The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1889-03-14
Hours Of Agony.

J. G. Kinman w'ites from WoOdville,
Montana, to the Butte Miner the following
account Of one Of the most remarkable
adventures ever experienced by pros
pector in the northwest:
One evening last week, after a long
ramble over the hills, had reached the
conclusion TO return home, lest night
should overtake me in that locality, when
came upon trail which had evidently
recently been Travelled. l followed it up
the mountain for some distance, when !
noticed dump right in front Of me. Be
ing a prospector, az a matter Of course !
climbed right up to 1t. The shat out Of
which it came was about fo'iy or City
feet deep, timbered to the bottom. / saw
nothing remarkable about the dump or
shat and might have passed on but for
the great dispropO ton between them,
The dump being more than sufficient to
have filed two shafts the size Of the one
beneath me.
Notwithstanding the night was fast ap-
preaching, l descended the broken ladder
10 the bottom Of the shat. took from
my pocket a piece Of candle which l usu-
ally carry on such expeditions, when by
lis aid ! discovered a ciosscut running
from the bottom Of the shat. The c-oss-
cut had been Jagged up so as 10 conceal it,
but some Of the tagging had fallen to one
side. Upon exploring it 1 found it was
perhaps fifty feet in length and had crocs-
cut the finest body Of o e that ever saw.
The vein was nearly four feet in width
and seemed 10 be widening. Specimens
which l broke rom The ledge showed
naive gold and naive silver.
had stood there examining and admir-
ing the jewel for some time when l hea d
q noise in the shalt. looked, and my
heart stood still, for there in the cut We e
two paits Of fiery eyes glazing at me. I
knew in moment they were mountain
lions. reached for my revolver, but l
had left 1t at home, and my gun was on
top. One who has never been in such a
predicament can hardly imagine the feel
inss, thoughts and emotions Of man in
such peril. l shouted and advanced To-
ward them, but they only growled deS-
ance. / have heard old hunters say such
animals are afraid Of fi-e, so kept my
candle in front Of me, but that would soon
be gone, for 1t was only few inches in
length, aud then would be devoured by
the owners OF those fiery eyes.
The lions kept growing and threaten
ing every moment to attack me. My
candle was growing shorter. Something
had to be done. picked piece Of rock
from the side Of the cut and tied letter 10
II, which CHANGED to have in my pocket.
I men set the letter on fire and threw the
rock with the blazing letter at the lions
and gave a yell, and the way those lions
got out Of the shat was amusing to me
even under the circumstances, for il
seemed to me that had been down the e
a thousand years, though in reality It was
about two hours. When l reached the
top, which did Immediately after the
retreat Of the beasts, heard someone
coming up the trail. l waited. It was
the men who struck the bonanza. They
were astonished to find me there at that
hour and were inclined to be cross, but
when told them what Kind Of an expert
ence had they had good laugh over it.
When 1 asked them some particulars as
to their find they said there was a cloud
on their title to the properly which the
statute Of limitation would dispell, pro
vided the other party was kept in ignor-
ance Of the strike, and added they had
taken out few tons secretly which net.
tel them over $11OO to the ton. After the
boys had secured the opening through
which entered the cut, we all went down
the hill together. As believe in the
right Of the discoverer to reap the benefit
Of his discovery ! shall moi give the boys
away.