Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-06-29


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less he has tried it, how exhausting it
Is to run for any considerable 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 10 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-every-
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.
'IIurrah!" cried my gasping leader,
as he sat on the snow, pulling down his
trouser legs and disentangling his head
from the skirts of his coat. ''Hurrah for
us! We've got him, sure enough. Queer
looking sheep, though, isn't it? 1t has
the body and hair of deer and the head
and legs of a sheep. Come on; let US
take its 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 10
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 lo'a& about
us, we saw that the sun was obscured
and that over the shoulders Of the "Oid
Woman" heavy cloud was creeping
down. The sight alarmed me.
Frank" I said, "do you notice how
cold 1t has grown? And look at that
great cloud up there, how fast it is roll
ing down. I'm afraid tits going to snow.
Hurry up! We must get out OF this
place as fast as we can"
"You are right" replied Frank. ut
won't do to be caught in q snowstorm
IN in this barren region, where there
isn't bit of frewood as big as your
finger. Come on. You carry my rifle
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 again 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 it, filing up all the cracks and
crevices and burying everything in its
heavy folds as it came'
"That cloud is going to catch us,
Frank" l cried. eve must drop the
meat and run
at 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, give me my rife and
let us hook it,"
Our course led us across a wide
stretch OF snow, which lay against the
foot of long, bare, ''hog-backcd"
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 were obliged to come
down to & walk, the pursuing yapor
overhauled US hand over hand.
"Look, Ted!" Frank exclaimed; 1T
will be upon us in a minute! We must
get our bearings while we can. Our
camp is some way off to the left, !
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'tyou think
so2"
eyes," assented, "that will be the
best way. It doesn't SO much matter
about being lost in the woods, because
we can make fire there; but here"
Before I had finished speaking the
mist enveloped us. All the features OF
the landscape were blotted out in mo-
ment; we could not see two steps in any
direction,
Our expectation that the motion OF
the cloud would help to direct ouT
course proved to be baseless; the bill
lowy mass seemed to have no motion
at all. Our only resource, therefore
was to keep on going uphill as nearly
i in straight line as possible. Uphill we
went accordingly, and soon we had the
4 satisfaction of finding that we had left
the snow bed and we're walking on thu