The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-09-04

the foot Of the bed and lighted the candle.
What was my amazement to find a third
savage in the cabinl He had quite
reached the side Of the bed, and had
got out that way, as usual, he would
have at least wounded me, for he
had his naked knife in his hand
and was bent on murder. The hatchet
was at hand, but did not need a weapon.
The warrior had been dreadtaily hurt,
and, as investigation proved, had been
buried just beyond the other two. W>ien
left the bodies he had dug his way to my
tunnel and then pulled himself along to
the door, intending TO have my life as /
slept. When baffled in this, he stared at
me with all the hate a human heart can
betray. He was crushed at the hips, and
none but savage could have accomplished
what he did. could have killed him at
a single blow, but the horrible work was
spared me- Death was already beside
him, and as | stood and looked down
upon him, candle in hand, he uttered a
faint warwhoop and fell over dead. When
was sure that life had departed dragged
him into the tunnel and shut and barred
the door, and so upset had my nerves be-
come by the adventure that | did not
sleep again that night.
In the morning cxcavated hole near
where the two bodies lay and pushed the
three into it and packed the snow over
them. Then began running tunnel for
the ledge in front of the cabin, and had
gone about twenty feet when the second
night game, EARLY in the third day had
to abandon this tunnel on account of a
cave in, which nearly smothered me.
Then ! turned TO the right to come out
down the valley, and was still at this
work when DE first week closed. Early
In the second week | was stopped by a
bank of rocks and earth, and when the
second week closed was drifting a tunnel
to the left. 1t was slower work than you
would think for, The snow was packed
very solid, and all | dug out had to be
thrown behind me, and eventually carried
off and scattered in some hole under the
tree tops. Every few feet ] met with a
big rock or the trunk of a tree, and it was
hard work to get around such obstruc-
tions. Again cave in would take place
to hinder further progress for day or
two, and finally came to the conclusion
that / could never get out by tuneling.
started in on the third week more to
be at work than from any hope of escape.
All that week ! tunneled TO the right
again, and at o'clock on Saturday after
noon | broke into my own tunnel. In
other words, had done as n man does
when lost in the woods. | made half
circle and came back on myself, while all
the time felt sure was going straight
ahead. The fourth week was spent mostly
in the house. was now becoming much
weaker, and was ready to give up. 1t was
on the thirty fifth night that the cabin be-
gan groaning and cracking again, and l
I knew that the snow was settling down
around it. The noises continued all night,
giving me many fright, and at o'clock
next morning, when opened the door, l
found my tunnel filled up. was lament
ing this when noticed that the fire was
drawing better than usual. Going over
TO the fireplace took a look up the Chin
ney and saw the dark sky of heaven. At
/ the same moment three or four drops of
rain fell upon my face, and then under
stood that great thaw had Bet in and
was reducing the snow around me. 1t
was three days more, however, before
got daylight through the window and
could force my way out of the door.
4 1t had been raining for three days and
nights, and the creek below me was mad
torrent The snow on the trail was yet
very deep, and was compelled to wait
two days more before | could get away.
Then the weather changed to colder, and
| got down to Virginia City 1t was
I nearly d month later before we could get
at the bodies knew were under the snow.
3 The hermit had been caught in the edge
of the rush and killed by being dashed
against the rocks. His body was carried
across the frozen creek to the edge of a
thicket, and such clothing as still clung
TO it was in shreds and tatters. They
had known Of the avalanche both above
and below, and had given me up for lost
As near as the men could judge the snow
above me was forty feet deep, and no one
had my idea that the cabin had been
spared. That ] came out Of it alive was
simply the luck which strangely enough
saves man now and then from the open
jaws Of death. New York Sun.