesp''
They soon produced some ropes, and
wondered what Dick was going to do.
Put it around my body" said he, ''and
let me DOWN. I'll take blanket and
some more ropes, and hitch up tackle
that'll bring Dick to the surface, if
thar's power enough to haul himr'
They did as he bid them and soon he
was being let gently down towards the
waiting animal. But alas, the ropes
were not long enough. Dick hung full
five feet above, and in front of Whis-
tler-and they could let him go no far
ther. Great was his disappointment
But Whistler seemed to understand that
rescue was at hand. Dick encouraged
him and told. him to stand still. He
said impressively, "Whoa! Whoa!
Whoa! old boy" and Whistler whin-
MED his reply: - Yes, master, I will. !"
Dick was drawn up again. Then came
long and weary delay. The nearest
away. A boy was put ON horseback
and told to ride for his life, and bring a
big coil of new rope back with him, By
this time almost all the day had passed.
What would be done if they could not
get that patient animal up before dark?
Would he stand still? Could the poor
creature stand still?
Sunset was over, twilig ght came creep
ing into the valleys and faster and faster
up the mountain sides, and at last dark
ness hung over the scene. Dick was
| almost frantic. The men about him
sympathized with his anxiety. At last
the boy came back with a cart full OF
ropes and great band of leather which
had been suggested by men to whom he
had told his pitiful story-but now,
nothing could be done in the darkness
Nothing to be done but wait. To be-
guile the time the men did little
cooking, ate their supn,'"s and smoked
| their pipes, told stor Is, and at last
| fixed themselves as well as they could
and tried to sleep. But not Dick Swim
! ley! Over and again he erawled out on
the treacherous boulder and gave his
| CHEEKY whistle-over and again out OF
the depths of the darkness, the horrible
| yawning gulf of blackness, came the
little whinny-so loving, so trustful, SC
patient, so intelligent, that the rough
men who were waiting to rescue this
noble animal would turn to each other
with strange. sympathetic countenances
and with low voices, such as men use