Year: 1875

crow flies, is a little mountain vale known


as Gravelly Valley. In the summer sea-


son it is beautiful spot green and lux


uriant, but it is showed in during most


of the winter. In February last, two


hunters, named M III. Robinson and


David Knox, were In the neighborhood
looking for game. At night they camp


ed in small cabin, which had been used


in former years by sheep-herders. Dur


ing the day they explored the surround


ing mountains, looking for bear and
deer. They succeeded In killing large


cinnamon bear, which they dragged to
! the hut. The steaks cut from its quar-


ters served as an agreeable change from


their usual diet of cured bacon and jerk
ed vension. On the morning of the 18th
| OF Feb, when twelve miles from camp,
| Robinson, in getting on his horse acci-


dently discharged his gun, and the ball,


an ounce in weight, passed through his


right heel,


| SCATTERING IT TO FRAGMENTS.


His companion enveloped the wound
in snow and tied it up in piece of sad
dle-blanket, ard they started immediate
| ly for the cabin. Upon their arrival
| Knox So at once that it was necessary
to go Tor physician. Robinson was
weak from loss of blood, was utterly un
| able to ride to the nearest settlement, a


distance of forty miles, and the nature
of his injury was such that he must


surely die unless medical assistance was
| procured It was probable that 1t


would be judged necessary to amputate
the limb to save his life. They were


sworn friends; and Knox, after placing
| the wounded man in a bunk, covering
him with blanket and leaving him two
days' provisions bade him be Of good
| cheer until his return. He rode all that
night through binding storm, which


set in soon after his departure, and ar


irving in Lake Valley soon after day
| light. The road passed over high


range Of mountains which separates the
two valleys. There was no cessation III


the storm, but having procured the as


sistance of physician who was well


known 20 Robinson, they started to re-


turn. AS they ascended the steep side
of the mountain the determined men
soon f9und that 1t was impossible to


procee further The snow was already


fonr I've feel deep, and was accumu-


iat@as ~ great dlfts. Half dozen


times their horses


FELL INTO DEEP RAyINEs,


| from which they were extricated with
difficulty. and they were at last compell-


ed to turn mournfully back for their


own preservation The regrets they


felt at Robinson S fate were of no avail,


but all through the winter his untimely
| end was discussed by his friends around
their firesides. About ten days ago,


when the snow was pretty well off the


ground, party of men thought it their


duty to 90 over into the deserted valley to


bury his body. They had also some
curiosity to see whether he had left any


account in writing OF his approaching
| decease. and ascertain whether he sup
| posed he had been abandoned without
cause. He was boon companion, liked


by everybody, and had host OF friends.
| They crossed the mountain and came III


sight of the spot where the disaster had


occurred, nearly two months before,


with mournful feelings. They arrived
| at the door of the cabin and were al1ght-


ing from their horses when voice with


in was heard joyfully to exclalm "Well,
| have you fellows got here at last?' and


Robinson came limping out upon pair


of crutches. The amazement OF the
/ party may be imagined. Noticing their


surprise he said: ''You all thought [


was dead, did you2 [ am not, but am as


well as I ever was in my life, except


this leg" And SO it proved. He was


aware that the storm which set in upon


Knox's departure would prevent his re-
| turn, and at once set to work to make
| the best of the situation. He kept his
wound dressed with snow, and when his


ready provisions were exhausted drag
! ged himself to the carcass of the bear,
at the door of the cabin, and cut of a
slice with his butcher knife.


RAW BEAR MEAT


and water from a mountain stream,


which ran near by, was all the sustenance
| he had for over seven weeks. This


meager diet no doubt kept his foot from
| Notifying. The fever subsidized, the


inflammation went down, and it soon be
gan to heal With wire which he tore
off an old broom he probed the wound


and drew out several pieces of the bone.
| He then made a pair of crutches and


was able to get about without difficulty


He is a man Of intelligence, but the
only thing in the nature Of literary mat
ter he had was the half of an old New
| York Tribune, which as he lay upon his
couch during his isolation, he perused
| Until he said he believed he could repeat
evezy word it contained, advertisements
and all. He considers the snowstorm
lucky thing, as his leg would probably
have been amputated had the physician
arrived. Upon his return to Lake Val
lev he was welcomed as one come back
from the dead, and the affair is the great
theme of conversation throughout the
I Il