Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1882-01-19
others would be ready to head him
off before he could get much far

others would be ready to head him
off before he could get much far
ther.
A moment later two rifle shots
cracked from amung the boulders
off to bis right, and 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 brink of the
cliff shelved off somewhat, and
down over the sloping rock he
caught sight of the topmost boughs
of pine trea reaching slightly
above the rocky wall of the canon.
1t flashed across his mind that there
must be foothold at the root of this
tree, a path perhaps by which he
might escape
Creeping to the extreme edge of
the bluff, he peered over. There
was little there to encourage him.
About forty feet below some large
rocks iutted out slightly from the
face OF the cliff. A crack between
two of these had become flied with
earth and in this the pine had its
roots.
Il was desperate venture; but
Bently determined TO swing off into
the tree, and trustto finding place
of conceaiment. He would assur-
edly be killed if he remained many
: moments longer in his present po :
f sition, for the yells of his approach-
ing enemies were drawing nearer
and nearer. 1t conld be no worse
D to be killed at the to5t of the tree
than at the top, he thought. With
| his carbine buttoned within his
!. blouse (his pack of venison he lad
already thrown away, he lay hold
q :. of the pine bougls and scrambled
down it's trunk as fast as he
conid.
But when about swo-thirds of
!. the way down the pine he noticed
! ! an irregular hole IN the face of the
precipice, almost within reach from
the trunk. An inspiration came
to him. Here was his chance of
conceallnent. Supporting himself
q By limb, he contIived to bacl,
himself into the hole, which he
y found to extend for twelve or if
r teen feet backwards into the rocky
: wall of the canon
4 Once inside, his spirits rose
5 The Indians surely would never
# seek him here and even if they
g did, no one OF them would be har-
g dy enough to poke his head IN al
the hole, only to receive bullet.
a The only apprehension which
a now troubled him was the prospec
e of siege, and as he had still lit
e tie coffee in his canteen, and three
a "hard-tacks'' left in his sack, he feI
that his chances were good for a
e least a couple of Gays.
tt So with renewed hope he lsy
: quiet and listened. The Indians
! evidently, were approaching The
- place of his disappearance very
- - cautiously; their yelling had ceas-
- - ed. 1t was nearly an hour be-
~ fore he heard anything farther 0
- them. At length he becam,
+ aware that cultural voices wer'
3 in earnest overhead. These sound
L continued for few moments, whel
q Suddenly he was startled by ;
q grating, rumbling noise on The
g rocks above, followed moment la
q ter by the violent swaying ant
+ cracking of The pine boughs and
i tbunderons crash below.
The savages had rolled a large
q bowldor over the edge of the elf
At directly above him. 1t had .allel
- through the limbs of the tree, anc
O striking one of the projecting rock
% below, among which the pine wa
rooted, had broken away nearly hal
N of it.
r An appalling thought crossed Bent
. ly's mind What if the savage:
= were to keep on rolling down bowl
q ders till they carried away the rock
- below, tree and all
J The sweat rolled down his face
to and he felt faint and sick at heart a
ne the probability of this event dawne
upon him. For how then could b
ed ever escape from his hole in the steer
i'd bare, lofty wall of the canon?
aa Ip great suspense he waited fc
oh some time, hearing occasional noise
above him.
.e Not daring to show himself, Bentl
vi renamed in his close prison all tn;
+ night, and next day, until late in tt
. afternoon, when, having heard notf
ms ing of his enemies for fully twenty
an four hours, he ventured to pei
"a forth and then to climb back up tt
me pine, to the top of the cliff, which
nh regained after good deal of effcl
No Indians were there awaiting hi
- much to his relief; and he at on
'oo set off to find his way back to Fren
Al Creek, which he reached at abo