The Portland daily press., 1894-04-24

| riders no hope of an ultimate escape, for
they could now count by the screams the
rapidly made jumps of their prlrsuers,
which were fast closing in upon them.
Waldo's team, though much winded,
was running fairly well, through his time
" forethought in turning loose his lead
ers, while Eddy, who had had barely time
to catch the horn of his near OK, had no
control over his leaders, which, in their
successive rights at each scream from the
panthers, bolted frightfully, adding to
their danger as well as lessening their
chances of escape by flight
| 1t would seem that the dangers already
surrounding the party could not be in
creased, but those in the last sled became
| suddenly aware that Waldo's abandoned
leaders were in the road behind them.
They recognized the danger Immediately
and tried, by flinging out their free arms
| and shouting, to change the course OF the
pursuing oxen, but the poor, terror blind
ed creatures plunged straight on, needing
nothing.
There was no time to escape this new
danger had the occupants of the sled any
strength to do aught but hold on, and each
face turned toward the end of the sled
awaiting the crash of the galloping hoofs
UPON UIlc Slcu UOdItlS. DuU WIG pllO oiiOCk
came it almost seemed that Providence in
terfered to save them, for only one OK
planted his feet over the end board, while
the other fell with only his big horns and
head inside, where by miracle they hung
only to be savagely shaken off by the next
stump or stone.
The continually nearing screams of the
panthers showed that they were still in
hot pursuit, and there was regretful hope
in each mind that the poor oxen might
not be able to rise, thereby becoming sac
rifice for the safety of the load of human
beings clinging to the sled
Not so, for in a moment, just as a pan
Their sprang from tree across the road,
probably not 80 feet behind the sled, the
oxen were in the road again and madden
than ever with fright.
Eddy, who had been obliged to look
ahead, though compromising fully all
that had occurred behind, knew what the
others did not-that Waldo's team must be
far ahead, for he had not heard nor seen
anything of him for long time, and they
themselves were flying past the Boulder
spurs, with the three dangerous Lodges less
than half mile beyond.
Turning his face back he shouted hoarse
ly, ''For Gods sake shoot the oxen and
be quick about it, for we are nearing the
ledgesP'
Two shots instantly answered his COM
mand and in the short interval of partial
silence that ensued he heard two sounds,
which, strong, brave man as be was, he
never forgot and always remembered with
a sense Of unforgiven cruelty. 1t was a
long, mournful ''loo,'' pitiful petition
for help, as it were, from one of the doom
ed oxen, and, "Oh see! The poor thing is
dragging his mattel" in sweet, girlish
voice. But soon the poor fellow was left
far behind, and when they heard the next
scream from the panthers an agonized bel
low followed, telling of the fate of the OK
en-.
For awhile all believed themselves free
from the panthers, and the oxen which
were drawing them evidently shared their
belief, for they showed signs of slackening
speed, though 10 minutes before it had
seemed as though nothing could save the
party from being swept over the lodges if
carried upon them with such fearful speed
Now all began to hope that the team might
be slowed up sufficiently to allow them to
jump off, They began to take an interest
in young Eddy's efforts to stop his oxen
and even noticed that Waldo was not ahead
of them. They saw that Eddy was redou
bling his efforts to slacken up, with Wig
orous use of his thick goad upon the noses
of his oxen. The stick had not left his
hand in all that terrible ride down the
mountain. Then he shouted, ''Get ready
to jump when tell you, and jump to the
upper side. -
A few more cruelty vigorous blows.
Then, jerking the head of his near OK
sharply round, he cried, ''Jump!" And |
with one wild shout the whole sled load |
landed in struggling mass in the deep
soft snow.
Young Eddy, when he saw his sled emp
ty, let go his hold upon his oxen and fell |
backward, through sheer exhaustion but |
almost Immediately he sprang to his feet |
again in horror. The worst danger they |
had been in tonight was upon them for |
either one of their former pursuers or an |
entirely new conner, had uttered his blood |
curdling scream just over their heads.
They were in narrow opening only a i
few feet from the first ledge, where there |
was a sheer descent of so feet, with a rise |
of 30 feet of broken rock above them |
Nothing could save them now from an en- I
counter with a hungry panther.
Were the poor oxen fated that night, |
one and all, to perish that their precious |
load might be saved?
The oxen had made but few stagger- |
ing bounds away, just to the open ledge |
when they were checked and sent hud-
ding and backing upon each other again |
by the sudden renewal of danger, and the |
leaders, in their efforts to get back to their
human friends, turned completely round
upon the other yoke, twisting them until
the sled grated over the ledge.
Just for moment the Mortified young |
people forgot their own danger as they
watched the white stripes in the leaders
faces and listened to the sound of the sled
runners on the rocky ledge, then another
death threatening scream, and huge body
shot through the misty air. There was
frightful believing and short scramble
of hoofs. Then sled, oxen and panther
disappeared, to be heard from but once
more with a crashing thud as they struck
the rocks below.
The suppressed feelings of the straw rid
ers found vent this time in regular STAN
pede for their homes. The girls were cry
ing and sobbing and Internationally ac-
cepted help from the young men. And