San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-02-16

Accordingly ne no" p"fc "" w w"
eastward, and ranging among the low
hills in that quarter, succeeded about
noon in shooting line buck
Salt and matches he had brought
with him from the cabin, as also can
teen of cold coffee and half dozen
"bard tack" In the course of IN hour
ne had dressed his deer after man
ner-kindled tire, and was dining
with relish of some of the choice
tidbits roasted on tue Goals.
Later on he secured one Of the hind
quarters, bundled up in the skin for
convenience in carrying, and then set
of TO return to the creek.
But meantime the sun had become
clouded in; and after gong on for some
minutes q feeling of uneasiness as to his
course began to settle upon him. I'm
easily he cast his eyes aoout him Tor
some point of observation which would
enable him to overlook the surround
ing country.
Out TO tho east there extended a
range of high bluffs, or rather long
rocky ridge, and towards this he at
once directed his steps. AS the dis
lance was scarcely more than mile,
he soon reached the ridge.
Scaling the crags in front, he saw
upon gaining the summit that the end
of his journey, in that direction, at
least. was reached. For stretching
away on either side and in front, there
extended a deep, black canon, and the
ridge on which he stood proved to be,
on the side next the canon, a sheer
precipice, from one hundred to one hun
dred and fifty feet in height.
Bewildered, and fairly out of his
reckoning, my friend turned to look in
the direction from whence he had just
come. when almost the first objects that
met his eyes were fifteen or twenty
horsemen riding at gallop round the
base of hill, making directly towards
him. and not more than half mile
away.
1t hardly needed second glance to
assure the startled miner that they were
Indians, and that they were after him
attracted, no doubt, by his incautious
camp fire.
At first the peril of his position
nearly overcame him with terror.
There seemed positively no avenue of
escape. The savages could easily sep
arate at the foot of the bluff and sur
round him, and the only alternative
left him was either to fight or to fling
himself into the yawning depth of the
canon.
Instantly the Indians perceived that
he had discovered them, and set up
hideous yelling, and began to spread
out in a line to surround his perch on
the bluff.
The canon was his only chance of es-
Cape and he turned with desperate
earnestness in that direction, spurred
by the yells of the Indians, which rang
in his ears as he ran along the edge of
the precipice, eagerly scanning the
rocks for some fissure by which he
might climb down.
Already he was nearly enclosed by
semi-circle of the savages. In his rear
several of them were working their way
up the bluff, lodging from rock to
rock, to get shot at him without ex-
posing their own bodies; and he well
knew that others would be ready to
head him off before he could get much
farther.
A moment later two rifle shots
cracked from among the boulders off to
his right and he heard the whiz of the
balls. But there seemed to be neither
break nor crevice in the solid Lodges
forming the wall of the canon along
the verge of which he was running.
A second or two after, however, he
came where the top of pine tree was
lust visible over the brink of the cliff.
Peering over, he saw some large rocks
iutting out from the face of the
canon about forty feet below. A
crack between two of these had become
filed with earth; and in this the pine
had its roots.
It was desperate venture, but
Bently determined to swing off into the
tree, and trust to find place of con-
cealment. He would assuredlv be
killed if he remained many moments
longer in his present position, for the
wells of his approaching enemies were
drawing nearer. 1t could be no worse
to be killed at the foot of the tree than
at the top, he thought. With his car
bine buttoned within his blcuse (his
pack of venison he had already thrown
away), he lay hold of the pine boughs
and scrambled down its trunk as fast as
he could.
But when about two-thirds of the
way down the pine. he noticed an irreg-
ular hole in the face of the precipice,
almost in reach from the trunk. An
inspiration came to him. Here was
his chance of concealment. Supporting
himself by limb, he contrived to back
himself into the hole, which he found
to extend for twelve or fifteen feet
backwards into the rocky wall of the
canon.
Once ;nside his snirits rose, The In