Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-06-22

and another came, one splintering the
rock over my head and the other
burying itself in the mud in the bot
tom. could mako out ledge pro-
lecting few feet out from the per-
pendicular wall, and under this I ran
for shelter from the murderous rain
that was falling down that old shaft.
Here was safe, and after several moro
shots there was silence aud tho two
williams must have gone ON, thinking /
lay dead there where no man might
bury mo and where only whitehead
skeleton might be found in future
years for some one to marvel over for
moment and then to leave.
at had been late in the afternoon
when l descended, but was already
dark as could be down there, and oven
If had anything with which to have
kindled light, every match had had
been destroyed by the water into
which had fallen. walked round
and round my prison, longing in vain
for the torch, at least, that Sharp and
tho other rascal were to have lowered
after me, but leaving my starting
point, felt my way about until I
came back to it, and calculated that
the shaft was fivo by five feet. But 1
could discover no outlet, save that
far above my head. Then 1 recon-
noitered to SEQ what WAS in the Dit
besides water, mud and me. On one
side away from the little pool 1 camo
across heap of bones of various ami
mails, rs near as I could Judge, and
handling these discovered something
that sent the delicious intoxication Of
hope once moro thrilling through my
veins, and this was while many of
these bones were brittle with nge and
had long been bare, there were others
that still had fragments of flesh hang
ing to them in way as if somo ami
NAL had eaten n meal here.
Reflection came then Whispering
that these creatures to which these
bones belonged might have fallen over
into the pit, and the latest conner de-
voured all the remains that he found
and SO sustained life for few days.
But l could not relinquish my hope SO
soon and tried to believe that these
were signs of some animal making this
its den and that this animal must have
some exit. Repeating this to myself
fell asleep Mt last, worn out with the
fatigue and nervous excitement of the
day. was awakened by the shutting
of some animal i'll my face, but L could
not make out what this animal was,
though there was full moon looking
down the shaft Mt me, like n mild
beneficent eye. l lay quite still, not
daring to move amusclc, but presently
the cold, damp nose of the unseen in
spector of my body tickled me into n
sneeze. There was low growl and
sharp teeth seized my wounded
shoulder i'll such a way as to cause me
the intensest agony, Tut controlled
myself, and presently tho teeth let go
and the creature, whatever it was,
walked away and 1 could hear it
crunching tho bones between it's
powerful jaws.
81 meant, if possible, to learn which
way it went on leaving the bottom of
the pit, but OH this occasion 1 was dis
appointed, for after awhile the sound
of its tearing and gnawing was over,
and though L ran Mt once to tho SPOT
where L thought il was, the animal
was gone. All next day L waited for
its coming with impotence that YOU
must have known something of my po-
sition to appreciate, and growing hun
CRY myself was glad to eat bit of tho
uncooked flesh it Ind left, and which
was piece of mountain sheep. TWAS
some time before 1 could prevail on
myself to touch the water mt the lowest
part of the pit, but thirst, keen and
parching, Mt Inst overcame my objec-
ton, and l drank long and deeply.
est was again near night when my
visitor came again, and this time I
marked the spot where it seemed to
enter, and moved toward it, but the
sharp eyes of the animal noted my ac-
ton, and with growl of fury attalsed
ME so suddenly that had only time
to catch up the nearest object which
happened to be a thigh bone of some
large beast, and this 1 brought down
with terrible thwack upon the head
of the aggressor. It fell back for an
instant, when plucked out my knife
and stuck it to the hilt in which l
hoped was the creatures neck, but
which proved to be its shoulder. Then,
unable tn withdraw my blade mt once,
again struck with my bone, and
stunned the animal for moment
When it arose again could hear it
crawling away, and reaching ont
seized it by the tail; it turned OH me
with snnrl and caught my hand in
its teeth. and l felt upon my flesh the
warm drip OF blood that fold me that
the creature was wounded, perhaps
badly. As 1 made no move, it soon
dropped my hand and went on whining
piteously, and, guided by this and by
putting out my fingers with MS light n
touch rs I could upon its sleek skin,
followed it the few feet that Law be-
tween it and the wall l., moment
it was gone, and 1 was at loss to know
where. But knew the exit must be
within very short distance of me, so
L lay for II second recruiting my
strength, and after minute OF two,
felt n cold breath of air in my face.