Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-04-26
TNE KUiTEn .hIIl4I,l


about among bowlders aud scrubby
trees, now skirtIng the edge OF the ra.
vine, now crossing a brawling stream,
and again going straight over a rugged
hill.
Along this path man was W ak
ing at pretty rapid pace, look.
ing neither to the right nor left, but
with his fierce gray eyes fixed steadily
before him. He was OF medumheight,
well built, with broad, strong looking
shoulders, in which there was little
stoop. His hair and beard we're OF a
light. ashy brown, his complexion sal
low, and his features commonplace
enough. with the exception OF his eyes,
IN which there was cold, cruel light.
He seemed to be well acquainted with
the country, pursuing his way without
hesitation, though occasionally he
came to a place where another path
intersected the one he was travelling.
Walking thus, neither stacking ror
aceeierating his gait, he came to a hill
much higher and sleeper than any he
had yet crossed. Climbing this he
necessarily went slower and with
more difficulty, but the view that
greeted his eyes when he got to the
top would have well repaid him for
the toll of the ascent lad he been one
TO appreciate the beauties of nature.
Far away was n range of mount.
aims, blue and misty in the distance,
the lines OF elevation gradually sink
ing TO the loot hills, which seemed to
roll away IN great pillows, breakinga at
his very feet IN chaotic mass of
rocks, trees and glancing waters. But
this traveller had no eye for the beau
titul-the distant mountains, which
he stood still for moment to gaze
upon, were to him only q place of
refuge, and that distance which soften
ed their rugged features and lent en-.
chantment to them, be would gladly
have dispensed with.
With a heavy sigh, the first symp.
tom OF weariness he had shown, he
was about to resume his journey when
he suddenly came to stand again,
turning his eyes, in which there was u
startled look, in the direction whence
he had come. He had heard a sound
that he too well knew. IL was the
bay of a hound, just audible, tar
away to the southeast. He listened
intently. The dog did not give voice
continuously, but only at intervals,
and his keen ear detected n difference
in the bays as they came nearer; there
were two dogs running, and running
| over the very route by which he had
come. He knew well what that meant.
He was not deceived. He did not al
low any hopeful fancy to persuade
him that those dogs were in pursuit
OF any tour footed beast. 1t was q
man they were Gfter-he knew it.
When the hound hunts the deer or the
wild cat his yelp is quick aud joyous,
but when he hunts man his voice is
deep and sonorous and breaks on the
still air like the toll of the death bell.
The hunted man turned and looked
at the mountain again, and there was
a great longing in his fierce eyes. Alasl
those blue peaks-how far they were
away. Then, with the activity OF the
panther, which he somewhat resem-
the slope OF the hill, at the foot of
which he plunged into swiftly run.
nins stream.
The water was not deep, coming up
to his knees and wading through that
be ran a hundred yards or more, and
then turning retraced his steps. There
was mountain ash growing about
twenty feet from the stream, its wide
spreading branches reaching out some
thirty feet from the trunk. Climbing
| the tree. he clambered out on one of
the branches overhanging the water
! and dropped from the end of it, wad-
ing considerable distance before
landing, when Inc FASTENED to the top
of another bill and stopped to listen
| inst an instant He could hear the
dogs plainly now; they were rapidly
approaching.
There was place oil refuge that he
knew OF, where no man. he thought,
could find him. No man. But there
were the dogs, whose sense of smell
gence of man. They would track him
to his hiding place in spite of all that
he might do. II he succeeded in reach.
ing this place-it was not far away
they could not get at him there, but
they would know that he was some
where near a. hand. They would
know-ah, yes. the dogs would know,
but the men might think them at
| fault and drive them off. There was
q chance OF that and il was the only
| chance on which he could build a
/ hope But come what would he would
die game; they should not take him
alive. He had no weapon save a long
| bladed knife, which he drew from its
| scabbard in his bosom, glancing at its
| keen edge and thrusting it back again.
He was running while these thoughts
were passing through his brain, and
| in little while he came to q ravine,
| the bottom OF which ne reached by
successive leaps from bowlder to
! bowlder. Then he ran down the ra-
| vine until he came to place where
! the sides were high and precipitous.
| a tree growing on the top of the cliff
| on one side hung over the verge, and
from its gnarled and twisted branches
| depended a. stout grapevine that
reached about tSo.tbirds of the dis.
| tance from tho top to the bottom.
! The man stopped here and with much
difficulty clambered up until he could
! reach this vine, up which he went,
| hand over hand, as a sailor goes up q
rope. About twenty feet from whore
! he started he ceased climbing, and
| giving the vine swinging motion,
after two or three vibrations, sudden
| " disappeared, apparently into the
| very face OF the rock,
| The hounds came on. They lost
the trail at the stream, up which the
! fugitive bad waded. 1t delayed them
a little while-it was all he had ex-
pected-and then they picked it up
again, following it eagerly and plung-
| ing into the ravine, their deep voices
echoing among the rocks and making
as great a clamor as though there had
been full pack engaged in the chase.
Suddenly they stopped and began to
| sniff about the loot of the cliff where
the man had climbed up, holding their
heads up and baying at regular inter-
| walls.
Three men now made their appear
ance, leading their horses, which they
| had been Obliged to dismount, in or
| der that they might pick their way
down an almost impractical path.
The dogs were trying to crawl up the
f.,,.a Of tha pnrk