The National tribune., 1889-10-10

| the south and left of me. | saw the rude form
of an cid cabin The thickness of the brush
around IL denoted that il was unnhahited by
human beings At first / thought Of taking
shelter there, but i had always possessed a
| peculiar dislike at being entertained in old
waste houses. Knowing that, if this cabin was
not already occupied by "spooks" of some
kind, it would at least he likely place to find
q den of snakes, / instinctvely SHE'D off as
| close to the base of the peak to my right as
could, aud concluded TO climb to its summit,
| where might get out of this thicket of under
brush, and being above the other hills, might
be able to see the light of the campfres in the
! distance. But here found was cut off by q
! ledge of rock that protruded from the side of
| the hill. which forbade my passage TO It's sum-
init followed this ledge for some distance but
could find no Creyice through which could pass.
\ Proceeding further on, new difficulty pre-
scented itself; for discovered, almost too late,
that ! was standing on the verge of great
| precipice. / seemed to be looking down into a
deep chasm. | had no means of ascertaining,
In the darkness, the extent of its range, neither
! could 1 form any idea of its depths; but 1t
| looked in the darkness TO be of such nature
as 10 forbid any attempt TO descend the ledge
| before me.
/ now started out to reconnoter the situation
! 10 my left; but after wandering through the
! brush rs far as ] cared to venture in that di-
rection, and finding no way of descent re-
| traced my steps to where / first struck the
| precpice. Here ] sat down for moment in
utter bewilderment, thinking how strangely
nature had knit the two lodges together, that
there should not even be a passageway between
the one protruding from above and the one
jutting out below.
Seeing ] was SO completely nonpussed in
every attempt to find the road, ani finding no
way of escape from my terrible situation, had
about concluded TO bivouac until morning; for
by this time it was after midnight. But
reasoned thus: If lay down, my exhausted
nature would give way TO sleep. aud while thus
unguarded wOuld likely be torn to pieces by
some wild animal. Death was not so much of
terror at that time, but had peculiar dis
like to dying in the jaws of panther. ! had
a mind to leap from the ledge into the abysmal
depths below, but this would have been rock-
less adventure, for l would likely be dashed TO
pieces on the rocks. ] felt very lonely and un-
happy. Oh! how longed to see my mother.
felt the application of the words of the Psalm
list when he exclaimed. "Oh, that had wings
like dove, for then would / fly away and be
at rest"
In this short meditation my last conclusion
was to follow the ledge back and pass through
the gap 10 where l had encountered the pam
Their, aud pass around again TO the east side of
the peak. Bat just then j heard panther
scream near the gap. This supposed To be
mate To the one ! had already encountered,
and likely was seeking revenge for its lost
mate. Not caring 10 encounter him. made
another effort 10 find a passageway out OF my
horrible situation; but finding none. / pre-
pared myself 10 meet him if he came upon me.
now thought if attacked ] would defend my
self with the saber but a few evolutons Of
that weapon convinced NE that the saber would
be useless weapon in such thiclSot, and that
must rely on the one cartridge i'm my tTusty
revolver, and turned 10 go near the ledge,
that might jump Off If necessary. Just then
] saw a tree which / had not noticed before,
which seemed to rise up from the decliyity
below, the top or which extended somewhat
above the ledge whore stood. its limbs reach
ing out well towards me. as IL trying TO extend
friendly aid. Could ] but get OH one Of those
limbs ] thought could descend by the trunk
OF the tree; or i might perch there until
morning. How could get the limbs? was
the question. by reaching out my sabcr /
could just reach the end of the nearest twig,
showing 1T TO be not less than five feet from
me, and would have 20 leap much farther to
catch the limb where il would be strong enough
TO hold me; besides. If should be successful
IN catching tho limb, would not the sndden
concnssion by my weight cause it TO break,
and throw me violently down on the Jagged
rocks below?
To leap, catch and hold to the limb would be
a wonderful feat, even in daylight: aud an at
tempt in the darkness / knew to be very haz-
ardOus. But had no further time for consid-
GRAFTON, for the panther was upOn me-
The greatest ordeal Of my life was before me-
] became somewhat nervous at first, aud felt
Ike ! should sink IN my tracks; but the next
moment, a. the beasts eyes seemed TO fash fire
right 10 my face. rallied all the strength that
my exhausted nature had retained, Cred my
last shot. threw my saber over the ledge, and
with almost superhuman effort leapcd far out
from the ledge into the mir.
Did catch the limb? Yes, thank Heaven,
aud held fast. too; and though the limb was
not large one, II was tough one, aud held
me firmly, suspended in the air. Ny nerves
bad been screwed up 10 their highest tension for
the past few hours, aud nIy strength was nearly
exhausted. therefore found was entirely in.
capable Of drawing myself up so as 10 catch my
feet or the limb; neither could touch any oh.
ject with my feet which would have given 80
much case 10 my fast falling arms In this
condition was hanging somewhere between
the heavens aud the earth, and knew not how
far from either. bat knew / must soon come in
contact With some portion of the eArth's sur.
face.
Thus from ihe tree iu dread suspended
DE thought nay Ills would sO1n be- ended:
The yawnHg beast lay erouehed above me,
Or frowning rocks stood out below me.
could feel the limb, slowly but surely,
drawing through my hands. To fall WAS iu-
eyitable. The question concerning me most
Was how far should fall. Another query WAS
Should / reach the ground uuhurt, would not
the panther leap from the ledge upon me before
could rally aud prepare for combat2
These thoughts, however, were only of an
lnsiants duration, for the next moment the
limb passed from my hands and with shut
eyes, elenched teeth aud bated breath fell
But had been hanging 80 much nearer the
ground than had supposed, that / was very
pleasantly surprised 10 find myself standing on
my feet, nnhnrt, save a slight confusion Of my
left knee. caused by the jar in the fall. / now
began an exploration 10 fad where was, for
seemed 10 be in a large excavation. and hem
med IN by formidable wall. IL was very dark,
so that i could see but little but by the faint
light aud glinmeriug starlight that penetrated
from above, could see that was la a great
cavity, the extent Of which was several hun
dred feet IN length aud as many feet wide; but
as yet was unable To find any way of egress
by going near the ledge from which had
jumped, and looking up. could see that the
rocks projected nj the top by several feet and
were about 20 feet from top to bottom. The tree
which Jet me down had grown up in the cavity
among the powders, which lay promiscuously
around.
1t seemed likely 10 me that / was at the en-
trance Of a panther's den, and the one attack
ing me on the ledge might have escaped 10 this
den while was hanging TO the tree, and would