Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1911-04-01

tiucs mT. Logan balu no tnOuRuL no
would be compelled to shoot as the ami
NAL seemed about to spring upon him,
but whenever he would bring his gun up
and look the animal squarely in the face
he would sullenly move back little.
This maneuver was repeated until near
daylight when he left and went up
among the rocks.
After daylight We examined the tracks
and found, as Mr.. Logan had supposed,
that it was mountain lion. Mr.. Logan
carried good repeating rife and was a
good shot but did not wish to disturb
the camp by shooting unless compelled
to do 80. These lions are very powerful
animals of the cat family and man
would stand but little show in an en-
counter with one of them.
About noon, on the fourteenth, we
camped on beautiful crssk. 1t was in
cave or basin shaped like horseshoe.
On the east or left hand was a rocky
ridge some two hundred feet in height,
with the creek at its base. At the far
ther point, about half mile distant and
on our right, towering hundreds of feet
above us, are craggy peaks with majestic
pines contrasting and mingling their
cheerful bows of green with the dull
somber gray of the rocks, while over all,
like the Fathers benedction, spread the
canopy of blue. 1t is one of Gods beau
tiful pictures in all its freshness and or
iginal splendor. 1t was very pleasant
as the sun shown brightly and the wind
was still. Most of the party, as the old
saying goes, took time by the forelock
and did little washing, mending and
baking. The most fortunate man of the
party at this time was Talent whose
wife was of our party and of course par
TALLY relieved him of these cares, con.
sequently Mr.. Talent took a stroll to
see if he could not locate Custer's Park
from some of the prominent peaks in
the neighborhood and after being absent
an hour or SO returned and related
very remarkable adventure with noun
tain sheep.
While walking along on the top of
high rocky ridge he discovered several
mountain sheep in front of him. They
ran short distance and stopped and he
soon discovered that the ridge abruptly
terminated here and that they were as
far as they could 60 in that direction
with safety unless they could fly. Where
he stood the ridge was scarcely two rods
wide and il was more than two hundred
feet to the ground below. He did not
wish to shoot so he began to cast about
for some dry pine poles for the purpose
of building fence across this narrow
neck, 80 that he might afterward kill
the bunch at his leisure. But he had
scarcely begun his task when to his ut
ter amazement he saw them going over
the cliff, one by one, head first, and as
he supposed meeting the fate of any
other animal that would fall from a
height of nearly two hundred feet and
land on frozen ground and rock below.
AS the last of the unfortunate terror
stricken band an innocent lamb ap-
preached the precipice to offer itself up
as a sacrifice to his greed on the rocks
below it cast wild pleading look toward
him and then disappeared over the ledge.
He stretched out his hand imploringly
as he viewed the deserted rock and then
turned to retrace his steps bitterly up.
braiding himself for driving these wild
innocent creatures to such terrible fate.
As he reached the valley below he
concluded to go to the spot where they
had fallen and select from the mangled
remains a little meat for supper. He
could not eat it himself but the rest of
the party, those who had not witnessed
the sad event, that horrible tragedy,
might relish some fat mutton. Slowly
and sadly he picked his way over rocks
and fallen timber and approached the
fatal spot sick at heart, while his con-
demning conscience was racked with
remorse. Could it be possible that be
was mistaken in the place or were they
completely annihilated and crushed our
of existence. As he crept about among
the rocks and logs vainly endeavoring
to find trace of their remains, &
creepy, uncanny feeling began to steaI
over him, he began to feel as if sur
rounded by some mysterious power
some awful invisible force that hse
protected this solemn sacred spot frou
the disecrating influence of the whit,
man in times gone by and for som,
unknown cause had just displayed Il
his utter bewilderment and confusion
more of its magic power. An oppres
sive silence like the gloom of the grav
encompassed him. He was beyont
surprise and if from the ambient al
the trumpet sound had made him aris
and give an account of himself it woul,
have been in line with the trend of hi
thoughts. But what was that, his al
tention was directed to the cliff abov
and beyond by the rattle of som
loosened pebbles and there among tn
crags, on the side Of the cliff, were hi
sheep, seemingly sound and we'll an
as far as he was concerned perfectl
safe.
ITO be Con ntinued.l
A few weeks ago some unknown frien
sent Uncle George an ancient praye
with request to not break the chair
He sent it out as suggested. A few day
) ago he received word from friend