The Washington herald., 1912-04-21

my negro boy, will move up on the side
of the hill you, Logan, bear over to the
right, and you. Jack 10 the left, while
Tommy takes the central course. Now,
let us 60 to our respective stations, and,
bearing in upon the center, surround our
quarry, if it is there, and have fresh
meat for our midday meal"
All right" said Tommy, Il hope that
get the shot, Mr.. Washington, as
want to have the honor of killing an
elk; for Adam Poe tells me that can
never be a. scholar, and ! may perhaps
silence his tongue by showing him that,
at least, am a hunter"
But Col. Washington and Sambo were
now well on their way toward the Jut-
ting height of the hill which hung over
the copse of trees in which the Indian
said that they would find the elk So
Tommy and Jack rode carefully to the
positions designated >by the Shawnee,
and there waited patiently IN the shade
of some oaks for signs of the game.
The wind is blowing toward as,
whispered Tommy, and that means that
the elk viii smell Col Washington and
Sambo- before he IS startled by our own
scent. This leads me to suppose that he
] will run in our direction" So saying,
he parted company with Jack and made
of toward the right, so that there would
be good interval between himself and
the other members of the party.
As Jack waited in the silence of the
forest, he heard the sharp squeal of a
hawk as it circIed about in the air, high
above his head. The "flick-flick-flick
of yellow hammer sounded from q
i daad Fraa hrr 1s.I al hat
tered at him from the branch of pine.
howl of wolf. II sounded clear and
blood-curdling from the dense growth
of timber, and after an interval of
silence again came plainly TO his expec-
tant senses. A jay few screaming to a
branch above his station, while number
of crows wheeled darkly by in apparent
fear of something in the forest A deep
crunch of some heavy animals feet now
woke the echoes of the somber stiffness,
and he became aware that some moving
thing WIS approaching his position.
Suddenly the branches parted to the
right and left, as he looked ahead, and
before him stood monster elk, his eyes
bright with fear, and his massive antlers
spreading to the right and left in all the
glory of their mighty splendor. He
stopped and looked back again over his
shoulder as the howl of the wolf came
from the forest, and, as he did so, his
broad side was exposed to full view of
the young adventurer, who, having dis
mounted from his horse, stood with his
rife resting upon the branch of tree.
With calmness and deliberation he sight
ed upon the hollow just behind the elk's
shoulder. and pulled the trigger. A
sharp crack followed, the great animal
leaped forward in one great effort, and
then fell quivering upon the turf, with
his red blood gushing from a small hole
in the most vulnerable portion of his
body. Hardly had he ceased to struggle
in his death agony than the bushes
parted in his rear, and, with a face
wreathed in smiles, Logan burst forth
into the little clearing.
"You good boy" he said. you shoot
as straight as an arrow. knew the elk
would come by you and am glad you
, got him, for we need the meat Ugh
Ugh! He is big one, as said
Yes, he is a Jim dandy" answered
Jack, "and Tommy will be as jealous as
he can'be when he sees the prize / am
glad that l did not miss him, for Col
Washington would never have forgiven
me for ii. But tell me, Logan, did you
see wolf in the forest, for heard one
baying like hound while / was waiting
for chance to kill the elk"
Logan laughed heartily at this ques-
ton, and, when he finished, put both
hands beside his mouth and uttered a
howl which sounded so much like the
real cry of a wolf that Jacks horse
reared and plunged at the bride rein.
'Here,> stop!" shouted the young
sportsman. Il have no intention that
you frighten my horse so that he gets
away / see now how you do II, but
don't please. do it again, as it is the
most unearthly sound / ever heard.
Hellol Here is Tommy, and there are
Sambo and Col Washington looking
pleased. indeed, with the sight Of the
fallen quarry"
And pleased, indeed, was Col. Wash
lington, who soon had ldismounted from
his horse and cut up the game with his
hunting knife After an hour consumed
IN this manner, the caravan again
moved onward, and-camping near a
crystal spring for luncheon-were by
nightfall far down the valley and
directly beneath a mountain which the
Indian called Massanuetten, after a
great chief of his tribe who had once
conquered all, this fertile land. Next
day they pushed further onward, and by
nightfall neared deep gorge between
two hills; which marked a passage
through the high, densely-wooded cliffs.
Still onward they journeyed, and, upon
the third day, just as the shadows began
to fall, came to a river, which, flowing
between the sides of a deep defle,
rushed tumultuously over huge bowlders.
1t was a wild-looling rsvine, where
ones voice echoed through the solitude
with strange and sinister reverberation
This, said Logan slowly, must be
near the place where we are to seek for
what we wish My father told me often,
Follow the rushing river flowing fast
beneath the sides of a hollow gorge,
where ones voice, when spoken, comes
back with many intonations'
We'll, well, answered Col Washing
ton, as they passed the jutting point of
a cliff side. Here is the natural arch
of which your parent spoke. Pray, look
above you and you See where nature has
formed a bridge of stone, the water
having worn passage through the
solid rock and made a span of granite
high up in the air Truly, this is one
of the grandest visions have ever wit
messed in my travels through Virginia"
Logan seemed to be overcome with
emotion -Yes, Il is here" ne said.
even as my father told me, and, al