Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
al Hunter in West Trapped Head Down Mountain Side
On the Trail of Big Cat-The Bat

they struck bottom my faithful Aire-
| dale had got her throathold.
| It was now high time to look into
my own predicament, which | found
| to be awkward enough. What / had
| supposed to be a mere temporary
| catching Of my foot in the jagged
rocks turned out to be "A very fair
| imitation Of q permanent trap, for |
| discovered that fiat boulder weigh
! ing perhaps a ton was resting on my
! leg.
On first seeing this, l felt sure that
| the limb must be crushed, although |
could feel no pain Examination
| showed, however, that the leg was
wedged in between two smaller rocks
| that were keeping off the crushing
weight of the larger one. Finding it
| impossible to pull my foot out, dug
my hands into the debris around and
! pulled myself up to an uncomfortable
sitting posture. Then | tried to UNI
lace my high boot, but found the task
| impossible, as there was not room
| enough between the rock and the
boot to get my hand in. Being unable
to keep my back stiffened any longer,
I fell back again, and, with my head
hanging down, tried to solve the prob
! lem of escape.
| At the end of 10 minutes or so, l
was still no nearer a plan of action.
| and my head was roaring like a water.
| fall. Once more l tried to squirm into
| an attitude Of ease, and. bracing my
| self as best could. pulled with all my
| strength in an effort to free the foot.
! But to my horror the huge slab, as
| though balanced on a pivot, swung
around and hung almost over my body.
! A thousand aches were shooting up
my spine, and l endeavored to ease
them, only to stop abruptly when a
| second slight shifting of the rock made
me realize that another such move
ment would probably bring the whole
| mass down on my head.
Had it been possible for me to move
my head and body to one side, so that
the falling rock would have suffi-
Gent room to pass without crushing
me, / would have taken a chance, for
once free I could crawl to my horse
and somehow manage to make my
way home, but / was too firmly held.
Only a few feet beyond. old Head
light stood DOING away the after
noon, and for once in my life / wished
my horse was not quite so well rein
broke" He might then have got tired
OF waiting and gone home to the
ranch, which would have aroused the
folks there to action. But l knew
only too well that this old fellow, who
had carried me over many thousands
of miles of trap lines, would never
leave the spot until he was actually
starving. So I could not hope for
help from that quarter.
Even should 1 live for several days
which was not at all probable, since
/ was almost hanging by the heels
and the night temperature ranged
somewhere about 20 degrees below
zero--I should not be found; the can
yon was too rugged for any one to
be likely to happen along. / often
found it necessary to remain away
over night, so the folks at the ranch
would not become alarmed; only that
morning had casually remarked that
il came across a mountain lion track
might trainr him for week. No,
1t was up to me to help myself.
4 y =
A Nd then the Airedale came backi
q Blood was flowing from several
deep cuts in her sides, where the bob
cats one good hind foot had got in its
terrible work. She at once seemed to
sense the trouble / was in and, I'M
mindful Of her own injuries, began
licking my hands and face. AS I was
practically helpless, owing to the fear
OF moving on account Of the rock, she
made a thorough job of it.
Suddenly it dawned on me to try
trick I had many times read about
with much Notwithstanding her for
help. With much effort got out my
field diary, which we were supposed
to carry at all times to record daily
happenings, and. though my pencil had
disappeared, a 25,35 soft-nosed bullet
answered my purpose and / scrawled
the following message: Come. Head
Mill Canyon"
Tearing out the slip Of paper and
placing 1t in my handkerchief, / tied