Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-12-20

thence ne nr0t MS WAY hi'NlN "t"'
ward. PASSING around upEr2sinS
masses Of darn stone. across Slopes
that were GmOuth as whit" satin. 10
still further up the mountain side,
found little hull0ws. evidently lined
with brush but now hllcd w.th a''""'
simply big, slistentng dmpl's III IN"
mountain 5 fat lace; but he saw 10
deer
Finally. being weary % lahorlnS
through what Was very much hh" an
infinite bed OF slitttrinG down, h"
reached u point On tn" steep sore
apparently quarter OF hi.iC or 50
directly north Of h" cabin. As La
stood there debating II he Hhu'..I
return to the draw or attempt to
fnd a NOR. direct rout" To tn" h"'I
Of the gulch, h" suddenly felt himself
moving His first thought WAS that
an earthuuahe was awaiting III"
mountain or that he him '"lt had been
seized with vertigo. Then WITH VIZ"
thrill he perceived that stvp 81
snow 200 feet wide aad perhaps 80
feet In length was mosins down III"
mountain side
DonalLs gray eyes dilated with sud
den fear and horror. ne was thrown
headiunp in the snow. hearing AZ II"
fell the crunch of stones that were
being ripped out OF their beds ana te'
crash and rending OF StnmpH ana
roots as they parted from their s"'A-
ets in the earth. With every pulse
,rapins IN alarm he got tn his ieet,
,orrling and r-cling and shouting fot
aid AZ he glanced about him. The
next instant he was again thrown
headlong He was upon the haCk or
a stecd beside which tho tabled Horse
OF death was rs an insect. Something
went through his brain lik" shrti
OF flame. in it picture OF Sumrt"r
sitting hy the open FIR" " pin" logs
down in the cabin. a book in his hand,
uudreaning of this ruthless monster
rushing down to crush him.
The next momcn; Donald was again
upon his feet, pitching and clulchtnS
at the air and shouting. In that mo-
mpnt he saw very amazing thing.
tnptipn every lElilS "uo WIN
and not amazing as in some sort OF IN
describabe dream. A hundred ieet
to the rear Of him. almost at the up
rer tin OF the avalanche. he saw
bear rolling and tossing on the hnTi'
ing mass. Thrown ont OF its hihernat'
ing bed among the rocks or decaFins
tree roots, the animal was pitching
HOT
back. helpless as fly upon an ocean
surge. Donald never knew why. but
he shouted at the bear, and he never
could recall afterwards exactly what
il was he shouted He says now that
he thinks he commanded the bear
not to roll down upon him, which was
certainly absurd.
In his mind were many elancing
thoughts. In such moments the men
tally Of man sometimes seems as
! diamond with many facets. he
| thought of the Christmas tree to be
| lighted in the parlor at home in Den
! YER. OF how tired he was OF corned-
| beef. OF where they would bury him
| when they took him crushed and dead
from the snow at the bottom OF the
! Sulch. whether or not his school fel-
lows il they now saw him would
shout Slide. Donald. slide" as they
used to when he was running the
bases when playing ball and many
other things. all, seemingly, in
! single moment.
II must have been very short
period in which he was lea1!nG and
,umbllng and whirling about on the
| mighty toboggan, for the avalanche
ran down the mountain side like q
swiftly hurrying snake, save that its
| uadulaticns were mp and down instead
| of sidewisc as with serpent. 1t
seemed to Donald he had scarcely
! drawn six breaths before the snow
, slide shot from the precipice above the
| cabin. SGift as was his flight he was
conscious that the slide had ieared
| from the canyon wall, for throughout
| few seconds there was no noise and
| he seemed being borne upon bed Of
| feathers through STAGE. then there was
! a roar as of muffled thunder and he
was wallOwins deep in snow.
! The mental picture that had flashed
| through DonaIG's mind Of his young
| uncle sitting by the fire engrosscd in
| lrinted romance. had been true 10
the fact. Sump:cr had awakened TO
the coming Of the avalanche only
when it neared the brink Of the wall.
! 20 feet above the cabin His book
! drorncd from his hand and he mad"
| lean for the door The newt moment a
| bear ,rasked through the roof and
| surote the foCr In from: Of the f5e.
! leaving the In, kIess animal lifciess.
| SumrtCr'S face blanchcd as he stared
! 4; .hc strange object thea he thought
| e r, aald and hurri' dly pushed his