Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-08-08

FOR a SECOND / WAS STUNNED Ut THE siGHr-
getting US cut Of ii, and accordingly We be-
seiged him with questions as we sat at ths
table
Il dunno, he said. '',xhut we kin do. In
fact il pears right smart ter me like we
can't do no,hln' but sfarve e oct"
We ight manage TO get down TO the
valley. I suggested
Not likely to- Brady replied, with
them gorges Jam fun er snow. Way, some
gv en- air hfty feet deep. Reckon we're
gone Up on any sich hope - thet.'
Il m in fer trJ in il. ans how, Jerry said.
we mout make it,
We kin try it, the Cd man said, 'but 4:
wont do no good"
The storm ragged, II possible, with greater
violence than ever, and the snow sweps
1iong in such cloud that IL was almost I'M
possible TO fight our way through il. Bus
we struggled and toiled slowly on, only 20
Gnd that oIr effort was vain and that
passage was entirely out q the question.
Il was twelve oel1ck when we reached the
-abln again, and We were . blue lot Of ten
derfect mdeed
Wal. boys.f Brady remarked .'vwc'r.
showed Up here fer tasr winter. Judge. an
though we've get plenty er god, s'pect
well git moUty hungry Gold haiu't much
good TO er feller when they hahn nothin' hs
Kin buy with u
But when a week had passed and we sat
down 20 the table u part2ke % 4 scanty
breakfast composed q tie remnants % our
provision supply ft beEan 70 look quite blue.
aud I. for one, thought a great deal Of ny
Old Eastern home and of the well nlIeI
larder that the home folks always kept We
ate in silence, Tor or coalition was bscom-
iug too serious for laughter. and even Andy
felt that the time had come 20 cease his
jlxes and stories. When We had finished
our breakfast. Carter ieaned back and sad.
Boys, somethinf has got ter be done
Wal / agree with you thar" Jerry re
Piled, '-0ut the question =, wbutf'
Yes. whgtfi we repeated
Wal" the old man observed. thar
hain't bgt one thing 70 do, a. that = ter try
thcr pass erElu- They ant nothia' ln these
higgins ter eat. an cur Only show i ter Kit
l0wu ther ranse-H
Then it's my lee. = said Jerry. '.tha, we'd
- well give Up - die fer 4 q er goat - any
givin' eritter kia git down ther range in this
snow"
1t pears moaty hopeless.~ the Old nan
sad. .-bgt il won do - set here an s-.srvs.
We kin try It, an sometklu' may come outen
IT,
We sailed forth. and fer hours beat our
way through tae drifts Our progress was
,lox, and the farther we weut the worse II
oeramc- A. last. tired out. hungry and al.
| most frozen. we were compelled 70 abandon
he struggle and seek the cabin for shelter.
As we sat about the fire that n-rtt W.
/ ,alxed but little. AMI as we became thor
lughly warm we sought our banks and feI
/ % sleep. The Old maR was always the last
% retire. and when [ turned in he was still
sitfing in the corner smoking hls pipe
had been IA bed an h0ar probably when
I was awaksEei by = strnng draught Of cold
air, and sPrHging quickly Up l beheld
sight that stilIed M heart for the time.
The door stood WIDE open, and there before
he IRE sat the Old man fast asleep, willis
before him stood a huge bear Just in the act
q embracing h.s prey. For second was
stunned By the sight. but guicx as a fash
resolved 70 at, and snatehing my pistol
from the floor, toox aim as best could in
he dim, giIE-ulering freight, and trembling
with fear lest / should mss my mark By one
ineh and send the bail into the heart Of nv
friend. or lest my ball should not prove
fatal and we should have a battle with an
snraged bear, l pulled the trigger with a
trembling hnger. and there was sharp re-
port, an unearthly groEl, and the bear fell
Head Just as he had laid bis paws around
the Old mans form
IL was a terrible moment 70 me, and L was
greatly relieved whes saw my compan-
ions gather about and realized tnar the old
man was safe.
During the two weeks following vrc lived
very comfortably on bear meat, and be
coming better recouciied 70 our los we
passed very pleasant time One day
asked the old man where be supposed tne
bear came FROM, and be replied:
Il dunno. but l reckon he must a beca
showed up In cave summers close, fer I
don think he could cone much distance
Likely he got hungry eruus 20 force his way
INTO our cabin with the ice o. gittiE' s0ns-
thin to eat. and got eat hisself iastid."
Wal, il was lucky fer Is he come Jerry
replied, ''or we'd er been er past eatin' long
| af0re now"
The weather tGrued warm then Gad the
l snow thawed cut 50 that we were able 10
/ reach the post We soon forgot our ad-
venture and in the spring returned 70 ous
| mine ard went On with our work
!. P. HoSTEIE-.