The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1889-09-27

covered us by scent or our taking,
and came toward us, fercely groWl-
ing and gnashing his teeth, until
he had gained the open air through
what appeared to be common
pathway for wild beasts.
We made the best of our way
down the side of the mountain
until we reached the timber, when
we cut spruce and white birch and
made roaring fire, stripped our
selves of our outer garments, and
commenced the process of drying
our clothes and cooking our supper,
after which we laid our tired
bodies down to rest and sleep.
Although the stream in the ravine
beside which we were sleeping
roared like the elements in a
thunder storm, and the wind
howled among the craggy rocks
of the steep mountainside, and the
proximity of wild beasts we had
heard, all would, in the beginning
Of our journey, have kept sleep far
from us, and scary night Of
frightful visions before US, we slept
on, and awoke in the early morn
ing refreshed and ready to devour
our frugal meal. After breakfast,
our courage being somewhat re-
newed, and the morning clear, |
said to Mr.. P, s'Let us go back to
the cave and look It over a little"
ssWell,n said p, ssif you feel like it,
and have got some bullets left, |
am willing, but we may have some
serious trouble with that varmint
that followed US out last nigh" !"
ave must run our chances" l
said, ''but this is once in lifetime,
and too good to be lost.'' So we
were soon climbing up the steep
sides of the mountain on our back
tracks again, with a good-sized
roll of birch bark for a torch.
Arriving at the entrance we
came out OF the night before, We
were amazed at the perpendicular
height of the mountain over our
heads, very near seventy-five feet,
along the whole side as far as we
could see. Had we not come
down the crevice into the cave
and out on the lower side, we
should have had to go the length
of the mountain around to get
down its steep siGe.
We now cut stick three feet
long and split one end of it, and
filed the split end with bark,
touched the match and started it.
Watching for signs beside the
little stream that ran along the
passageway, we discovered in the
golden SAND footprint Of a large
animal with long toenails or claws
"a round foot pressed deeply in
as if the creature was a heavy fell
low. We also saw lesser tracks
in the sand of various animals;
some we thought were of the loup
cervier, others hear, wolf, badger;
in fact it was a we'll trodden path
into the cave. The avenue we
were following narrowed after
leaving the brook, so that we had
to stoop and sometimes crawl
through narrow holes. After go
ling 100 feet or more we came in.
to another room, not so large as
the first, but darker and covered
over the top with small stalactites
! and on the tottom with bones and
skulls much the same as the
first.
Looking, with our torch in hand,
we found another passageway
leading further in, and on starting
in a short distance we got a draft
of air strongly impregnated with
the odor of wild beasts, such as
we had smelled in a menagerie.
1--WE hesitated; and listening in
tently we heard the crying OF what
we thought was young panthers.
After listening intently for some
moments, I said to Mr.. P, HShall
xuo ro On or ,yc hooly2S esTl0 &C