Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-08-31
A SnoWsIide From Death.

We were camped on the Huerfano riy-
err near the site Of the COcahontas silver
mine, which was then an unknown treas
ure house.
Our party numbered ten, all told in
Guiding my brother Albert an expert
naturalist and geologist as well as sew
eral other gentlemen of like attainments,
who were devoting their time to the
study of the great canyons and giant
domes of Colorado.
The winter was we'll advanced, and
the ground covered with fall of snow,
on which there was solid crust.
Albert and / started out in the morn
ing, he to examine a canyon two or
three miles up the river, while l, with
my rifle, proposed to shoot any kind OF
game that came in my way.
About a mile out OF camp we separat-
ed, l taking Toby Tricket, q half-grown
lad, with me.
We travelled long way without meet
ing any food for powder.
L don't fancy going back to camp
without either fur or feather l said.
If you take back your own hair.
young man, you may be glad" inter
! posed a new voice.
| turned to glance at the speaker, who
advanced towards us from the thicket
He was certainly the handsomest being
[ ever saw in the shape of scout or
woodsman.
why, what's goin' on?" asked Tobey
/ being rather startled by the unexpect-
| ed appearance of the scout. rs the
blazin' blood drinkers scootin' bout these
diggins?'
There's a band of Sioux in this val
ley, They have just captured a man up
tie canyon. and sent him back to their
! cHmp for
What was he like?" | eagerly asked !;
while Toby demanded:
WAS he a sockdolergist, nosng 'mong
rocks?'
Yes; he was pounding one OF the
rocks with his hammer when the saw
ages stole upon him."
1T is Albert, my brother. | must go
to his rescue at once!
''Where are you going?' asked the
scout, as Tobey started off at Il brisk
pace.
Jericho and jewsharps, I amt got
no notion O furnishin' Orynmints for an
| Injun belt, SO III scoot for camp
Then scoot!' shouted the scout, an
grily, bestowing q hearty kick. Scoot,
then, you coward!
1t was apparent that Toby was dis
posed to obey the admoniton ITO scoot,'
| SO impressively emphasized, and in Il few
moments We were left alone.
"Now," said the scout, who, it was
| plainly to be seen, was man of more
than ordinary intelligence, you and L
are going to take your brother, and slide
/ right out of their camp"
Accordingly, we took up our march
toward the Indian camp, where he in
| formed me my brother had been sent by
! the warriors.
After long and fatiguing climb we
stood on the top of one of the minor
ridges. Below us lay the dark thread OF
the Huerfano river, locked in the icy en-
| brace of q Colorado winter.
Leading down to its brink from where
we stood was a sheer descent, almost en-
| tirely unbroken by tree or boulder. We
| were entirely upon one of those mysteri-
Gus phenomena known as a weird shoot"
| which nature has cleared either by fire or
| tornado.
1t was now covered with a glistening
bed Of snow, utterly impossible to man,
or even the sure-footed deer.
We were within few rods of the
| camp, and thither we cautiously directed
our way through thicket of scrub oak
| All" whispered the scout to me, as
he pointed to an article standing against
| the tree, known as a ''toboggan.' 1.-The
red fiends have been enjoying sleigh rides,
I see!''
Still mere silently we moved toward
the camp, until we caught sight of AL
bert, standing bound to an immense tree
| just IN front of MS.
Around the fire, a considerable dis
lance beyond the prisoner were the
bucks, lazily reclining on their blankets,
watching several squaws preparing Il
! meal.
The scout mOtioned me to remain where
was, while he began to creep toward
Albert. This he succeeded in doing I'M
/ der the cover Of the scrub oak which
! frlnged the whole camp.
Never in my life did I spend such an
interminable FIVE minutes.
turned my eyes to see what was
occasioning the delay. To my amazement
Albert was no longer bound.
At that instant my heart leaned into
my. throat as [ heard the savage yell
which announced the discovery of the
/ loss Of their prisoner
The scout and my brother were at my
| side. y
Horror thrilled our bosoms as we heard
other shouts, and louder ones, which
rang and rang again through the snow
clad Businesses.
We turned to see the meaning of this
Increase of sound
Merciful heaven! The whole band has
come back!' exclaimed my brother.
We are lostr' l cried.
'Not So" responded the scout. 1--WE
| nave one chance in a hundred I'll take
! that chance.
SO saying. he darted aside from the
trail, and seized the toboggan
TO the shoot, 70 the shoot,'' he ex-
claimed.
1t was doubtful if we could gain the
shoot in time. but. straining every nerve
we reached it, with the foremost Indian
not far distant.
| Luckily for us, he had discharged his
rifle early in the chase, and must depend
upon his knife or dubbed weapon
| AS the scout threw down the toboggan
he souted:
Give that head chap dose. Don't
waste your metal, else it will go hard
with us!''
He had placed his rife in the hands
of Albert and was arranging the tobog-
gan, smooth board. about eight feet
long. with the end turned up in front
like the dashboard Of sleigh This is
held in position by thongs and posts set
in the board. A toboggan of this length
affords a seat for four people
| stood second only with my rife
poised. My muscles grew tense with
the thought that l must kill 1 pressed
my finger on the trigger; the hammer
fell.
But there was no report! The chief