The Press., 1892-01-14

D0OQ. however, l came TlSnb up aSttluSC powder that completely filled the creek bed. The trail ended right there. It t appeared as if the rock had recently rolled down to where it lay.
 II thought that if could climb over it I could continue on up the water course. So I started to climb. The bowlder was rough enough for me to gain holds for my hands and feet, and though 1t was slow, hard work and I often slipped back, at last I managed to surmount it and stood on top. To my intense surprise found myself within 8 dozen feet of the floor of the mesa, and just above me one arm of the giant cac tus had seen from the other mountain. Then determined. instead of continu- ing in the dry creek bed, to scale this wall and so reach the mesa, where ex- pected to find the silver mine.
 "The sandstone was soft and had a strong knife. Besides, at the edge saw some vines hanging over that looked strong enough to bear my weight if l succeeded in reaching them. So began to climb the wall.
 "At last Igrasped the hanging vines. "The stems were covered with fine points, like a prickly pear, but could not let go without falling. reached l my other hand higher and grasped an- other vine. In an instant it's tendrils were around l my wrist, other stems fell over the edge of the cliff. They curled around my arms and waist like snakes. Then they began to draw me up, and almost before realized it was dragged over the edge 1 of the chasm almost to the foot of the cactus.
 ssThe vines dragged me on, other stems curled about my legs and drew ] tighter and tighter. "Then realized thatthe Indian story l was no fable. The idea of being in the power of this constructing thing that covered acres of land paralyzed me for Pan instant The hand that had just touched the vines was being crushed in the devilish tendons. My little finger was broken backward by the power of the vine. The pain brought me to my l senses, and began to fight for my life. I One hand was free, and in it was my knife. began to hack at the snakelike coils of the deyilish vegetable. As fast as could cut away one running stem another would coil around me. Fight as would, the vines was stronger, and l on and on it dragged me.
 "My foot struck something, and felt it crush and cr,lmble beneath my heel. looked down. It was human head, one of those white spots 1 had seen through my glass. The body, fearfully shrunken and emaciated, lay there I among the coiling, twisting vines. Near it.was another.
 "I realized it all while hacked and struggled. These two had been caught in the tolls of the awful monster like
 myself and strangled.
 II was getting weak. The pressure about my limbsw unbearable. l had cut myself badly in cutting the stran- l gling bonds. looked over the mesa 1 with wild hope of seeing some one or something to help me.
 aThe mesa was all in motion. The
 vines were twisting, curling, falling, ris- I ing, trembling. It was moving mass, like the ocean, and the waves were
 reaching and falling toward me.
 'It was not the wind blowing the
 snakeweed. The fiendish plant had life
 and motion and every fiber of it was straining to reach me. I knew that if those advancing waves of black ever
 reached me was lost. would be like
 those shriveled bodies by the giant cac. l tus.
 ssI made 8 final effort to escape.
 could hear the muscles crack and strain as pulled. cut the thickest stem that enveloped me, and for the first time
 aimee the struggle began was able to SlI1 6tep buck lSia1;I Rpt the fight ll X = bver yet. "A dozen smaller ten.
 drils, Iike 90 many whipcords, were tan.
 gled about me-. cutting into my flesh
 with terrible power, had kept my
 throat free, though the vegetable ser
 pents seemed to strive to coil about it.
 So l cut and struggled backward. A
 final slash. 8 jump. and ] was over the edge and on the bowlder in the dry
 creek But the demons arms followed
 me- I knew that they would seize me
 again before could get down, so
 dashed to the other side of the water course and clambered up there.
 'sHow I thanked God when I found
 nothing there but greasewood and cactus -I saw the vines swing and sway ovel ] where had escaped, and then tainted I ".When came to the mesa was quiet
 again. The vines had receded, and if Ii l had not been for my aching, swoller
 limbs would have sworn it was all [
 nightmare. But there lay two dried out
 bodies. While I lay there recognized one of them. It was the half breed mer
 chant from Merida. The other wal
 doubtless the Indian who betrayed ths
 secret of the silver mine. .'-San Fran
 cisco Examinef.