The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-04-25

dizly Tor want OF sleep, staggered
about &c. struggling 10 keep awake.
The Mediator" ls nearly 20 years old.
but his 1.-THE little form rs Injured to
hardship by many years of woods life.
A less experienced man or one with
less vitality must have succumbed.
The snow came down damp ana
heavy, and the sagging boughs above
kept dropping clumps onto mis- shout
ders and into his neck.
AZ the first tightening that showed
that morning was approaching, he ate
the last crumbs of his biscuit and
started away. But the snow drove
hard in his face. He was weak with
hunger and sick for sleep His limbs
were stiff ana his whole body ready
to sink with fatigue Accustomed
though he was to the woods. it is not
surprising that in a few hours he
knew that he had lost his way But
still he kept on hoping that he might
come across some trail or water
course his chief hope of rescue, some
logging camp.
The snow ceased in the afternoon,
but a sharp and driving wind succeed
ed. It flung the drying snow and
shrieked with it through the trees
and clearings. The fine particles cut
his face like the dust Of a sand storm.
Few men have made a fiercer strug-
gle for life than he. It is probable
that partial delirium overlook him,
for he insists that he could not only
hear his spirit guides, but could see
them as they flocked about him and
beckoned him on.
At dusk he was in a country Who'll
| ly unknown. There were mountains
off to the right, but he did not recog-
nize the peaks nor the surroundings.
About an hour after the dark came
down with the wind still driving the
snow into his eyes, ne came out into
a section that he recognized at last.
1t was 'The Gulf" This is a canyon
about three miles long, through which
the west branch of Pleasant river
RACES. The wall are precipices. But
along the north side skirts a wood
road leading to camps miles above,
and into this road the Mediator"
staggered.
Now, he was desperately weak. But
he knew that if he could round the
foot Of the canyon and scramble for
three miles up the side of the first
Chairback he would come to Long
Pond, where there were camps.
It was now race for life. He
stood his dear old rifle against a tree
and hung his cartridge box on limb.
Then he clinched the belt around MIS-
thin waist and started. He was in a
half stupor when he came down to the
frozen ford at the foot of the canyon.
He crossed, and striking the corduroy
road that leads up to the first Chair.
back he plowed on. He fell a dozen
times, but he had sense enough left
to struggle up and dig to his task
again.
When he made Long Pond his
strength was nearly gone. But he
knew that across the pond lay Hal
& Daviss sporting camp, three miles
away The wind was still driving
the snow, ana he miscalculated his
route across. When he came to shore
he peered in all directions and lis
tened. There was no glimmer Of ligh
anywhere, and no sound indicating
that any camp was near. His knee
were doubling under him by this tins
His strength was gone, his eye
would not stay open, and he gave UP
He stumbled and crawled up on tn
shore and fell across a log. Hi
tongue was swollen in his mouth an,
his throat was dry. He says that h
, tried to shout but he could utter n
sound but a gurgling whisper. The
) he became unconscious.
Now comes the strange part Of tn
, story.
There was at the Hall & Davi
4 camps at that time a hunting part
t from the town of Dexter. Anon
5 them were N. E. Meigs, the leadin
! clothier of the place, and Walter AL
g bolt, one of the proprietors Of tn
= large Abbott wooden mill. Mr.. Meg
had been out that day with the part!
2 and IN trying to cross the pond ha
+ frozen both his ears, so bitter wa
/. the cold. He would have persisted ma
t not his guide beaten him to make hill
s walk. He had desired to lie down an
e go to sleep on the snow, and ma
|. begged the others to go away an
e leave him.
e On this evening he was lying in h
h bunk wondering whether or not /
e was going to be able to save his ear
b Thev were Wranned I'm and were ac