The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-10

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mere 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 tho sled boards But when the shock
came 1t 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 of by the next
stump or stono
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 ablo to rise, thereby becoming sac
riflce for the safety of the load Of human
beings clinging to the sled.
Not so, for in a moment, just as n pan
ther sprang from tree across the road,
probably not 80 feet behind the sled, tho
oxen were In the road again and nadder
than ever with fright,
Eddy, who had been obliged to look
ahead, though comprehending fully all
that had occurred behind, knew what tho
others did not-that Waldo 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 a 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
ledgesl"
Two shots instantly answered his com
mand, and in the short interval of partial
silence that ensued he heard two sounds,
which, strong, bravo man as he was, he
never forgot and always remembered with
sense of unforgiycn cruelty. II was a
long, mournful loo, pitiful petition
for help, as it were, from one Of the DOOM
ed oxen, and, "Oh, seel The poor thing is
dragging his mate!' in a sweet, girlish
voice. But soon the poor fellow was left
fur behind, and when they heard the next
scream from the panthers an agoni2ed bel
low followed tolling 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 1t had
seemed as though nothing could save the
party from being swept over the ledgcs, II
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 rdou-
bling his efforts to slacken up, with q 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, .'Jumpn' And
with one wild shout the whole sled load
landed in a struggling mass in the deep
soft snow.
Young Eddy, when he saw his sled emp
ty, let 80 his hold upon his oxen and fell
backward, through sheer exhaustion, but
almost Immediately he sprang TO his feet
again in horror. Tho worst danger they
had been In tonight WIS upon them, for
either one NJ their former pursuers or an
entirely new conner had uttered his blood
curtiing scream just over ts-ir he''os'
They were in a narrow opening Cs.a
few feet from the first ledge, where thero
was sheer descent of so feet, with a rise
of 20 feet of broken rock above them.
Nothing could save them now from All en-
counter with hungry panther.
Wore the moor oxen fatsd that nisrht.
one and all to perish that their precious
load might be sayed2
The oxen had made hut n few stap0er-
ing bounds away, lust to the opcn ledge.
when they were checked and sent hud.
ding and backing upon encb other again
by tho sudden renewal nf danrpr. and The
Ieadcrs IN thcir ofTorts II, e,et LarL to their
human friends turned completely round
unon tba other yolro +1yistintr tbc,n until
the sled grated over the le1pe
Inst for ,nomont tho bnrrij,nd yonna
naonlc forgot their avn d,nJnr -: NV
watched t6e wbito strines in tho Ie,der:,
f,cos and listenrd ~ t,,c sound nf H. eled
,,,,,,,,,,r ~, tho ~, Id, r., ,,,g,tI,,,r
d.atb tb,sntnnin,, s,,ro,,,n ND a b,,,,, bs.,,y
sbot tbrtns,b IN ,,ist, nir Tb,rs= ,,.,s a
f,isybtfTI heiio,,i,e, ~ n sbart' s.ran,I1a
of bnnfs Tho,, slod ,,x,,, a',5 ,,n,,tl,ar
ai.o,n,;,ar.d to h. hn,rd fra,, t,t o,ioa
- itItt = -. Ill ~. II -,
lo st l'Pressea ieellhgs ol the straw rld-