The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-04

thought OF staying all night on that barren
waste, q prey 10 wolves or victim TO some
rowing band OF Indians. Ihad been going
on lope for some time making aE good
speed as possible when l suddenly came
upon deep gulch and looking further on
| could see more OF them and 1t was plain
| TO me that / was getting out OF the wider
meas. believed that these canyons would
lead to the Platte river and Of once started
to follow the direction in which they led,
An hour before / had seen my bones bleach.
log in the hot sun stripped Of their flesh
by ravenous wolves, and my scalp dangling
from the belt OF some bloody warrior, l
had thought Of my home away east in the
hills OF Ohio, and wondered II they would
know my fate. But now all was changed,
and I felt that l would soon be with the
boys in camp aud set down to good mess
OF slap Jacks and beans and relate the ad.
ventures Of the day. .
bad by this time reached 8 point which
looked out over rough broken territory,
sIoping down to large woodless stream
along which could BIZ plainly seen broad
trail and away yonder, so faint as 10 be
almost invisible 10 the naked eye, are q
few small houses, around which are visible
few little white dots, aud | exclaimed
aloud: "Platte river and Jnlesburg.H 4
now start TO descend the bluff and all at
once come in sight OF hslf.dozen fine
fat antelope Just below me in 0 hollow.
They had not observed my approach, and
] at once turned my mule TO one side and
got out OF sight. q, aro
Here now is chance for shot, and
may be an antelope to carry home as q
uophy Of days adventures. l prepare
to dismount. Throwing my carbine over
my shoulder gently lowered myself to
the ground. No sooner had my foot found
a resting place than the mule commenced
TO reyolve by making a pivot Of his hind
legs. First he revolyed slow, and l held
on to the bride, thinking, OF course, he
would soon run down and stop, but he
didn't. He was wound up for twentyfour
hours, and he kept on going; 30 did |, and
the speed soon began to increase until i
could only touch the high places, and
finally my feet left the ground altogether,
and was flying through the air In 3 horl-
zontal position ut the rate OF several hun.
bred per minute. This went on for some |
minutes, so iG seemed TO me, and | suppose
I would have been swinging around the
circle yet had the bride not given way, for
I did not dare to let loose. But 1 felt
something give and I closed my eye.
Then the rein broke and went like o
down an embankment, over
and over, and finally fetched up at the
bottom OF the ravine. l felt that had
stopped but now everything else beguna
general moving around Gradually the
panorama ceased and l huated up my
scattered effects aud determined to let an.
telope 60, let the mule go-everything 70.
and 20, myself, to camp-if | could possibly
get there, soon overlook the mule, and
again to effect II possible q
treaty Of peace; but he would't treat.
approached him holding out my hand as a
decoy, but remembering the lamming Of an
hour before, he started on dead run and left
mo, this time for good. When l got my gun
I set out for camp. following in the wake OF
the donkey. Once again he stopped allow
ing me to approach and I concluded he
would surrender. Icould have caught his
tail but was afaid OF tail hold, 80 be moved
on and left me again. 1t was the. most
experience l had ever had.
My feet were sore from being rubbed by
Bull uOols, huu WHO ueRllulub W Aoov'S
along with great difficulty when ! saw the
saddle blanket fall from the old mule and |
| hailed it as a Godsend. III. a, q
soon pulled of my boots, and wrapped
up my feet with pieces Of the blanket and
started on with renewed hope. The shades
Of night are drawing on when tired and
sore stand upon point half mile from !
the trail and see the east bound stage pass.
Waving the remnant OF my old blanket
tried 10 stop 1t but the old driver aud the /
escort cid not want to be entrapped by
decoy, and they whipped up and left me
alone. '9Nt
Worn out and sick I arrived at camp
long after dark, aud found everybody 10 q
fever Of excitement. The Old mule had
made his appearance with blood on the
saddle, (which came from my scratches)
and tho stage men reported seeing what
they were certain was decoy on the
bluffs six miles up the road. .,s sou "A
ITO be centinued.) nos i5 l