Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-16

up all the time, rather steep incline at that,
which made my task the more arduOus.
Every now and then a huge rock would loom
up in front of me. Sometimes had to climb
directly over the top OF these, and again to
make my way cautiously around some dam
gerously projecting ledge.
The hands OF my watch pointed to O'Clock,
and had been for nearly three hours again
wandering in the balsans, as hopelessly per-
picked as before, when just as had fallen
forward upon a spongy bed of moss, utterly
despairing, caught the sound Of softly fall
ing water. l had eaten nothing since my
early start Of the morning, with the e1cep-
ton OF a small piece of corn dodger and fried
bacon, the mountaineer's inevitable daily
diet. So great had been my distress of mind
for the past six or seven hours, ali thought Of
hunger had been completely driven away, al
though 1 had long ago become aware that I
was suffering terribly from thirst. The sound
of the trucking water therefore reminded
me again, and most forcibly, of this want.
soon found the tiny stream, making its way
from assure In the huge rock near where
had thrown myself.
Ny thirst slaked, and a small portion Of
my lunch partaken of, was preparing to
y
only too painfully was a hopeless sort Of
wandering, when thought struck mo with
sudden bopefuIness. l would follow the
coarse of the stream.
Surrounded as the range was with numer-
Gus large watercourses, nearly every one Of
which had its source near the SUBMITS of tho
peaks, did not doubt that this tiny trickle
was the head waters of some one of the nu-
merous creeks in the valley below. / had
much difficulty at first in tracing ont the
thread like flow of water, but gradually it
grew more and more distinct, till, finally,
had all that could do to maintain my foot
ing upon the slippery rocks and roots along
its course.
Very soon my further progress was arrested
by what seemed to be the edge Of a precipice
of no small extent, for the water fell with
considerable sound to what I judged was q
pool below. The rododendrons, or mountain
laurel, friaged It's edges with thick tangle,
while above the great balsaan frs interiocked
their boughs. es=l
Twas cautiously approaching the edge Of
the precipice for the purpose of glancing
over, when a treacherous rock gave way
beneath me, and the next moment / felt my
self plungmg downward with that horrible
sensation one experiences when falling into
space. My feet struck the water, when, with
sudden terrible shock, felt my further
course arrested,
Stunned and rendered senseaess as was, for
the first few moments, by the terrific force
with which my downward plunge had been
checked, it was some little time ere I recow-
cred sufficient consciousness to take note OF
my surroundings and of my own situation.
When did discovered that in falling the
roll made by my blanket had caught in the
bare, projecting spur Of dead balsam that
lay top downward in the pool 1t wes q veri-
table monarch of the forest, with huge trunk,
gray with age and almost branchless What
was now the upper portion, with the roots at
tached, rested securely against the topnest
edge of the precipioe while the other end was
buried deep in the pool. The pool itself was
about twenty-five or thirty feet acToss- and
Of considerable depth, as judged By its dark,
still looking surface.
TetnbuckBe the straps that held the blanket
across my shoulders was the work of but few
moments when once l had recovered posses
sion of my faculties. Leaving the blanket
and straps to take careof themselves, scram-
bled upon the balsam, after considerable et
fort, and with great difficulty, fer l was stall
suffering from the shock Of the faN-and
made my way by means Of tie hoaIy trunk
TO the top of the precipsce
1t was now after 6 o'clock. and the dense
gloom of the baisazne had 50 deepened that |
could scarcely see how to make my way
through them Realizing the utter foolhard-
iness OF attempting to do any thing further
towards finding my way out through the
dense night that was now fast settling down,
l selected the Cd.yest ard most shattered spot
/ could find near to the stream, and building
fire Of the dead baksm boughs prepared to
spend the night.
The next morning about II O'Clock, after
many hours agsin spent m what seemed but
useless effort. | struck distinct trail Fol-
lowing it with no great dificuity, soon
reached the hut Of ore Of the nounta1.eers
On relating to him an account Of my adven-
lures, the honest fellow seemed considerably
struck with what he looked upon rs my al
most miraculous escape from deatA--Wt In
throp Burroughs in Yankee Blade