Los Cerrillos rustler. (Cerrillos, N.M.) 188?-1891, 1888-12-07

AAAs tftA AAH NAAAtAAAA NAANN OF AEI
breast
II could have hcen bat a moment
when recovered myself b. raise my
gun. But before ! could hrc. Roland.
who had already backed half around.
suddenly gave a wild snort and a side
ways leap. and dartcd from under me
/ remember making an Intellectual
clutch Al name and saddle; then all l.
a blank 10 me. for ] know not how
many minutes.
In falling ] must have struck my
head upon a stone. and become insen-
sible for that blessed interval. On
opening my eyes again, the FIRST thing
j consciously saw was an inverted tree
moving past me. against the back
ground OF a elf. where there were
more moving, inverted trees. ! was
wondering vaguely NJ this. when /
perceived that Il was my own body
that was in motion. / was being
dragged along the edge Of a bank. over
which my head was hclplcssly hang
ing. Strange as Il may SEEM. ! no
longer felt the deadly fright which had
80 appalled, me at first / knew that /
was In the clutch OF the most icrocious
Of our wild beasts; M that had been
known to kill even the enormous griz-
ely bear in open fight But remained
passive. powerless. almost reconciled
10 my fate.
/ expected nothing less than that !
should be dragged 10 some spot that
suited the creatures ideas OF conven-
fence and safety. and there eaten at
her leisure. And when once she
snarlingly Pid me down, and lifted
her head TO look around. ! said TO my
self quietly: My time has Gomez
She had been carrying me by the
folds Of my hunting-jacket, which was
Of strong velveteeu. fitting loosely. l
couldn't feel that ! was seriously in
jured as yet; and that discovery re-
vived In me a desire to live.
/ thought Of my mother and friends
with an indescribable rush OF emo
tions. fear and longing despair; and
made Il movement, 10 learn II ] still
had the use OF my limbs.
That movement was instantly an
swered by so deep and savage a growl
from the lioness that | did not venture
to make another. She clapped IA paw
upon my shoulder, while her fangs
met again in the folds OF my jacket;
%crouching owe me in an attitude
which convinced me that | was inn
mediately to be torn to pieces. The
side OF her muzzle and one great fam
ing eye were close to my face; her
whiskers tickled my cheek.
Instead Of tearing me, however, she
presently began TO drag me again,
lifting my head and shoulders clear
from the ground. My legs trailed;
my heels knocked on the stones. |
looked up into the whitish under fur
Of her powerful sideways-turned neck,
and felt ut every step the working OF
her shoulder-bone against my side.
She not only carried me in this man.
ner with seeming ease, but coming TO
the face OF the rock several feet high,
she leaped up with me, as n cat might
leap to a window-sill with a kitten in
her mouth.
i remember distinctly nothing more,
until something darkened over me; 1t
was IA heavily projecting ledge from
the brow of a cavern, in the
shadow of which she laid me
down again; growing, and Civ
ing my shoulder Il couple Of sharp
taps with her paw. These were in
tended, | thought, 70 see II | was still
alive. But | made no motion, although
felt her claws pierce through to my
flesh. | lay partly on my left side,
with my feet toward the mouth
of the cave; and | could look out
into the boughs OF II spruce-tree that
grew on the slope. | shall never
forget how strange u shaft of sunshine
appeared, slanting through these
boughs!
U~nhappily / could also see the OBJ
jects within the cave, not agreeable to
contemplate. Right before my eyes
lay a couple of well-gnawed bones on
the Uttered floor. Mingled with the
beasts growing ! heard other sounds
which, together with the u%ncanny
sight OF the bones, filled me with fresh
terror. Mysterious, indescribable, they
proceeded from the depths of the cave
harsh. hungry, mewing and whining
cries, rs If the hollow behind me had
been packed full Of savage creatures,
tumbling over and smothering one
another.
These noises grew less mualed, and
seemed TO approach nearer; then three
furry creatures, about the size OF
common eats, but much clumsier, came
crawling oyer and about me. snifino