Year: 1877

81 L.
/ One bright sunshiny morning, in III.
| month OF September, threw Inv rifle


over my shoulder. and started of among
the mountains on tramp in s=arct o.
game. There was no, q cloud in III.
/ sky. and everything betokened as nic,
! day as any one bound on = similar er
! rand could wish.


By the time I reached the summit O,
the mountains l found the day tha. had
| promised SO fair ia the morning gave


evidence Of deceiving me. The wind
had shifted round to the south east
and dark clouds had already begun ts
arise In the heavens. indicating Q gath.
ering storm. On the summit stopped
. moment to gain breath, aud, while
thus resting, ! arrived at the conclusion
that the storm would not begin before
some time in the night. and that
should have decent day after ell.
plunged down the opposite side OF
the mountain ; and then came the re-
suit Of my days labor, in the shape oi
game OF every kind in which the forest
abounded. l had never seen it so plen.
| tiful before and, in the course Of a
couple Of hours. had secured as much
as it was possible for me to carry home.
So busy Was in the sport that xlways
80 much enjoyed, l did not notice that
1t was rapidly becoming dark. although
it was not more than the middle of the
afternoon. glanced up at the sky
through the branches of the trees, and
found that it was covered with dark,
heavy clouds. that bad the appearance
at any moment to send down . flood of
rain upon the earth. Hastily packing
together the trophies Of the days ex-
plot. swung them upon my back aud
started on my way homeward.


But had not gone quite third Of
the way from the foot of the mouatain
to its summit, when the rain came
down. a few drops 1t first. and then
faster ana thicker, until at last it des-
cended in torrents, as if a second dsluge
had set in to again drown the earth.
Added to this, it grew darker every
moment and knew that in o short
time all around would be dark as min-
night, and that it would bs impossible
for me to pick my way homeward; con-
sequently. bot one course remained for
mo to pursue and that was to give up
all thonghts of reaching home that
night, and to find shelter from the
storm as quickly as possible.


had got up to . point beyond
the trees, among the bare rocks and
sands. that now reached eli the way up
before me to the summit Of the mount
ain, and knew that there was no
shelter before me, unless il was Among
the rocks, where . cave might be found
l turned about. and was descending the
mountain in somewhat different di-
rection from that by which l had as
cended, when l came upon the very
spot | wished to find-sa small cave
among the rocks. with an aperture suf-
ficiently large to admit my entering,
though not in IN upright position, as
the entrance was not more than four
feet in height.


at once entered the cave and found
that it extended in the mountain per-
hsps twenty feet. aud that the interior
was nice and dry. Here had q room
sufficiently high for me to stand up
right, and about ten feet in width by
fifteen in length and better quarters
for the night could not ask for. My
stock of game would furnish me with
plenty TO eat, and knew how 10 cook
it daintily.


The rain came down in torrents with
out But now it WAS nothing to me.
l was snug and dry. In short time
selected the softest place l could find
in the sand that covered the bottom of
the cave and Vas soon fast asleep.


had been asleep don't know how
long. when l was awakened by . sound
that could not have failed to arouse the
soundest sleeper that ever slept. The
ground upon which was lying WAS
trembling - though moved by an
earthquake. while above my head
sounded terrible roar. as il the very
mountain MAS falling iuto the valley
below The crash of rocks IS they
were torn from their bed. and broken
asunder ny the others that came hurled
by rssistlses power from above-a
force that nothing could withstand;
the strange sound made by moving
earth. and the sharp crash of dead
trees that here lined the mountain
this, added to the roar Of the tempest.
that seemed 10 have increased greatly
in violence while slept. ell combined
to make . noise which appalled, me.
aud for u moment rendered ms incapa-
bic Of motion.


Ii WAS bnt . moment. however. that
was thus rendered powerless, then |
sprang 10 my feet and rushed to the
entrance Of the cave. and would have
dashed out into hardly know what.
had not been deferred by pair Of
fiery. cleaning eyes, that | st once
knew belonged to huge panther, who.
like myself. had sought shelter from
the tempest in the cave.


Those eyes saved my life then;
though an hour after oiamed myself
that had not dashed upon the brute.
and rushed out into the tempest; but
the beast knew better ho~ 10 preserve
his life than I did. for had We rushed
forth into tho untold dangers without,
we should both have per!shed. and
should not be narrAiing this story.
In my fright had been about To 81
forth wishon, my rifle, that ! bad
leaned against the rocky wall near
where l hsd lain down; and now
turned tsward il TO take the life of the
PANTHER thu, barred nay way out iuio
| the night. But before had possessed
I - al Atrs.