Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-01-07

ton l blazed away with both my Pis-
tolls, and when these were exhausted,
picked up Sans and answered every
arrow with an unerring bullet.
Two shots more, and all the cham
bers would be exhausted, then there
would be nothing left but to die fight
iIS over the PROSTATE form Of my com
paniou.
Leave me! leave me! Remember
your wife and children" groaned Sam
did remember them. and with ter
rlble anxiety at that moment; but the
thought only intensified my resolve to
save my friend
1 took deliberate aim at one sup
posed to be chief from his actions,
and l saw him leap into the air and
fall on his face.
One shot more was left though J
raised both pistols as boldly as II every
chamber was loaded. had my finger
on the trigger, and would have fired,
hut saw them running back in the
darkness, as IL panlc-strtken.
In moment I slung both the rifles
and securing the pistols, l picked uL
Sam and ran back for the protection
of the rock for which had first aimed
NV first work was to reload all the
arms: then. watching to see that ]
was not surprised, 1 examined Sans
wound as we'll as the darkness would
admit. He mad tainted and lay like
one dead. l fourd an arrow had
struck him in the back, and now pro
truded through his right breast. ]
cut off the flint head of the weapon
and drew it out, and then forced some
water retween his lips from his own
canteen.
A grOan told me that he was reviv'
ing, and at the same instant | heard
"A rumbling sound that seemed to be
approaching. l was at n loss to dis
cover what it meant at first; but the
mystery was soon solved. The In.
-dfans were rolling rocks toward us in
a circle, determined to crush us under
their weight, or to hurl us over the
cliff.
The rocks came nearer. I could see
the black outlines rolling in, and hear
the grunts of the Indians, who were
taxing their strength to move them.
l had not many minutes to think. l
felt along the edge OF the cliff for
some distance, and found that, while
not perpendicular near the top, the
angle was very sharp, and to the val
ley below it was fully 200 feet. 1t was
my only hope and determined to risk
it. Hastily strapping Sam to my belt,
dropped first one rife and then the
other, and l heard them rolling down,
down, as If they would never stop.
Fastening the pistol, took a last
look at the stars. and clasping Sam in
my arms, lay on my back, and feet
foremost l slid over the side of the
mesa.
| kept my perpendicular position,
though l felt my clothes being torn
as l was dashed over the rocks with a
quickness that took my breath away.
Down! down! down! 1t seemed as If
it would never stop. My breath was
leaving me, and consciousness, too,
when suddenly we were stopped with
a jerk. and must have tainted. When
l revived, l found we were balanced
one on each side Of stunted cedar
tree, while away below us imagined
l could see a black yawnlng abyss.
l can never forget the horror of that
long night-a horror increased by the
thought Of the abyss below, and the
fact that Indians for hours hurled
rocks, down that, sWent hy, Us with q
tnnndering sound and mighty FORCE.
l had no recollection Of how our
friends, who had been searching,
found us at daylight, and carried us
to camp, nor could I believe till saw
it, what they told me-that the cedar
to which we chung was only six feet
from the solid earth, instead of being
over frlghtful abyss.
Sam got well and lived to go back
wealthy to his Julia, as 1 did to my
wife.-New York News.