The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-06-06
A NORTH CAROLINA ADVENTURE.
HOW AN IDIOT CAPTURED A HORSE THIEF ON
MTCHELLS PEAK
WAS CUNNING.
T By Hunter L. Htr7-is. !

| aftpr'i :; better tOotIng Tor the horses.
The surface WAS covered, for the most
part, up to an altitude Of alb nut 5000
feet, with a heavy forest growth OF
oak, chestnut, and ash, dotted here
and there with great spruce pines.
Above this altitude the growth Is al
rn' st exclusively ba sam.
Patient ling broueil, US past the
hatf way house, over tha great dome
OF Potato Top. down = short distance,
then over the peak called "Cling
mans and the smaller peaks Gibbs
and Haliback, and it was five O'Clock
in the afternoon before we reached the
summit of The monarch Of the Ale
ghanits.
After stalking the horses we settled
ourselves to enjoy the enchating pan
Drama, Of which it were useless to st
tempt q description. When the sun
s: nix behind the bilows Of mounta lis
we were go lost IN admiration of lis
beauty that we scarcely had time to
make ready eur camping place before
the darkness fell, or rather arose, for
thus it seem. To do on the mountain
top.
We were to sleep under shelter
formed by TIE shelving of ledge of
rocks, at !; short distance from the
summit. Oar limbs ached so much
from cur exertions that we were dis
posed t. look upon prospective bed
of balsam boughs as a luxury.
\ fire of balsam logs was kiDdled in
front ~ tla ,rra.t ,nnlr f,r the
ture 1T this altitude was quite low,
notwithstanding the fact that it was
midsummer Besides this, the fire
", uld be ofservice to frighten IF any
prowling wild beast, for black bears
and wild cats are quite often seen on
the Black Mountains.
"Rattlesnakes" were suggested, but
the guide offered to "eat all you ketch-
ed above the half way home" With
this assurance we drew over us our
blankets, and, with feet extended 10
! the fire, we slept.
do not know how long had been
asleep when | became conscious Of
some movement near me. finally
managed 10 arouse myself, and found
that the fire had died down, and that
puffs of cloud were being blown over
US BY the wind. | started 70 get up
to rake together the smouldering logs,
but seeing the idiot, John, sitting
drawn up, with his chinson his knees,
and acting rather strangely, | paused.
| He had been shaking the erd of a
bough on which l lay, and as l look
ed at him, he pointed his finger up the
ledge to where those of the other party
were sleeping. | followed the move
ment with my eyes, but seeing nothing
unusual. l started again to go toward
the fire, thinking that john was in-
dulging in some Of his usual contor
tions. But as he kept pointing,
again looked and had my curiosity
aroused by seeing a figure, which | re
cognized as that Of the hall bred, step
ping about very cautiously among the
slumberers.
Their fire had died down so much
that | could not see well enough tC
make out what his actions meant
Seen he came out from under tbs
ledge and disap cared in the path t.
the summit.
At this the old man became excited
and after watching the retreating ig
ure until he could see it no longer, ht
sprang up and stole around the lowel
end OF the Granite ledge. This leds,
is several hundred yards in length anC
rusis from the edg of the summit, ol
the north side in direction perpeudi
cular to thai of the chain. The ledg,
slopes toward the north, and it wa
under the shelter thus formed that w
sept
On the south side the surface ssope'
off rapidly, and was covered with th
almost impenetrable growth Of balsan
to the very base of the ledge. Sume
thing prompted me to follow the ole
mon, though | took the precaution t,
get from my pack revolver.
| had thought that side of the ledg
almost untrodden by human footsteps
but soon found myself mistaken, 10
the old man darted quickly forwar'
close TO the face of the rock, and as
followed as best | could, saw that W
were in an uBsed trail which afforded
passage, cramped and dangerous as
, was.
.John kin ketch yer,& he said t.
himself with chuckie Then bega
To see what the old fellows idea was
!, and when,- after some very perilou
climbing, | saw before us the wei
marked path by which we hal ascend
, ed the mountain, 1 realized that h
would in some way intercept the half
breed at this point.
[ had cause to be thankful, in thi
climb of about two hundred yards, fo
my previous training in this direction
for | was obliged sometimes to hold d
} with my fingers in cracks of the rock.
/ and several times | came near fallin
into the tops of the dark balsams be
: low.
+ Immediately upon reaching thi
path, John crouched in the shadow Z
: a clumpzof balsams, keeping shar
J lookout toward the summit. did th
same, hardly knowing why, and felt,
confess it, a little nervous in the con
/ pany of this idiotic old fellow
J Soon the unmistakable sound of
horses hoos striking against the rock