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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1889)
WEST SHORE. A MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE. and laboriously made his way. Entering Buddenly little glade, he paused a moment, and had just about RECENTLY one of two hunU'rs who were out in the made up his mind to retrace his steps to camp, when T CoaHt range of mountains had a very thrilling a slight rustling in the brush not far away attracted exjcrionce with an enormous cougar, and nar- his attention. rowly cscajwd with his life. These men, leaving Turning around, he saw a fine, fat buck, bearing i the settlements in one of the many little valleys that beautiful head of horns, just entering the edge of the lie at the base of the range, pushed up into the moun- glade, not more than seventy yards away. Bringing tains. The spot selected as a ramp was a wild, rug- his trusty rifle in position, he touched the trigger. At god, romantic one, at the base of a lofty, frowning bluff, the crack of the weapon the buck fell, but soon jumped the top of which was densely clad with timber. A up again and bounded away. Knowing that the buck siimll stream leaping from tho crest of the cliff came had received a very serious wound, the hunter was de dashing down, forming a series of beautiful cascades, termined to follow it, so he elbowed his way through Primarily, the object of tho two nimrods was to the denBo chaparral and pushed on in pursuit. To his stalk deer. However, they were " loaded for bear," and joy, he soon came in sight of the wounded animal, would not have objected to running afoul of a black, which was bleeding profusely and could make but slow a cinnamon, or even tho fierce and formidable grizzly. For several days the hunters had climM the rugged and heavily timbered mountains, descended profound murium, irorneii uruwimg torrents, I t, clambered along the escarpment of gJ duiy precipices, gloomy depths of forests, and ed their way slow labor through tangl iii)K'nctralilo thickets brush. Fickle fortune had smiled propitiously. Three deer and a small black War had fallen vic tims to their unerring rilles. They had Ixrn no lucky, that tho two hunters had about con cluded to return to tho settlements, and finish the hunt later in the season. Finally it was settled that early the following morning they would pack up their traps and return home. One of them concluded to remain in camp that af ternoon to pack the jerked llesh of the deer and lcar that had not already been eaten. The other thought he would take a little stroll with his rifle, hoping to bring down a deer. It was late in tho afternoon when he started forth. The day was a lovely one in August. Clouded skies hid the sun, now far down toward the mountain horiion, and rendered tho toinierature de lightful. Musing and absorbed in admiring the wild, romantic nery, he sauntered listlensly along, paying little attention U where he was going. His almost aimless course led him across a broad Wit of thick un dergrowth. Many years Wfor great, destructive fires had swept away the dense and noble forests, but Moth er Natur had kn thoughtful and kind, and in the course of years had clothed these dreary, blackened watei with a thick growth of young brush. Through this tangled thicket the hunter cautiously plunged into the Kevfir JfiW .WMffiV lyand with groat SJ;! MMWVK rihSlfflmJl .land almost KBiOTJSjfel V of under- .ffMWjl MWlSllv A PIN, m BCCK, JCJT (NTKHINU Till EIIOI Or THE OI.ADB." progress. Hy this ti me the sun had set, and the length ening shadows warned the hunter that night was near at hand. Hut he pushed resolutely forward despite this fact, determined to secure the tempting game. Several times he caught glimpses of the mortally wounded buck, but, owing to the thick brush, could find an opportunity to shoot it. Wrapped in the ex citement of the chase, time passed unheeded. Nearly exhausted with the severity of the labor, and despair ing of success, the hunter finally, with great reluctance, gave up the chase and began to retrace his steps. Twi light eamo on, and very soon night descended, and with it that peculiar, death-like silence so common to those great, solemn, mountain solitudes. Soon the