The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-07-21
ledge of rocks and was soon lost to view


hundred yards or so behind at the time,
but as soon as we had surmounted the
ledge we again caught sight of our
sheep making it's way across the bot
tom of great snow basin some 400 feet
deep and a mile wide.
This basin was surrounded by per-
pendicular walls of rock, against which
the snow rested, extending almost to
the top of the walls and lying at an ex-
ceedingly steep angle. Without consid-
ering how he was to get back again,
Frank, the instant he reached the rim
of the basin, sat down, and in the snap
ping of a finger and thumb, almost,
found himself at the bottom-at least
it seemed to me to consume about that
space of time, when | followed his eX-
ample and slid down after him. In the
bottom of the basin the snow lay in
great pillows, like frozen ocean, and
over these we ran as best we could, toll
ing up one side of the hummocks and
sliding down the other, until we arrived
at the foot of the opposite slope, when
we saw our sheep-or, rather, the sheep
that we wished were ours-walking
along the rim of the basin close against
the rocky wall directly above us.
Our elevation was probably 10000 feet
above sea level and no one knows, un-
less he has tried it, how eNhausting it
is to run for any considerab BILE distance
at such an altitude. Frank and | were
so perfectly breathless by the time we
had arrived at the foot of the slope that
we were compelled to go down on our
hands and knees for a minute or two to
recover; seeing which, the sheep, either
from curiosity or because he was some
what exhausted himself, stood still and
looked down at us.
Frank was the first TO revive. Rising
to his knees, he took aim at the sheep
and fired. Down it came, rolling over
and over, straight for us. 1t was in vain
we tried to get out of the way-eyery-
body knows how difficult it is to start
in hurry on the ice-and before we
had moved an inch, bang! came the
sheep against us, knocking our feet
from under us and carrying us, all
three, jumbled up together, far out into
the bottom of the basin. Fortunately
there were no rocks in our path, and
the snow itself being perfectly smooth,
no harm resulted from our involuntary
slide.
"Hurrah!" cried my gasping leader,
as he sat on the snow, pulling down his
rrouser legs and disentangling his head
from the skirts of his coat. "Hurrah for
us! We've got him, sure enough. Queer
| lon1ri,,or ch fhn,,rh icv'f ~ 4 hoe
the body and hair of deer and the head
and legs of a sheep. Come on; let US
take it's hide off, Ted
The process was slow, as we were not
very skillful, but by keeping at it we
at length skinned our sheep, and, hav-
| ing cut off as much as we thought we
could carry, we were ready to return to
camp. 1t was then about an hour after
midday.
We had been SO busily employed that
we had not observed the great fall in
the temperature that had taken place,
but, having leisure now to look about
us, we saw that the sun was obscured
and that over the shoulders of the 'Old
Woman" a heavy cloud was creeping
down. The sight alarmed me.
Crank" l said, ''do you notice how
cold it has grown? And look at that
great cloud up there, how fast it is roll
ing down. I'm afraid it is going to snow.
Hurry up! We must get out of this
place as fast as we cam
"You are right" replied Frank. at
won't do to be caught in a snowstorm
up in this barren region, where there
isn't bit of firewood as big as your
finger. Come on. You carry my rife
and I'll take the meat"
So saying, he shouldered the mutton
and away we hurried across the bottom
of the basin. After an exhausting
scramble we reached ag;ia the gap in
the cliff through which we had come In,
and there we turned to look back. The
cloud had already reached the farther
side of the basin and was pouring soft
ly into 1t, filing up all the cracks and
creyioes and Rurying everything in its
heavy folds as it came.
"That cloud is going to catch US,
Frank" | cried. 1--WE must drop the
meat and rum"
''It does look bad" said my compan-
ion, as he let his load fall to the ground.
zone moment, Ted; we'll take little
Of it,"
With that he whipped out his knife,
cut off about two pounds of the NUT
ton and crammed the piece into his
pocket.
"Now," said he, ''giye me my rifle and
let us hook it"
Our course led us across wide
stretch of snow, which lay against the
foot of long, bare, ''hog-backed"
mountain, on the other side of which
we knew must be the pine woods. On
the level we found that we could travel
as fast as the cloud, but as soon as we
began to ascend the slope, where, for
want of breath, we We're obliged to come
down to a walk, the pursuing vapor
overhauled us hand over hand.
Look, Ted!" Frank eXclaimed; 1T
will be upon us in minute! We must
get our bearings while we can. Our
camp is some way off to the left, l
think, but we had better turn our backs
square to the cloud and go straight up
hill with it, turning to the left after
we get into the woods. Don't you think
SOP"
"Yes," I assented, "that will be the
best way. 1t doesn't so much matter
about being lost in the woods, because
we can make a fire there; but here"
| Before | had finished speaking the