Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 196: what you’re looking at

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

BLACK CLOUD PEAK. the base of the peak on the other side, and he was sure the deer had fallen at this point. And now he was assailed by a new fear. Could his friends go all around the mountain, and reach the spot be- fore he could cross the peak ? He did not think they could, but he had lost considerable time back at the chasm, and the idea that they might do so made him somewhat uneasy. “*T must get there first,” the cried. “ To fail now, after all the danger I’ve passed, would be more than I could stand.” He pressed on eager and excited. So sure was he that the game had been run down by the dogs that he abandoned the course of the trail, and started straight down the peak toward’ the point whence emanated the baying of the hounds. He appeared to have selected a com- paratively easy route, and was making such progress in the descent that he began congratulating himself on his coming success, when he suddenly paused with a groan of dismay. Another abyss deeper, wider and more ‘frightful by far than the other yawned ahead of him. This time there was no ledge by which to cross, and with a.sinking heart he began to think he would be com- pelled to turn back, when, chancing to look some distance below, he ut- tered a cry of Joy. A small tree had fallen across the chasm in such a way that the top was suspended above the brink of the abyss on the opposite side. The youth was confident he could walk out on this and leap over without danger. There were little branches protrud- ing from the trunk at convenient inter- vals, and it would be an easy matter to pass over by the aid of these. The ad- venturous hunter stepped upon the tree and made his way out cautiously at first, becoming more courageous as he found the tree scarcely felt his weight. 187 suddenly he heard a peculiar noise behind him. He started, looked quickly back, could see nothing to cause alarm, and began to advance again. He had probably accomplished half the distance when there was another slight noise in the rear, and Opdyke was appalled to feel the tree sinking under him. He turned swiftly to work his way back, but before he could take a step the tree dropped, and he clutched des- perately at the branches to save him- self. Fortunately, all the roots did not part, and being held by two or three tendrils, the tree swung to and fro like a pendulum with the horrified man dangling from the branches. The sensation was awful. Hundreds of feet below were the jagged rocks and boulders upon which he would be plunged to destruction if those few frail roots should separate. He looked up with fear and trem- bling, and cried out in horror as he beheld the roots slowly but surely slip- ping away. With an energy born of utter de- spair, he began climbing for life. It was the only thing he could do, and he realized it. : Would the roots hold two minutes longer? The tree swayed with every motion of his body, and steadily those roots continued to slip. Up, up he swiftly mounted, and now he had almost reached the top. Only one foot more, and he would be safe. But now two of the roots had broken, the whole weight was sustained by one which threatened to snap each second. He had just extended his hand to take the hold that would draw him to safety when the root broke, and witha yell of terror he seized the upper end, while the whole tree went plunging and crashing down to the depths below. There he hung dangling over a hor- rible fate, for the root Feo ¢clerad < CO