Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-09-23
CHAPTER V.
The Ayenging Angel.

All night their course lay through in.
tricate defiles and over irregular and
rock-strewn paths. More than once
they lost their way, but Hopes init
mate knowledge of the mountains en-
abled them to travel uninterruptedly
till daylight. When morning broke a
scene of marvellous though savage
beauty lay before them. In every di-
reCtion the great snow-capped peaks
hemmed them in, peeping over each
others shoulders to the far horizon.
So steep were the rocky banks on either
side of them that the larch and the
pine seemed suspended over their
heads, and to need only gust of wind
to come hurting down upon them.
Nor was the fear only an illusion, for
the barren valley was thickly streWn
with trees and boulderS which had fell
Ell in Il similar manner. Even as they
passed, a great rock came laundering
down with a hoarSe rattle which woke
the echoes in the silent gOrgeS, and
startled the weary horses into ga
lop.
AS the sun rose slowly above the
eastern horizon, the caps of the great
mountains lit up one after the other,
like lamps at festival, until they were
all ruddy and glowing. The magnifi-
cent spectacle cheered the hearts of the
three fugitives and gave them fresh
energy. At a wild torrent which swept
out Of ravine they watered their
horses, while Lucy partook of a hasty
breakfast Lucy and her father would
have rested longer, but Jefferson Hope,
was memorable. 'They will be upon
our track By this tme," he said. "Ev-
erything depends upoL our speed. Once
safe in Carson, we may rest the re-
mainder of our lives"
During the whole of that day they
struggled on through the defiles, and
by evening they calculated that they
were more than thirty miles from their
enemies At night time they chose the
base of a beetling craw, where the
rocks offered some protection from the
chill wind; and there, huddled together
for warmth, they enjoyed few hours
sleep. Before daybreak, however, they
were I'D and on their way once more.
Thev had seen no signs of any pur-
suers, and Jefferson Hope began to
think they were fairly out Of the reach
of the terrible organization whose en-
nifty they had incurred. He little
knew how far that iron grasp coEld
reach, or how it was to close upon
them and crush them.
About the middle of the second day
of their light their scanty store of pro-
visions began to rim out. This gave
the hunter little uneasinass, however,
for there was game to be had among
the mountains. and he had frequently
before had to depend upon his rifle for
the needs of life. Choosing a sheltered
nook, he piled together few dry
branches and made a fire,
| ut which his companions might
warm themselves for they were now
nearly 5000 feet above the sea level,
and the air was bitter and keen. Hay
| ing tethered the horses and babe Lucy
adieu he threw his gun over his Shout
der and set out in search of whatever
! chance might throw in his way. Look
| inc back, he saw the old man and the
young gill crouching over the blazing
| Ere, while the three animals stood mo-
| tionless in the background. Then the
| intervening rocks hid them from his
! view.
He walked for q couple OF miles
| through one ravine, after another with
| out success though from the marks
uDOn the bark of the trees and other
| indications, he judged that there were
numerous bears in the vicinity. AZ
| last, after two or three hours useless
search, he was thinking Of turning
back in despair, whan casting his eyes
upward, he saw a sight which sent
| thrill of pleasure through his heart.
On the edge of Il jutting pinnacle, thrG2
or four hundred feet above him, there
stood a creature somewhat resembling
a sheep in appearance, but armed with
a gigantic pair Of horns. The big-horn
for so it is called-WaS acting, pr0Da-
bly,. rs a guardian over flock which
was invisible 10 the hunter; but, for
tunately, it was heading in the oppo-
site direction, and had not perceived
him. Lying on his back, he rested his
rife upon a rock, and took long and
steady aim before drawing the trigger
The animal sprang into the air, tottcr-
ed moment upon the edge OF the pre-
cipce, and then came crashing down
| into the valley beneath.
The creature was too unwicldly to
| lift so the hunter contented himself
with cutting away one haunch and part
Of the flank With this trophy over