The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-11-17


~ n gronp Of animals about hal. male
away that. after careful scrutiny We
were well satisfied were the very crea-
;ures for which We were hunting.
.'The ground was not very favorable
for an advance. but we managed 10 steal
along until We were almost within gun
shot, and were quite confident We were
going TO b. given our pick out OF the
group.
"Maxville was slightly in advance
and we kept our relative positions, both
advancing upon our hands and knees
while he Glands continued nibbling at
the rank grass. until il seemed TO me
we were near enough TO risk shot.
AS Max didn't stop. ! warned him
in a whisper that he would frighten the
game.
.He turned his head and pointed TO
a streak 81 low. dense bush. yard or
two i'm advance. which he signited he
wished 10 reach before firing.
Il hadn't noticed the cover, which
lay little 10 the left. and IL struck me
as such good plan that nodded Tor
him 10 go on.
"IIe timed his progress so that when
he reached il. a minute or two after
ward. / was directly beside him.
".Now. said he. we've got them just
where we want them. and we can take
our choice from the lot. III take that
big fellow of there 10 the left, and
there's another with his head up, az
IL he scented danger. Suppose you
take him?'
I'm agreeable / replied. and II
isn't safe to fool away any more time.
with that we brought our guns
around. and hitched forward TO make
the aim more certain. when, without
the least warning. the ground gave
way beneath a. and we found ourselves
going down somewhere.
-Maxyille gave a shout and droppng
, our guns We made a desperate effort
20 save ourselves He grabbed at thu
I bushes. but as | saw them going too
gave a backward spring, or rathei
: | tried 10 do 50.
n AS is generally the case at suci
times. some little impeachment pre-
> vented. My foot caught in vine, fell
and down we both went amid lot 0
bushes. earth and pebblestones.
when we fetched up on the bottom
i and found that neither of Us was hurt
we laughed: but after we looked int
the matter a little further. we dicn'
> laugh quite so much.
we had fallen into a seam or fissur
\ about 20 feet in depth, and of indefini'
4. length. Ii was one of those cracks sue
as are met with in tropical countrie
. and the dense vines growing on u
margin so hid il from view that v
\. never suspected its existence. and wei
so near that il crUmbled. and we bot
tumbled over the edge together.
The underground and rattling debr
so broke our fail that we were not hu
a In the least: but when we examined "a
M Their. We found that. somehow or oth'
both our guns were SO injured as 10
useless. until repaired The locks We
y. only slightly broken. but il was ~
To- enough 10 prevent their being q
charged while in that fix.
The fssure into which we were. pl
! cipitatcd was no more than four 4
n, in width We supposed at first that
on going either forward or backward
~. would find some way out.
MAX walked ahead. while | went
lopposite way \ hundred feet or m'
" land was stopped by the narrowing
l,h. crack. which seemed 10 come
yciher short distance further
When I attempted to push ahead.
nearly covered by the dirt that raft
!. down upon my head-so. Of course
turned back to hear what Max had
n. say.
II met him at the very spot WI
we had fallen in. and he shook his ne
There was no door by which we GO
walk out. He had been obstructed
the same manner as |. but he foun
little spring at the extremity OF
walk. the water Of which seemed 10
III lcape by some underground outlet
III. -.IIow are we 70 get ont" was
N. Iouesfion which came TO our lips sin
~ raneously as We looked in each 9th
ven faces.
1T was already growing dark,
~, we had no reason TO hope that an.
-. our friends we're within five miles;
1
. ~ took turns in shouting until we
..., compelled TO cease from exhaust
j ~ No response came. and as night
on. Max and sat down 10 discuss
situation. which indeed. was no Jol
vou matter.
hen For a long time il seemed MS II !
49, must be some way by which we c
hing climb up the sides Of the ravine. a
was not until we had repeatedly
49,, and failed that we concluded that :
IN, other means must be found. lo'
an that. while there were plenty Of plac
.;,I which we could catch hold, yet not
49,. them would hold. Every time we
~, lii. the dirt and gravel came r'<
: NJ down on our heads. and more
! III once we really feared we were goi
bung he buried alive.
= nm 1--WE wrcstlcd with the conundi
,ur.d 10 how we were 10 &c: out. unit
lorg pavc II M. and lay down 10 sleep.