The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03
A sISK-HoLE EXPERIENCE.
A Hunter Narrates what Happened
TO Him in the Darkness OF Night.


Pretty much everybody In the crowd had
tod a story OF the gun or dog or fisapols
except printer who looked about as
much like a hunter or fisherman as he did
like an angel.
ITS your turn now, Muggins." said the
Sun reporter.
Il never hunted anything but boarding
houses over in Brooklyn" ne said with
wan and lodging kind OF ar as II people
threw things AZ aim whenever ne tried TO
tea a story.
But before you came here is what we
want 20 know about" put in several, "and
you've either got 20 tell a story or pay for
the drinks every time anybody else tells
one"
lie moved about uneas.ly and pushed his
chair back from the table, drawing II close
up again Immediately. and finally resting
his hands elasped on the board in front OK
him.
Well gents" he said with the wan and
lodging look stu IN his eyes. "iet me
think a minute. Before ! came here l
lived IN Chicago. where I was hunted In
stead OF hunting. before that ! was in
New Orleans. where / only hunted a Job.
before that / was IN st, Paul. where was
hunting a warm place all the time before
that l lived IN Boston, where i was too
frigid TO hunt and before that quite
long time before that, / lived in Old Ken
tuelxy. and. gents. did hunt there. Moth
ing but a coon, mebbe. or a fox or a pos
sum or as little as a squirrel or only a
dove IN the dusty road, bat x was inner
than anything on earth. ] was only boy.
and perhaps that had something TO DO
with IL. but didn't know any different
then, ike ] do now. and Il was just the
finest on earth and no mistake" and his
wan face lighted up as II he were looking
through the open gates OF Paradise. 7
rseollect I had a dog that was consider
able of hunting dog. but he was an un-
restless kind OF Cuss. and when he freed
anything he would do a lot OF barking az
first but II somebody didn'k come mighty
quick ne would give Il up and so inosey-
ing along after the next tatnS IN sight
one night was out with him after eoons.
and about 9 O'Clock heard him bark Ike
he was over IN a cluup q woods about
half a mile away. | knew ! was going 70
have TO get TO him pretty quick II ! tount
him there at all. and ! started across a
Geld toward the woods as fast az ! eou.d
20. II was a sfubhleneld with sink-acles,
ike Won find all over Kentucky. IN ths
limestone parts, and The pace was DARK.
though the moon Was just beginning 20
show above the woods. / was thinking
more adout what the dog had than any
thing else. and a. / went banging through
the Held, al at once l seemed 70 drop or
OF the earth and fall into a cellar. and
then / knew I had tumbled Into sink
hole They are never very deep or dan
gerogs and I wasn't AFRAID OF being IA
tally hurt, but Z took the sand out 81 ne
right Qusck, and / went down through the
weeds and stuff. not knowing Just what
had happened or course I hadn't much
time 20 think. end when ! hit bottom |
had ssNI less fer instead Of lighting ca
the ground or stones or thickei, lt On
something alive. Ii was Wild animal q
some kind. ] d.dn't know what. ard wes
scared t3a my hair began 70 feel fnnny on
my head
kind OF knocked the wind out OF the var
mint at tlrst. but in a second it began -
vevrl and SNAP and snarl and 30 twist I'M
der me and try 20 get cut ard 20 raiss
the dickens generally, In th@ mean time
7 was yelling ard aquawking and trying
20 scare the blame thing. because
thought = was = wildcat, ard 7 knew =
l.,v Of my size dlAnt have any show with
n wildcat II the varm.nt ever took q notion
70 fght, ard ] knew pretty weh that
Wildcat was aoout as sure - take no
tfoa 10 r~hy rs anything on earth. I don't
know exactly what ] did IN that hole or
how ( d.d 81. hut ! remember II seemed
about q rnonth % Sundays taat I was al
rnussed up in there W. - some kind 0f a
villa anirssl. ard finally the th,ng got
from under me- ard seg9ted - fast az y
could Tor the top 81 The siak-hole I TO-
owed after s. as quick 90 ] could. for I
became drawer wAen J saw e rua, and
zxaea I got ap or the level tae moon nai
come OuE and could see fae varTnirt fair
" sk.nu,ag z ont s3r tGe fa1 timber. I
yelled e. st WITH ar roT m Ehf. tagigh
dsda't run after 8, very fass. ans nsaan .
cea my aor. On tls cocoa cal the var
snsnt stopped. ard Z hogan 80 get ready 70
skin ont myself Eaaen got a better TOOK.
and fy the Eraas aorn spoon, gents. i was
my dog. I called AIM thea ana ne came
BACK 20 me. ana ! coud see FOR myself
.t-at he RAD hosef something down ft9sTs
in Tia a.nk and his barking had bern
srsg-be~egs and sc1a6ed away on - rec,
ara 81 course when Z dropped 81 On hiTn
rgaaxuurfsssiv IKE e4sa<s &C. ds4n't know
ary.-Hsrg about 81 and neither did j. anf
there w. was. n any event. Eeuzlsruer-'
concluded me former Cosncrzcksr. fthat
dog come truttirg back 20 me. and waen
sws r4es face % facs IN the moonlight IS
s8~far Ioossed az M ard ! sorfsr looked ~
atra. and ! 6oEfs know wnsen one ~ ~
fsit most IlEe aD9.egsziug % Know.
- astwh. srs both krsacEs1 on for thai occss-
ssgn. ard or the way hofae We took tara
ah.3ut saeakang along bpsin1 each ether.
zee ana yae dog