The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-01-21

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Right before me was an opening into tie
| cliff into which man on horseback coull
have entered, while the width was all q
twenty feet. dashed into the place b
find myself in large chamber. The ligh
was very dim, but saw two drifts lead
ing off from this further into the noun,
tain. was after secure hiding place,
and dashed into the right hand drift
without moments hesitation.
The Indians were so close on my heels
as | entered the dark drift that the fore;
most one opened fire with his revolver,
and the whole pack yelled like fends.
The reader who has seen the entrance to
coal mine, slanting into the darkness
from the start, can form an idea of the
drift l had plunged into. The grade
was very steep, and the bottom so rough
that fell down twice in going twenty
five feet. That was as far as | went. The
drift was not over three feet wide, and
only one Indian could come in at a time.
They did not exactly understand the
situation, and were eager to overhaul me.
As l turned at bay, the foremost Indian
was entering the drift. While he was
looking into the darkness l was looking
toward the light, and the first shot from
my revolver pierced his brain and killed
him as dead as a stone. As he fell |
fired again, and wounded the warrior
behind him. knew this from the way
the fellow yelled out 1t was wonderful
how quick their enthusiasm cooled down
They had holed me up, but at the same
time discovered that l was not defence
less. Their safety obliged them to get
out of range, and in doing this they
could not shoot into the drift and hit
me with chance bullet.
All now became as silent as death,
and not a move was made for a quarter
of an hour. | had made temporary
escape, but by no means congratulated
myself that they would abandon their
efforts. How far back the drift extend
ed had no means of knowing, and in
stead of seeking to ascertain, l crept to
within ten feet of the mouth. l had a
Winchester and two revolvers, and could
have killed Indians all day long, had
they sought to enter the drift. But one
warning was enough. They knew of a
safer way to get at me.
By and by I heard the cracklino Il
s. Isl a'ruat heap of burning brush was
pushed to the entrance OF the irift with
a long pole. They were going % 9moke
me out! l confess to making up my
mind that my hours were numbered, but
l had given way to despair too soon. The
draught Of the drift was outward into the
chamber, as might have been expected,
and not Whit of smoke could be driven
in at me. The game was soon abandoned
for another A rock large enough to fur
nish cover for an Indian was rolled to the
mouth of the drift, and a redskin got be-
hind it and began firing into my cover.
By retrcating few feet and lying flat
down | was safe from his bullets. He
fired sixty-eight times before he hauled
off. They couldn't say that l had beer
killed, and the proper way to prove that
hadn't been was to send warrior il
with lighted torch to ask me. He had
scarcely entered the drift when l bangct
into him, and dropped him. He fell Sc
near the mouth that his companions
sought to draw him out, and l wounded
one of them in the arm.
| had killed two and wounded two, anc
knew that not over four sound ones re
manned. was wondering if it woudn'
be the best plan to dash out at them will
my rcvolvers, when a series of yells
shouts, screams, and growls filed tn
chamber beyond nc. Then followed fiv
or six shots, more growls and yclls, anc
as l kept my eye on the opening | caugh
glimpse of grizzly bear and warrlo
struggling. In five minutes from tn
first sound there was no other noise thai
that of low growing and the click o
claws on the rocky floor.
What had happencd9 had run int
the den of the bears seen in the morning
and the Indians had followed. The bear
had come home from their morning walk
and the result must have been disastrou
to the Indians. Although realizing til
fcrocious nature of the animal, | was nc
rs fearful of him as | had been of the Ir
dians. A ull-grown grizzly could hare
" squeeze his way down the drift, and
was certain to kill him if he tried to.
After bit crept carefully forwar
until | could see into the chamber.
was sight to make one sick. Two bca
Law dead on the floor, and third W;
licking the blood which flowed from se'
eral wounds. But others had suffere
more. | had two dead Indians in Il
drift and five Others lay in the chamber
bitten, clawcd, and torn until the spect
Gle was hidcous one to gaze upon. The
was blood everywhere and upon ever
thing, and pieces of bloody flesh we
mingled and mixed with patches of L
dian dress and firearms
While | stood looking at the horro
the wounded bear rose up with fer
growl and attacked the corpses. II
: hurts drove him mad, and he wantt
revenge on the dead. l saw him put
paw on the breast of an Indian, sci
| the throat in his teeth, and at one sing
! wrench he tore the head from the bod
| He seized another by the leg, just abo
t she knee, ard | heard the bones cru
l like glass as, his teeth shut. He jerk
Al. nj .