San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-03-23
A TERRIBLE PERIL.
BY JASPER T. JENNINGS.


BY JASPER T. JENNINGS.
Over fifty years have passed since we
moved from Vermont to the Southern
part of the state of New York (said a
plain looking gentleman dressed in
homespun, as he sat before the warm
fire. a year or two since, relating stories
of his early life to an eager group of
friends), and great changes have taken
place since then. The region about
here was at that time almost an un-
broken wilderness; few settlers were
moving in occasionally, and at remote
distances the little columns of blue
smoke, curling silently above the tree
tops, revealed the spot where their
humble cabins stood. The Indian had
passed on to his undisturbed hunting
ground in the far West many years
previous, but the deer and bear re-
NAMED, and the silence of night was
often broken by the howl of the wolf
and the scream of the panther.
I was nineteen then, tough and
healthy, as young men of the border
generally are, and felt myself capable
of doing a mans work at almost any
thing. The first summer we cleared
some five or six acres, inclosed it with
a pole and log fence, and sowed a fine
field of wheat. On the approach of au-
tumn we underbrushed several acres
more, and when winter set in we felt
satisfied that we had made good use of
our time and done a good summers
work.
Christmas we decided to observe as
a holiday.
At an early hour four or five young
men were congregated in the little yard
in front of our rude cabin, prepared
for days fishing at Sand Lake.
The morning was delightful. Not a
cloud obscured the sky. The preced-
ing day had been day of mist and fog,
which had frozen to everything with
which it had come in contact, silvering
every inanimate object with coat of
ice. The sun, shining through the
tree-tops, looked like a great ball of
electric light, surrounded by sea of
dazzling splendor. It was the most
beautiful sea of frosted trees I ever
witnessed. Every twig, and every
branch bending down with incrusted
ice, glittered and sparkled like dia.
monds set in a brilliant lace-work of
FURNISHED silver. The ground was COW
cred with an icy coating, with very
light snow. The air was keen and
bracing, we were all in the best of spir-
its, and we promised ourselves world
of amusement in single day.
Sand Lake was a beautiful sheet OF
water, in the midst of the forest, some
three miles beyond our clearing. 1t
was now firmly frozen over.
I AS soon as we arrived we laid aside
our pals and luncheon, and at once
proceeded to cut holes in the ice and
set our lines. The fish seemed to be
as wide awake as we were, and ere long
we had all we could attend to, hauling
them out and re-baiting the hooks.
The day passed off quickly, as it al
ways does when engaged III such sport
and before we were fairly aware that it
was past noon, the sun was fast de-
scending the southwestern horizon.
We had made a good haul, and we
felt jubilant over our success. Gather
ing our fish in pals, and packing up
our implements we set out for home.
Say, boys" said Will Herkimer,
"did you ever see the Cascade Glen?"
"No," replied I; Henry Brown was
telling me about it the other day. He
said it was well worth going to see."
$50 it is" replied Will; lets go that
way home. 1t isn't much further, if
any, and we can get back just about as
soon. Come onl"
We readily assented, and in about
half an hour we found ourselvet clam
bering down the steep and rugged Cas-
cade Mountain, among the slippery
crags, scrub oaks and dwarf pines. Ev-
erywhere a wide, extended view met
the eye. To the westward the wooded
hill-tops rose in countless numbers, re-
ceding in a chain of peaks and undu-
Iations until they appeared blue and
hazy in the far distance. To the north
ward the course of the Susquehanna
was observable for many miles, fer up
towards its source among the rounded
blue hills in the direction of Coopers-
town.
We stood for some time gazing upon
this wonderful landscape scene. where
nature had tumbled hills, crags and val
legs together IN a thousand different
forms, and then we proceeded down
the descent.
Suddenly a frightful chasm yavned
before us. For a moment We stood in
silent anazenent, and then We eau