The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1908-12-12

ward. passing around upheaving
masses of dark stone, across slopes
that were smooth as white satin, and,
still further up the mountain side,
found little hollows, evidently lined
with brush but now filled with snow,
simply big, glistening dimples in the
mountains fat face; but he saw no
deer.
Finally, being weary OF laborlng
through what was very much like an
infinite bed of glittering down, ne
reached a point on the steep slope
apparently q quarter Of mile or SO
directly north of the cabin. AS ne
stood there debating If he should
return to the draw" or attempt to
find a more direct route to the floor
of the gulch, he suddenly felt himself
moving. His first thought was that
an earthquake was swaying the
mountain or that he himself had been
seized with vertigo Then with a wild
thrill he perceived that a strip OF
snow 200 feet wide and perhaps ooo
feet in length was moving down the
mountain side!
Donald's gray eyes dilated with SUD-
den fear and horror. He was thrown
headlong in the snow, hearing as ne
fell the crunch of stones that were
being ripped out Of their beds and the
crash and rending Of stumps and
roots as they parted from their SOCK
cts in the earth With every pulse
leaning in alarm he got to his feet,
topping and Keeling and shouting 1of
aid as he glanced about him. The
, next instant he was again thrown
, headlong. He was upon the PACK OF
a steed beside which the tabled Horse
OF Death was as an insect. Something
, went through his brain like a sheet
, Of flame, in it picture OF sumpter
t sitting by the open fire OF pine logs
| down in the cabin, book in his hand
Y undermining of this ruthless monster
rushing down to crush him.
The next moment Donald was again
upon his feet, pitching and clutchine
at the air and shouting. In that mo
nent he saw a very amazing tning
though everything was both amazing
and not amazing as in some sort OK IN
| describable dream. A hundred fee
| to the rear of him, almost at the up
| ner tip Of the avalanche, he saw
| bear rolling and tossing on the hurl
| ing mass. Thrown out Of its hiberna'
/ ing bed among the rocks or decayin'
i tree-roots, the animal was pitcnin
i about, now upon its feet then upon II
| back, helpless as fly upon an ocea
| surge. Donald never knew why, Du
/ he shouted at the bear, and he neVe
i could recall afterwards exactly VIVA
a IL was he shouted. He says now tbs
A he thinks he commanded the bea
| not to roll down upon him, which wa
Y certainly absurd.
4 In his mind we're many glancin
thoughts. In such moments the me-
| tally of man sometimes seems as
4 diamond with many facets. 4
! Thought Of the Christmas tree to I
lighted in the parlor at home In De
| YER. Of how tired he was of corne
| beef, of where they would bury III
whsn they took him crushed and DEL
from the snow at the bottom OF Il
gulch. whether or not his school Il
Il lows II they now saw him won
81 shout "slide, Donald, slide" as tn
- used to when he was running q
I'd. bases when playing ball, and MAJ
other things, all, seemingly, IN
, single moment.
-ns It must have been q very sht
cps period in which he was leaping a
un' tumbling and whirling about on
mighty toboggan, for the avalanc
lne ran down the mountain side like
tek swiftly hurrying snake, save that
inc undulations were up and down inste
ing Of sidewise as with serpent.
at seemed to Donald he had scarce
Ia. drawn six breaths before the snt
Co. slide shot from the precipice above
'ei. cabin. Swift as was his flight he
~ conscious that the slide had Leaf
from the canyon wall, for through
anu a few seconds there was no noise
ken he seemed being borne upon bed
aao feathers through space, then there
ing a roar as Of mufied thunder and
TAP was wallowing deep in snow.
,,,,. The mental picture that had fiasl
- through Donald's mind Of his yo'
1;ao uncle sitting by the fire engrossed
Jaw, a printed romance, had been true
10y. TO-, the fact. Sumpter had awakened
e. -. the coming of the avalanche Q
when it neared the brink Of the "
Dan 70 feet above the cabin. His b
a~d dropped from his hand and he mad
49, leap for the door. The next momel
~. bear crashed through the roof
~ smote the floor in front Of the
leaving the luckless animal lifel
nln Sumpter's face blanched as he. sta
Gnu at the strange object then he thou
gay of Donald and hurriedly pushed