, 1890-09-17
RIDING ON SNOW SHOES.
SLIDING DOWN A MOUNTAIN PuR.
SUED BY HUNGRY WOLVES.

ernor Chased by wild Beasts, lie
Trusts Himself to the Rough and
wooded Mountain Side.
Perhaps not many people east of the
Rocky mountains have ever travelled on
snow shoes. The Norwegian nov shoes,
or skees, are the ones mostly used here.
Going down a decline one goes at such
a terrific rate of speed hat one has TO
use a brake-that is, ride the pole, =
which is generally a stick some eight
feet long, which is held in front in the
hands and then sat upon so it will
Rlow in the snow. thus lessening the
sSeed.
On the 18th Of February l started from
my cabin at the foot of Storm mountain
to make a trip t the top to see il the
fur bearing animals were stiU cut. It is
only about ten miles to the top, and /
reckoned that / could easily make there
and back in a day. Packing a slight
lunch l tied it to my belt and started.
When Ihad reached the top and looked
1t over J was surprised TO find the sun
just going down. Darkness falls very
sudden in this country after SHUTDOWN,
and concluded to await the rising Of
the moon, which l knew would rise soon
after dark, as it would be dangerous
snowshoeing down the mountain side in
the dark, for one could not keep the trail
and would be liable to rush headlong
against q tree or go plunging over a
precipice.
SURROUNDED BY Wolves.
Darkness fell as l have never seen it
before. Everything was obliterated.
sat on my snow shoes at the head Of the
trail waiting for the light Of the moon.
The silence vas oppressive. All around
me | could see the dim outlines Of the
snow capped peaks. dark and somber.
rearing their heads toward the sky. !
must have fallen asleep, but / awoke
with a start at the cry OF a panther COM
ing from n path of green timber n short
distance TO the left. This was followed
by the cry of "A timber wolf, which was
answered by another and another, until
the hills resounded with their weird
bowls. Soon gaunt shadows fitted from
tree to tree all around me. Then the
awful thought burst upon me that l was
surrounded by wolves, which n. this sea-
son of the year are very hungry and
fierce.
II l could keep them at bay until the
moon rose / was safe, as | could easily
keep away from them. As ono came
close | did a very foolish thing. Pulling
my revolver, / shot him through the
body. With a fearful yell he started to
run, the blood pouring from the wound
in a stream. He was pounced upon in n
second and torn to pieces by his com
p~anions. Crazed bya taste of blood the
xrkIla sea1nfa1 Aonlr .l.aEr.I ,,Nn, ,,.a
IL was growing light in the east where
the moo would soon rise, but was still
too dark to travel with safety: but ! tar
ried not.
Hastily slipping my feet In the leath-
ers of my snow shoes | started down the
steep incline as IL shot from a catapult.
Down, down. down into the darkness ]
rushed at a headlong rate. A gaunt
brute crouching near n tree sprang at
my throat, but he had not calculated on
my rate of speed and passed harmlessly
through the air ten feet behind me. On
anne the pack, but their cries became
fainter and fainter, and ! soop-began- to
ride my p5SJfand sfacken my rate of
speed, as ! was passing close to the
brink of n precipice and soon had a u
to make, which one cannot easily do
with snow shoes twelve feet long. |
stopped Mt tho turn to await the rising of
the moon, which soon came up, making
it as light as day.
FLYING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SIDE
l believed hat the wolves had left to
hunt some slower game. but that delu-
sion o suffered a rude shock. Soon
the yelps commenced with redoubled
ft,trr ne Vha.r aa.pFu1 VV,a aud nap,n a11gar
and closer. Igot on my shoes and waited.
nothing loath to showing them again
how easy it was to give them the slip.
On they came, and as they got close |
started out once more, but was Mortified
to find that at this place the decline was
not great enough for the shoes to run
themselves. had forgotten until this
time about this place. There was a bench
about 600 yards long, and from there
the trail veered TO the right and for half
a mile descended very nearly at an angle
Of 45 degs.; then the angle was not quite
80 much, but still very steep, down n
trail as straight rs n string TO my cabin,
seven miles below.
On came the bowling pack, and know
ing it was life or death to get to the
steep decline before my pursuers | bent
every energy to reach it. As | reached
the turn / could hear their yelps right
behind me, and could even hear their
heavy breathing. While l was turning
my shoes one big brute in advance of the
rest reached me, and with n fearful
snarl sprang ut my head. stopped, and
as he went over me | Strengthened my
self on my shoes and started down the
steep hill. / plunged down with a
speed that no steam could give. Trees
flew like spectres; looking down the
narrow path it seemed like n plunge I o
destruction.
Ny pole snapped like a pipe stem I'M
der the heavy strain, and l bounded for
ward with increased speed. The world
swan before my eyes; trees reeled back
from my course with n horrible night
mare weirdness. | don't exactly re-
member what the next sensation was,
but | tried to peep ont from under the
brm of my hat, and it was all n blur
trees, rocks, landscape We're all blended
together in an undistinguishable mass.
1t seemed An age, but it was in fact hut
very few moments until my speed be.
gan to Decrease. Tho momentum WAS
speeding me out onto the mesa INDIAN
for valleyl | saw my cabin close by.
but having no pole | could not stop. 50 /
d~isengaged my feet from my snowshoes
and rolled off into n drift. and let the
shoes go on. 1 found them next day
nearly a mile from there.-Steamboat
Springs CColo.l C-r. inter Ocean
TWENTY DOLLAR GOLD PIECES.
Mrs. John Curtis of Peoria, ILL.,. writes.
Used one box of Usage Pills previous to