The Florence daily tribune., 1899-02-18
A TRAPPER'S STORY.
You want a story. do youl"


that believes in being coaxcd when all the
time your mind is made up to do as you
are asked don't want anybody to spend
words and breath ON me for nothing"
80 said the old trapper Nick Ames TO
me ~ we sat one night in the barroom Of
a rude hotel on the verge of one Of our far
western states.
The best part Of Nick's life had been
spent in the calling OF trapper and guide,
and | well knew that, like all of his class
he had met with many hairbreadth es-
capc- iu his time
He knocked the ashes from his pipe and
laid IL down beside him on the edge OF
the bench on which he sat. Then he
began;
One time | was off on n travelling tour,
away up ON one of the branches Of the
Yellowstone. My cid partner, John ellis,
was with me IL was the last trip he ever
made. John wis a good fellow, and
couldn't have felt worse when he died II
he had been my own brother. We had
been together for nigh ten years, and thnt
is long enough for fellows to take liking
to one another II they are ever going 10.
don't know what IL was that allied
John lie was took sick suddenlike one
day. and although | done everything for
him that could think Of he grew worse
and worse At last he died, and there
wiz alone with him. with not n human
being, without 1t WAS rcdskin, within
100 miles OF me that | knew Of
Iou Gun believe that | didn't feel over
and above Jolly then. A body wouldn' t
he apt to Inc along with dead man, and
he the best friend you had in the world.
"Ivc seen good many gloomy hours,
mistcr-timcs when wouldn' have given
"a straw for the chances for my life-but l
do believe that ! felt morc down TO the bit
then when | SEQ John laying aforc me, 80
sim aud white, than ever did before or
since
It WINS hard work for me TO put him
away under ground 50 soon, but there was
no help lur it, | knew that the wolves
would be prowling around as soon as IL
cumo DARK, ard that tho sooner was
through with the job the better So dug
as good louking grave ms l could with
the tLip.-s | had to do 1t with and wrap
ping his blanket about him laid him in
IL and co,rrcd him up.
''It was u tough job for me, mister, but
| got through with 1t, and then ! kept
watch over tho spot all through the night.
| was afraid that the wolves might scent
IL out and So make feast of what was
left Of poor John,
Tho next morning left the spot and
set my face toward the east. was
mighty lonesome. and that dny l would
have given every skin in my pack II l could
have seen the fhce OF a white man.
II Travelled on till night came, and
then, tired and sleepy, | lay down to rest.
| ate u little food that had with me for
| didn' dare TO start fire. had seen
too many fresh signs of redskins that day
to run the risk of that
Il was asleep in less than ten minutes
after struck the ground. l had gone
without any So long that could.not have
kept awake had IL been to have saved my
life
II don't know how long IL was that
slept. but IL must have been for u number
of hours, for the moon didn't rise until
after midnight, and now 1t seemed to
hang about n yard above the earth.
walked up with start and u feeling that
somcthing was wrong. 1t seemed for all
the world rs though some great danger
was about me and l should have hard
Job If got clear of IL.
Il rose up ON my elbow and looked
about me, The moon shone only dimly MS
yet, and by its light | could make out
nothing. 80 lay back again, thinking
of JOAN and saying TO myself that it was
his death that made me SO nervous.
81 was Just dropping to sleep again
when thought ! heard slight sound
close beside me.
Again rose on my elbow, but saw
nothing. Almost angry with myself for
being so nervous and having such strange
Gancies, lay back again and closed my
eyes.
I'm about minute more they were
open again, and this time l SAW some
thing that sent a'thrill from my scalp to
my toes
" \ huge rrdskin, with his knife in his
hand, was standing within yard of me.
His eyes Were fixed upon my face, and
his arm was raised as though to strike u
blow that should take my life.
L felt chill creeping about my heart,
for knew that | was never so near to
death as was then
THE least motion on my part. showing
that was awake, would be signal for
him tn plunge his knife into my heart
y movement of u hand toward either
of my weapons would pronounce my doom
The least motion looking to my de
fenSc would shorten she brief lease of life
l held
What could do?
Newer in all my life had been in such
a strait before,
e At that instant the cracking OF a
twig behind the savage caused him to
glance quickly about.
Slight rs was the chance this afforded
me, | took it, for knew it was my only
hope
In an instant I was upon my feet.
with my rifle in my hand
THE savage turned, but as he did so
there was n whizzing sound in the air,
and huge panther planted itself firmly
upon his back, and they went down to
gether
The beast, instead of making meal of
me, as it intended, had saved my life from
another foe.
81 raised my rifle to shoot the panther
but hcsitatcd before pulled the trigger
After the service it had done me it
should live II IL would let me alone
Il moved slowly away from the spot
and the last sound | heard was the crunch