The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-11
RBSCBER AND RESCUED.

VI 4OOA pAN wal a. VIZ ASN'Si
constructed cabin in which they had
made their abode.
Outside, and but few yards from the
cabin, Knots creek-usually the LATEST
driest little stream, with scarcely enough
water in its rusty bed to do the washing
for the little band of prospectors-was
now tearing and boiling down Jackson't
Gulch with hourly increasing force
venom and volume.
1.-TWO feet more and the creek will be
up to the cabin" said young Allen
Smith as he entered and dashed the
water from his cap. go :,
1--WE can do nothing now till day'
light" he continued, "then we must try
to climb the cliffs and get over to Hemp
hills ranch. That is the nearest point
"We've got to leave here, and that
right off. See, the water is up to the
cabin !" shouted raw-boned man, the
oldest OF the party, who had up to this
time been sitting in moody silence, with
his eyes on the muddy floor.
"You are right, Bulger; the logs arc
shaking. Let us take only what we car
carry without trouble"
Bulger secured the little bucksin bal
which contained the washings OF the
past six weeks, and Dick Gross made q
dash for the haversack, containing then
very limited supply OF food.
Already the water was knee-deep, anC
in the darkness Sim Jenkins volunteered
to act as guide, going ahead with rope
and followed by Dick Gross holding on
Bulger and Allen Smith brought up thu
rear.
Clinging to the slippery rocks, with
numbed and blistered fingers, they
scrambled up, up, till some overhanging
ledge would apprise them OF the futility
OF their blind and desperate eXertions
and force them down in the darkness tc
the foaming waters edge, to seek some
other avenue OF escape.
Another ascent, and Allen Smith, who
stumbled for an instant, saw before hin
the indistinct flash OF knife in the UNI
certain light, and he fell, grasping in hi.
right hand the fragment OF severed rope
Clinging with desperation toa slippery
point that overhung the yeast OF waters
Allen Smith had still time for an age o
flying thoughts. The rope was cut wher
he ieil-cut by Bulger, the man in front
The man hated him, and that hatret
had its foundation in the rejection o
Bulger by Lucy Hemphill nearly a yea
before.
Gradually Allen Smiths hold loosenet
on the rock. He felt himself going, ant
he asked heaven for mercy between thu
rock and the river into which like ~
atom he was plunged.
Up through creviCe in the bank Sin
jerks struggled and tugged, followed BY
the putting Dick Gross aud the gloom!
Bulger, till they reached rocky plateau
that gave them barely standing room
and there they determined to stay unit
daylight should enable them to pursue
their Journey with more certainty.
Sim jerks and Dick Gross commented
with genuine sorrow on the death o
their friend, Allen Smith, to whom the!
were warmly attached; but Bulge
maintained a gloomy silence as HI
grasped in his deep pocket the buckskil
bag filed with dust, and wondered how
long it would take Lucy Hemphill Il
forget Allen Smith:
DAYLIGHT came, disclosing the gloom!
walls rising about them, and lost i'll th
clouds of whirling snow above, wbicl
came drifting in white waves into til
gulch and around the plateau on whicl
they stood.
"Stay here, boys, and I'll so to tn
head OF this cut, and see how things loo
beyond. II the road amt good, We XII
get back to Jackson's Gulch, for it don
take tho water long to empty out dow
thar"
AS Bulger spoke, he strapped his phi
tolls outside his fur overcoat, aud starte
up the ravine.
His companions sat down and watche
him till he turned corner fifty yarC
above,
81 don't take much stock in Bulge
Sim, (" said Dick Gross, looking aronn
him with a hungry expression, as
they might in some miraculous way =
something edible on the bare, cold rocl
about him.
Sim had barely time to imply TIL
Dicks sentiments met his approva
when bang! bang! in rapid successio
came the reports OF pistols from Il
angle in the rocks above, and both me
fell bleeding on the little plateau.
Allen Smith was never more consciol
in his life than when he dropped fro
the slippery rock into the torrent
Knots Creek.
He could swim, and he made de
perate effort to strike out, but his stror
arms were powerless against the strong
current, and he was dashed about like
bubble.
How long time elapsed before
reached Coyote Creek he could not TEL
but the equally sudden and powerfl
current OF the Coyote entered Knott
Creek nearly at right angles, where Il
waters battled for the right OF way iii
whirlpool,
Into this Allen Smith was drawn ar
swept about in the giddy, circling edd
: He grasped something, but it seemC
like dream. Reason and hope we
I out, and Allen Smith suffered all h
} pains Of death and became unconsCior
He awoke, but he was still in JAG
: sons Gulch, A fire was burning ne
him. He was lying on warm blanke
q Two men were standing near the fiji
q he recognized them as Sol Hemphill n
4 a neighbor. There was soft hand {
; his forehead, and q warm breath on !
= cheek. He looked up, and there, wi
: q pale, anxious face, was the pretty Lu
= Allen was kissed, and the two m
!: shook his poor, Iacerated hand gent
! but none the less heartily; and {
!. Hemphill, who would not permit All
1, TO rise, explained the situation.
= "Lucy got up last night about
9 O'Clock, lookin' awful white an pur
9 an says, Father, thar's trouble over
4 Jaekson's Guich. / have had an aw
dream, an I'm goin' thar ! thoul
4 she was crazy, but nothin' would do