The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-03-09
TALES OF PLUCK
and ADVENTURE
a Fatal Hunt.

n ANY sportsmen say that no
Ss, NH &: .ss :.s:'ss sss,.;;',ss :; i:
channels or the ibex among the peaks
of the snow covered mountains. The
danger of the sport does not lie in the
game, but In the nature of the hunt.
ing grounds, and many hunter has
sacrificed his life in the chase. Half
a century ago a gallant young Irish
man named Peyton met with a terri
BILE experience among the mountains
OF India, which he thus describes:
I'VE arrived in Cashmere and lost
no time in getting into the Wardwan
Valley, famous for the large horned
ibex. The country was all under
snow, aud as the snow continued TO
fall for several days we were obliged
to remain indoors, and Surgeon Wray.
who was a splendid musician, amused
the villagers by playing lis violin to
them
AT last the sun came ont, and We
heard several avalanches slipping
down the mountain. Our lien were
much averse to going out, and | must
say thought they were right. How
ever, poor Wray in jocular tone said
We 'funked. This settled the matter,
aud out we went.
I'VE proceeded up the valley about
seven miles along the banks of small
river, which divided the mountains
on both sides of il. We saw a fine
herd OF male ibex, but in consequence
Of the heavy snow we were unable to
creep round by a circuitous route and
stalk the herd from above.
so we four spread blanket in a
ravine next 10 where the ibex were
and sat down close together upon it,
keeping ourselves warm.
Suddenly we heard noise like
distant thunder; then spray and stones
followed. Oar men called out, An
avalanche is fallingp Although l had
seen several falls, this seemed to me
quite different, more like landslip.
II covered breadth of at least one
hundred yards, three or four hundred
yards long and fifty or sixty feet in
depth.
This enormous mass. like q small
mountain tearing with its rock and
earth, moved toward us much too
quickly for us to get out OF Its way by
running down before it. The whole
thing looked weird and supernatural
Death stared us in the face. On
our right side there was a precipice,
which cut off our escape in that direc-
ton. On our left was a very wide
trench, which separated us from a
shoulder of q mountain large enough
to protect us from the approaching
avalanche if we could Jump the chasm
and get shelter under it.
II pointed out 10 my companions
our only chance Of escape; by this
time the avalanche had approached
within fifty or sky PAGES of us.
II led the way, made spring for
my life, landed safely on the side of
the chasm and crouched under the
shelter of the hill, which was only
three or four PAGES from the side /
jumped on.
Looking around, to my horror ]
saw my poor friend Wray and the
other two men dashed forward by the
avalanche and buried under a noun
tain of snow. Ny dear old servant,
Abel Khan, who had all the nerve and
activity of an ibex, could have jumped
the chasm, but the others were in his
way and he had my heavy Lancaster
rife on his back.
The thought haunts me to this
day. Had he had fair run he would
have saved his life by clearing the
chasm as | had done, although it was
a big jump.
by this time Patio Khan, brother
OF Abel Khan, who had been left to
watch the ibeX about a quarter OF n
mile to our left, came to the cave in
which / had taken shelter. He had
witnessed the whole occurrence and
had seen his brother killed. he cried
mos. piteously, lamenting over the
loss of his brother aud myself, who he
thought was killed also.
II called out: 'Putto, fate has been
hard upon us! / am safep
He seemed bewildered and cried
out: No, you are only the spirit come
back to tell me! My beloved brother
and our young sahib are gone.