Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 195: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

186 appeared, and was fully resolved to se- cure another shot. His friends made no further attempt to dissuade him from his perilous jour- ney, and, after watching him till he had crossed the open and entered the brush, began making their way around and down the mountain to the point where he must come out, that is if he suc- ceeded in crossing Black Cloud Peak. Opdyke himself gave no more atten- tion to his friends, but pressed on through the brush in the direction the deer had fled. The baying of the hounds could just be heard far in ad- vance, but-this did not discourage him ; he would catch up in due course. He knew he had attempted a decid- edly dangerous enterprise in crossing the peak, but he was provoked with his companions, ashamed of himself, and did not care particularly for per- sonal danger. A drop of blood on the ground sud- denly attracted his attention, and he stopped for a moment to examine it. He knew now the deer was wounded, and perhaps it would become exhaust- ed and be run down by the hounds. He hurried on, and presently came to another blood mark, followed by an- other a little farther on, and his ex- citement increased as he began to be- lieve that his shot might prove fatal after all. 5 The trail of blood was now well de- fined, and he encountered little diff- culty in following it. It led directly toward the top of the peak, and in a few moments he came to the base of the elevation. ‘Here goes,” he cried with flashing eyes. “J’ll have that deer, or know the reason why. The fellows don’t get a chance to laugh at me now.” The next moment he was toiling up the steep incline, with the trail of blood still in sight. But the path was so rough and uneven that he soon began to wonder how the wounded game could make its way at all, and he was THE ARGOSY. obliged to be exti *mely careful to pre- vent a serious fall. Presently he found himself on the verge of a deep chasm, around which he had td slowly work his course with the greatest caution. He could no longer carry his gun, as he was forced to use his hands con- stantly in making the ascent, so he strapped the weapon to his back. several times he was tempted to turn back as his course grew more perilous. but the dread of being laughed at after making such boasttul assertions, pre- vented him from yielding. When he came to another precipice. along which a narrow path led over a ledge of rock from which he could look down many feet, he drew back with a cry of alarm. But the deer had passed it in safety, for he could see the trail of blood, and, after several unsuccess- ful attempts, the persistent humer fin- ally got himself started. He kept his eyes turned from the frightful abyss, as step by step he picked his way over the ledge, and when at last the danger was passed, uttered a sigh of relief. ‘That was awful,” he gasped. “I hope there won’t be any more such places.”’ He was almost up to the top by this time, and the clouds seemed to be only a few feet above him. In times of a shower they appeared to rest on the summit of the peak, and it was to this fact that the elevation owed its name. The thunder would roar down the chasms, and the vivid lightning play around the rocks in a way that was appalling to the be- holder. But Opdyke had no time to think of this now. He had already gained the highest point where the trail led, and noticed with keen satisfaction that it began to descend. The baying of the hounds reached his ears at intervals, coming up from COLT ElOOO© CO