Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-04-06


MS follows a chatter, bnrk n little
way in tho woods. Tom would draw
back the hammer OF his rifle and lean
forward, streak of gray would flush
down tree trunk, then nll would be
still. Next minute the streak of gray
and the noisy chatter would DO in n
tree overhead, perhaps Toms rifle
would come up. Toms head would
INT, there would be sharp crack and
little bundle of gray would come
whirling down heels over head, n long
bushy tail flying out like the tnil of a
comet and Tom would get up, walk
over few steps, pick up tho little
bundle of fur and drop the squirrel
into his game bag.
Then he would shove another cart
ridge into the open brcech of his rifle
and sit down and wait again.
This was the rather tamo way the
hunting had gone, and Tom had a
good bng long before noon.
Nevertheless, Tom was coon to havo
an adventure.
He had concluded to go homo and
had walked down toward tho creek,
and was coming out of the edge of the
woods when he heard loud bark. a
big buttonwood tree hung over the
creek, and on one of it's branches.
moro than half way down, he saw n
squirrel larger than he remembered
having seen for long time.
1t was lying along the limb. its
body hattcncd close to the bark, and
only its sharp nose and beaded eyes
showing. He would never have
noticed it If it had not barked when
he came out of the woods.
Tom quickly brought his rifle to his
shoulder. Tho little black knob on
the sight of the barrel showed against
the rusty gray oftho squirrels fur. A
sharp crack. The squirrel slowed
around instantly on the limb. It's tnil
and hind legs hung down for n mo-
ment, while it held on with the claws
OF its fore feet. Then it's hold gave way
and it dropped.
But twenty feet lower down its body
fell across tho fork of small branch
and, after minutes swaying, re-
manned still, the head and fore part of
Its body balancing tho weight of it's
hind quarters ON the opposite side of
the branch.
Tom snw that his game was securely
fixed on its support and would not
come down. Tho squirrel was dead.
but tho only way to secure it was TO
climb.
1t was too big ono to lose, even
though he had several already. The
buttonwood was large, but several
shoots on it's trunk looked rs though
they might afford hold to climb by,
80 he stood his rifle ngainst sap
pling, hung his game bag on crotch
and started up the tree.
1t wns not hard climbing, and he
had soon reached the main branches
Just there the tree split off, going ND
IN two shafts. AT tho juncturo of
these the wood had rotted away in the
centre and left n dark cavity.
Immediately above the cavity and
about ten feet over Toms head was
the squirrel caught in the limb. Catch
ing hold of n small limb he drew him
self up so that his hand just reached
the limb on which was suspended the
object of his climb.
He tried to bend the limb down.
but it was too stiff He started still
higher and grnsping it, threw some OF
his weight on it.
Suddenly the wood cracked, the
limb broke, and he felt his feet slip.
lie grasped ut the trunk, but there
was nothing to hold. He knew he was
falling into the opening below. Some
thing struck him on the shoulder
some of the wood from the edge of the
cavity. Instinctively he threw ND his
hands. But his fall was not stopped.
Another instant and he was in dark
ness, and he sank into some soft
spongy substance, which broke his de-
scent. He came to stop standing up
right
A strong, pungent, woody odor
filed his nostrils A cloud of sitting
powder almost choked him. He felt
the sides of the tree pressing on him.
He tried to bring his hands down to
feel about. But there was not suffi.
clent room, more than just to crook
his elbows. He couldn't get his hands
below the level OF his ears. Again and
again he tried. Then he remained still
and stopped his struggles in order to
think.
He knew that he had fallen into the
hollow trunk of the buttonwood. The
soft stuff under his feet must be the
rotten pith and punk of the walls
which had fallen down to the bottom.
Looking up he could see an irregular
circular patch of the sky partly blot.
ted out by mass of twigs and leaves
on tho upper branches. The opening.
ae near as he could tell, was six OF
eight feet above his head. 1t was not
o great distance, but, with his hands
above him and nothing to catch hold
upon, it might as we'll have been a
hundred.
He felt all around the inside surface
OF the hollow with his fingers; but he
only sank his fingers into soft punk,
which broke off when he put any strain
upon it.
There was nothing substantial tt
rest his feet upon either, as he soor