Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-11-24
\ YELLOWSTONE LIE.
A Gorge Where the Atmosphere is q Non-Con-
ductor of Sound.
TIE BIG STORIES AMA\CA\ TIll
The Helena. Montana, Hfdid

The Helena. Montana, H'roid
says:
James Carroll. a we'll known citi
zen of Helena, recently made re
markable discovery in the yellow
stone Park. He was alone, waiting
for his fellow -excursionists to come
up. But let him tell his own story:
While waiting [ dismounted and sat
down Oh rock. with my Winchester
lying across my knees. AROUND me
was a scene of grandeur. | WAS in
asdeep gorge which led down into the
valley On each side the great cliffs
lowered to magnificent hriSht
Behind me WAS the steep pa,h down
which had come through thick
growth OF stuntrd pines. while i'll
front Of and below me was the gergr
"a quarter of mile wide. prrhap5).
its bottom covered from the foo. of
one cliff to the other with heavy
growth of timber.
After resting while. | stood up
and listened, expecting to hear my
friends approaching. But not IA
sound met my ear. The stiffness waS
50 deep that feeling of nnrasine.e
came over me. and attempted To call
out to my companions. But although
opened my month and went through
all the details Of Il good llsty yell.
not n sound could | make | tried
again, and with the same result. /
couldn't understand it. My horse.
which had been standing quietly by
me. noticed movement of the bushes
near hy. and probably thinking her
equine friends We're near by. at
tempted whitney, 1t WIS Il sad
failure, for she could not INA kr Il
sound. She was evidently IA, much
;t,tonished As |. and became ie IN
easy.
Il was on the point of mounting
and starting back up the mountain
when a fierce looking wild animal oi
the panther tribe stepped ont OF the
bushes within about thirty feet OF
where l was standing 1t saw me in
stantly and stopped to spring at me.
| hastily brought my gun to my
shoulder and fired, shall say? No:
| pulled the trigger. but there was no
report. although the smoke puifrd
out the end of the gun. and the wild
beast fell as if struck 1t Immediately
jumped up and hobhlrd into the
brush. but leaving Il trail of blood br
hind it. | was now confirmed III my
former suspicion, that WAS III land
of enchantment, and although not at
all super,ttious under ordinary cir
cumstancts, | would not have been
much surprised now to see the devil
himself jump out from behind rock.
| immediately jumped on my horse
and started back up the path.
In about hundred yards | met
my companions. who We're all stand
ing close together trying to talk to
each other, but although they seemed
to be shouting at the top of their
voices they were really as dumb a>
the dead Although | felt that Old
Nick himself was Just as likely as
not to be on my trail | could not
help laughing at their odd gestures.
grimaces and red faces from their
efforts at making themselves heard.
They were pretty badly frightened,
too.
Il passed by and beckonel them
to follow me back the way we
had come No attempt was now
made at conversation. After going
Il quarter of mile in silence l lost
my way. One of my comrades who
seemed to think he knew the way
back to the trail, came up close to me
and bending over SO that his mouth
was close to my ear, with Il super
human effort yelled. Let me lead"
His shout nearly bursted my tym
panum We had got ont of the
charmed air"