Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-05-02
II b. onlv bad some plar. to ret hi- fee.-

IL he Dnly bad sofae pias'e 70 resf AS fee.-
Il there was oaiy loop IL the rope.
Here he made a joyful discovery There
was loop in the lower end Of the ropei He
bad riasle loopin ii himself tefore lowering
/. aoru thinking he might And ii necessary
He qEicsly let himself down little. wien
al. tcet we're on a levei with the loop. Then
he thrust ais right foot into it. This gave
hin ance to rest his arms By releasing
them Of most Of the weight that they had
been eoEHpeiie,i TO sustain
de brat he'd easier nov He was 10 40 i'm
msiiIte talg4r, and fell that be could main
tain his present position for little while al
leass.
4 aork oe Wild ducks eew swiftly by tin
end settled down IN the river quarter Of a
mile away A cricket sang it, slrill refrain
IN the r cks overhead, AMI the sound Of water
rushing arnoag the oowlders hundred feet
below came family To bis ear and sent Il cold
sbiyer thr,sG-h him. How long would be
have to wait TIL sofna means of escape should
present itse.fi
Even with his foot resting in the hoop. his
pasation was a trying one 70 his strength and
rJull MT he maintained for any grea: lsngth
Of time
lie could sill hear the great cat moving
ahoGt on the rock occasionally,
lie turned his gaze upward and as be did
~ be ranght sl-ht OF the end Of the fuse
dangling over the side OF the ledge. AMI reach
ing down three or four feet below the pro
jection
A sudden daring resolve entered Joe's mind
lie world fire the fuse and explode the powder
In the cFeyicc above.
He felt sure this would succeed in driving
the lion from his position
He could fire the fuse by climbing up few
feet and then return to his present place Of
Temporary security, where be would be shell
tered from the dying rocks Blu; another
thought came to hin.
What II some Of tho rocks blown from the
cliff should strike the rope and sever it
The thought startled him. But then he re-
merntered his father in blasting in the we'll
had often left the rope in without It's being
injure, in any way
He was determined TO try the experiment
at any rate His situation was a desperate
one, and he felt that be would have TO EN-
rloy desperate means in order to make his
escape He climbed slowly upward till IN
reach Of the fuse, The hon, evidently aware
that some one was approaching, uttered an
angry growL
hand from the rope while he lit the match.
aud in order to hold himself on the rop he
was compelled to wind the rope about one Of
his feet and hold il in place with the other
His hand trembied as lie held the lighted
match to the end Of the fuse. A little
wreath Of black smoke rose up as the tar on
the fuse began to burn, and then-a shower
Of small sparks followed by a low, Kissing
sauui The fu,.4 had ,aught,
10 dropped the match and hurriediy slid
down the rope to his former position. He
could hear his heart beat as he waited and
listened He counted the seconds rs they
went By. What if the fuse was detective
and should fall
A loud report. that shook the very face Of
the cliff, sounded overhead, and at the same
instant the lion with Wild scream OF terror.
followed by a great mass of rocks and dust,
shot OUT over the preciplce, and fell with ter
rife force down. down on to the rocks a hun
bred feet below
10 hurriedly drew himself to the led sc
above, and then, overcome with the exer-
ton and excitement, lie fell senseless on the
roc.:s
When tie recovered consciousness he climbed
to the top of the cliT and hurried home, where
be related his adventure to his astonished pa
rents
The next day 10 and his father returned to
the place, and found the mountain lion lying
dead at the edge of the river on the rocks at
the foot of the elf.
Over fifty pounds Of honey were obta ned
from the crevice where 10 had Cred the pow
der but be never forgot how near il had come
to costing him his life. Golden Days