The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-12-03

than fifteen feet, but it looked very ter.
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 I caught a
branch and thus climbed down.
felt certain now that / must be
very near the valley floor, for I haa
been descending a long time. Behind
me, in the hOllOws of the canon, the
shadows ofevening were already lying.
had sprained my ankle in the de-
scsnt-an injury that at any other time
would have disabled me, but now could
not be allowed to impede HiT progress.
l limped along, hoping and fully ex-
pecting to see, at q turning not far off,
the valley before me, the green fields
and the dwellings of men. How were
my hopes Knocked when found, in
stead, a precipice fully sixty feet deep.
! With cry Of horror, | drew back and
| wrung my hands in despair. Had
been saved from the jaws of a savage
| beast only to die more terribly by starv-
alton, or to be dashed to pieces in q
rocky chasmP Nature had never
/ seemed to me so pitiless. The stony
walls looked down at me in awful
\ silence. The yawning precipice at my
| feet seemed waiting with sickening
/ expectancy.
Before this ] he'd been afraid to
! speak aloud, for fear of rOusing some
| wild animal, but now l should Be glad
! to see or hear any thing with lie, even
If it We're a savage. | shouted myself
boarse, but only strange echoes an
swered me from the frowning woods
| The shadows grew deeper. / must do
somethine-anv thing.
" occurred to me to make rope OF
some of my clothing and thus descend.
1t was the work of but a moment to
take off my long stockings and tie
them together, and then to add my
scarf. All this made only four or five
f! yards IN length, I 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, l crept to the edge
( Gnd let the rope down to measure the
| distance. 1t still lacked II little. The
deficiency was soon supplied from the
| sleeves Uf fhy Jacket. The root of a
pine afforded 8 convenient place for
! attaching the rope; and, having first
| tested every foot Of it to make sure
Thru IL would bear my weight l was
ready to push of.
Several times [ looked over and my
/ head grew dizzy. l decided to 90
| backward, to Obviate that difficulty
| Fearing my shoes would be O him
derance in my clingihg to the rope. I
I pushed them over, together with my
| cartridge belt Another instant Of hes
itation and .heart-siDking, and l was
4 fairly off I reached the bottom sore
ana breathless, but safe. Another trial
| awaited me. In the gathering gloom
l could not find my shoes, and the
sharp stones cut my tender feet at ev-
cry step. Moreover, l dreaded rattle
snakes, and listened with painful
acuteness for the warning rattle.
did not hear any thing, and soon lost
that fear in my OyerpOwering anxiety
/ to reach some human habitatiOn.
1t grew dark so rapidly that | had to
use my stick at every step, as q blind
man does, TO feel the way before me.
Before I had CROPPED along many rods
/ my guide gave me timely warning of q
! chasm. Feeling for . stone | hurled it
! forward and heard 1t strike far down
! below me. / could 90 no farther-at
least until daylight-so, drawing back
Il few feet, sat down to wait. / was
/ so weary that fell Immediately asleep.
[ was awakened by n riile-shOt, fol-
/ lowed quickly by a second report, but
/ they sounded q long way off
l started up and tried to shout an
answer, but my Overstrained throat
could make no noise except q hoarse
croaking, like q child with Group. ]
was sure the shots came from my
friends. searching for me. In the
pocket OF my jacket were sonic matches
thatI had not before remembered. 1t
was not q moment before had scraped
I some dry leaves together and set fire
I to them. A number of cones had
fallen from the pines above, and there
was n mass Of dry chaparral, so that
l had no lack of fuel.
BY tho blaze / could see the nature
pE tn place around me. | was
standing on platform much like the
one from which | had descended. On
one side was the sheer wall, on the
other the prccipice. l was hemmed in
by prison walls. | heaped on branches
till the flames ran high and made a
roaring sound. The whole canon was
Illuminated, and the tall pines looked
like SpecteTs in the fantastic light.
stretched my hands towards the genial
warmth. and felt that salvation was
near for my friends must see the light.
y cracking noise at a little distance
drew my attention. Chaparrel, cones.
Ail'f lpAttN9 t3tttlloNAh IS Ntlf atbAetAC~ L
had set the canon on fire Dismav sue
cccdcd my short-lived gleam of hope.
In front was the chasm, behind the
fire | was two rods from the ledge,
. aud The flames crept towOrds me. !
moved forward.
This Sudden and awful danger gave
. me voice. screamed wildly as the
ire reached out long, adder-like tongues
for ne.
A voice above shouted to me.
: Quick, quick!' l cried, ''or it's too
later
: The fire had driven me SO near the
edge that a step would have hurled me
over l felt the terrible calm that
comes 10 one when hope is dead.
saw Two snakes leap upward in the
J blaze and writhe about each other in
agony.
Catch this. and tie it under Your
arms, shouted 4 voice, and rope fell
at my feet.
was saved; but never since have |
cared for hunting. I was cured by the
dying look of the white deer Saata
Louise dHdCrS0n, IN -4rgORdH.
GONE A-FlSHIN'.
A Postmaster Who Believes in Enjoying
Life While He Can.
Summer visitors to little towns shut