DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-01-16
FTl1ER'S PARACHUTE.
overture in the Mountains of
North Carolina.
sly If Hunters Have Lots of Fun
N Two Worthless Ours - Why
h,ulgcr Is His Former Masters
sworn Enemy.

4 YOU ever hear about the Devils
House on the head waters OF Che
lsege?"
speaker was a prominent clergy
lIving in the interior of this State
listing friends in st. Louis. On
assured that no information of the
house aforesaid had ever reached
tv the divine unbosomed himself,
lively, Of course, ana impaired
sciences Of the locality to a party
tlemen recently assembled in q
town office.
he DEVILS urt-House' Is not q
ng, as might be supposed, but @
tain in Western North Carolina.
huge mass Of rock, square on top,
Om distance bears some resem-
to a massive castellated build
hence, suppose, its name, for the
y is wild and rude in scenery, and
birth Carolina, as elsewhere, re-
ble features of nature are not in
.Pntly ascribed by tradition to some
infucnce-usually to the devil.
DO mountain is precipitous on
side, cliffs rising perpendicularly
the valley beneath, and not every
! could an ascent be made. A bold
could make a route for himself
" one Of dozen points, but so
! lit was the task that most of those
bttempted to reach the top took a
Pbly well-known path which led,
Fairly easy climb, about half way
le side, when you came to narrow
in some places not more than a
lin width, which trayersed hori-
|lly or by a gentle ascent one of
|bOld cliffs constituting q side of
mountain. After the ledge was
ID the remainder of the road to the
1aS comparatively easy, but passing
ledge was the point, for it was
Ing but narrow shelf, and on it
could see above only the clouds
'yerhanging cliffs; below, nothing
, the vision for five hundred feet,
10 deep was the abyss that yawned
9 you that the Tuckasiege seemed
silver thread, and the tall pines
ing along its banks like ornament
lrubs on the lawn. Particularly
Inspiring was the passage of one
, where the shelf windened to a
yards and afforded lodgment to a
'er OF bushes. There the path was
oVerhanging part of the precipice,
lot even by lying down and peep
yer could you see the cliff beneath
1T was as though you were sus-
I'd between heaven and earth.
lSt below this resting-place in the
was the ledge where Bige Hipsher
he bear. Rige was good-humored,
''go-lucky fellow, who had cabin
little inclosure, and patch of
lor dodgers, and a wife who des-
ed him as 'her old man. and half
III tow-headed brats who called him
v a shoat or two and COW, a lot
% and an old mare that he rode to
WIN u her colt squealing a quarter
llle behind, and by hunting and
! traps for 'varmints,' by killing
a u sows pigs at Christmas, selling
vi and working a little when he
o. Bige got comfortably along
On the world, did as well as his
oors, anyhow, and didn't care to do
ctter lest they should think him
up
nle time ago there came party of
,neh from Wilmington on a hunt
,c"fslon, and, hearing of Bige as a
hunter Il they looked him up and
uim Tor a few days as guide. The
'lnen We're led by a Nimrod always
,Seo as the Major, and were well
''u With guns, dogs and the usual
x paraphernalia. Bige was de-
" y WIN the job and asked leave to
VI, 'lons cousin Of his, Rancy Bot
"noSe home and surroundings, as
'S personal appearance, closely re-
eo those of Bige. OF course Ran
ance Tor short-was also delighted
ana when the party started out
! were duly equipped not only with
> out with guides dogs, for both
'llu Rance were followed by half a
I'ohgrel ours, which dill not agree
~ well with the hounds brought
gentlemen.
W ,n'e ana Bige, at the earnest solic
u.s. '"' ., The gentlemen, tried to drive
10 = oack' but the nongrels were
" deferred 10y such triAos as