Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1886-12-02

mt the breech. the bear having struck
at 1t with his paw in passing,
Imagine my surprise when | emerged
from among The trees TO find the same
little grass plot where / had killed the
deer. At first | could not believe it,
but there was the spring with the rock
by which / had sat, and the remains OF
my luncheon lay scattered on the
ground. | was tired. as well rs weak
and nervous, after the fright the bear
had given me. But il was becoming a
question of life and death. and was
not willing to die. Carefully gather
ing the scraps of bread and meat that
had thrown away, | resolved to follow
the nearest canon down to its mouth.
which | was stte would lead me out
into the open country somewhere.
The sides were so steep that | had TO
let myself down by clinging 20 roots
and overhanging branches. plodded
on doggedlv. In the heart of the can
ons unnumbered horrors lurked, and
the rocky walls rose on each side of me
toweripgly insurmountable. | began
to wonder if had better go back. when
was startled to see open before me
what seemed almost a bottomless PIT.
The declivity was probably not more
rible TO me. | could not leap that dis
lance, nor could | climb around the
steep and slippery sides. A tall tree
grew from the lower level, however,
and by leaning far out | caught o
branch and thus climbed down.
felt certain now that | must be
very near the valley floor, for | had
been descending n long time. Behind
me, in the hollows of the canon, the
shadows ofevening were already lying.
1 had spraincd my ankle in the de.
scent-an injury that at any other time
would have disabled me, but now could
not he allowed TO impede my progress.
lmped along, hoping and fully ex
pecting to see, ut a turning not far oil,
the valley before me, the green field
and the dwellings of men. How were
my hopes Knocked when found, in.
stead, precipice fully sixty feet deep.
With cry of horror. | drew back and
wrung my hands in despair Had
been saved from the Jaws of savage
beast only to die more terribly by starry
alton. or TO be dashed to pieces i'm .
rocky chasmp Nature had never
seemed To me so pitiless. The stony
walls looked down at me in awful
silence. The yawning precipicc mt my
feet seemed waiting with n sickenino
! expectancy
Before this / had been afraid to
/ speak aloud. for fear of rousing some
wild animal, but now | should be clad
to see or hear any thing with life, even
II 1T were savage. | shouted myself
hoarse, but only strange echoes an
swered me from the frowning woods.
The shadows grew deeper. / must do
something thing
IL occurred To me TO make n rope of
some of my clothing and thus descend.
Ii was the work of but "A moment to
take of my long stockings and Tie
them together, and then TO add my
scarf. All this made only four or five
yards III length. | tore the skirt of
my stout waterproof suit into strips
which | tied together, until had what
seemed enough. Then, fastening a
stone to one end, | crept to the edge
and let the rope down to measure the
distance. IL still lacked little. The
deficiency was soon supplied from the
sleeves OF my jacket. The root of
pine afforded convenient place for
attaching the rope; and, having first
tested every foot of it to make sure
that 1t would bear my weight, | was
ready to push oil.
Several times | looked over and nv
head grew dizzy. | decided to 90
backward, to obviate that difficulty.
Fearing my shoes would be n him
derance in my clinging to the rope.
pushed them over, together with my
cartridge belt. Another instant of hes
itation and Notwithstanding, and | was
fairly oil. | reached the bottom sore
and breathless. but safe. Another trial
awaited me. In the gathering gloom
could not find my shoes. and the
sharp stones cut my tender feet Mt ev-
cry step. Moreover. | dreaded rattle
snakes, and listened with painful
acutcness for the warning rattle
ana not hear any thing, and soon lost
that fear in my ovcrpowering anxiety
to reach some human habitation.
1t grew dark so rapidly that had to
use my stick ut every step. rs "A blind
man does, to feel the way before me.
Before had CROPPED along many rods
my guide gave me timely warning of a
chasm. Feeling for n stone hurled il
forward and heard it strike far down
below me. | could 90 no farther-at
least until daylight-so. drawing back
few feet. | sat down to wait. / was
so weary that | fell Immediately asleep.
/ was awakened oy riile-shot, fol-
lowed quickly 10y "A second report. but
they sounded a long way oil.
started up and tried to shout an
answer but my overstrained throat
could make no noise except a hoarsc
croaking, like child with croup. /
was sure the shots came from my
| friends, searching for me. In the
/ pocket of my jacket were some matches
/ that had not before remembered. Il.
\ was not moment before had scraped
some dry leaves together and set fire
\ To them. a number of cones had
I fallen from the pines above. and there
/ was mass Of dry chaparral, so that
/ ! had no lack OF fuel
/ BY the blaze | could see the nature
/ OF the place around me. was
/ standing on a platform much like the
one from which had descended. On
+ one side was the sheer wall. an the
other the prccipice ! was hcmmcd i'm
+ by prison walls. hcapcd on branches
i till the flames ran high and made a
roaring sound. The whole canon was
f Illuminated. and the tall pines looked
i like spcctcrs in the fantastic light. /
stretched my hands towards the genial
warmth, and felt that salvation was
near. for my friends must see she light
a cracking noise at "a little distance