the spirit of the border-第28章

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larn　to　love　me。〃



Nell　gazed　one　instant　into　the　monster's　face。　Her　terror…stricken　eyes　were

piteous　to　behold。　She　tried　to　speak；　but　her　voice　failed。　Then；　like

stricken　bird；　she　fell　on　the　grass。







Chapter　XIV。



Not　many　miles　from　the　Village　of　Peace　rose　an　irregular　chain　of　hills；　the

first　faint　indications　of　the　grand　Appalachian　Mountain　system。　　These

ridges　were　thickly　wooded　with　white　oak；　poplar　and　hickory；　among　which　a

sentinel　pine　reared　here　and　there　its　evergreen　head。　There　were　clefts　in

the　hills；　passes　lined　by　gray…stoned　cliffs；　below　which　ran　clear　brooks；

tumbling　over　rocks　in　a　hurry　to　meet　their　majestic　father；　the　Ohio。



One　of　these　valleys；　so　narrow　that　the　sun　seldom　brightened　the　merry

brook；　made　a　deep　cut　in　the　rocks。　The　head　of　this　valley　tapered　until　the

walls　nearly　met；　it　seemed　to　lose　itself　in　the　shade　of　fern…faced　cliffs；

shadowed　as　they　were　by　fir　trees　leaning　over　the　brink；　as　though　to　search

for　secrets　of　the　ravine。　So　deep　and　dark　and　cool　was　this　sequestered　nook

that　here　late　summer　had　not　dislodged　early　spring。　Everywhere　was　a　soft；

fresh；　bright　green。　The　old　gray　cliffs　were　festooned　with　ferns；　lichens

and　moss。　Under　a　great；　shelving　rock；　damp　and　stained　by　the　copper…colored

water　dripping　down　its　side；　was　a　dewy　dell　into　which　the　sunshine　had

never　peeped。　Here　the　swift　brook　tarried　lovingly；　making　a　wide　turn　under

the　cliff；　as　though　loth　to　leave　this　quiet　nook；　and　then　leaped　once　more

to　enthusiasm　in　its　murmuring　flight。



Life　abounded　in　this　wild；　beautiful；　almost　inaccessible　spot。　Little　brown

and　yellow　birds　flitted　among　the　trees；　thrushes　ran　along　the　leaf…strewn

ground；　orioles　sang　their　melancholy　notes；　robins　and　flickers　darted

beneath　the　spreading　branches。　Squirrels　scurried　over　the　leaves　like　little

whirlwinds；　and　leaped　daringly　from　the　swinging　branches　or　barked　noisily

from　woody　perches。　Rabbits　hopped　inquisitively　here　and　there　while　nibbling

at　the　tender　shoots　of　sassafras　and　laurel。



Along　this　flower…skirted　stream　a　tall　young　man；　carrying　a　rifle　cautiously

stepped；　peering　into　the　branches　overhead。　A　gray　flash　shot　along　a　limb　of

a　white　oak；　then　the　bushy　tail　of　a　squirrel　flitted　into　a　well…protected

notch；　from　whence；　no　doubt；　a　keen　little　eye　watched　the　hunter's　every

movement。



The　rifle　was　raised；　then　lowered。　The　hunter　walked　around　the　tree。　

Presently　up　in　the　tree　top；　snug　under　a　knotty　limb；　he　spied　a　little　ball

of　gray　fur。　Grasping　a　branch　of　underbush；　he　shook　it　vigorously。　　The

thrashing　sound　worried　the　gray　squirrel；　for　he　slipped　from　his　retreat　and

stuck　his　nose　Over　the　limb。　CRACK！　With　a　scratching　and　tearing　of　bark　the

squirrel　loosened　his　hold　and　then　fell；　alighting　with　a　thump。　As　the

hunter　picked　up　his　quarry　a　streak　of　sunshine　glinting　through　the　tree　top

brightened　his　face。



The　hunter　was　Joe。



He　was　satisfied　now；　for　after　stowing　the　squirrel　in　the　pocket　of　his

hunting　coat　he　shouldered　his　rifle　and　went　back　up　the　ravine。　　Presently　a

dull　roar　sounded　above　the　babble　of　the　brook。　It　grew　louder　as　he　threaded

his　way　carefully　over　the　stones。　Spots　of　white　foam　flecked　the　brook。

Passing　under　the　gray；　stained　cliff；　Joe　turned　around　a　rocky　corner；　and

came　to　an　abrupt　end　of　the　ravine。　　A　waterfall　marked　the　spot　where　the

brook　entered。　The　water　was　brown　as　it　took　the　leap；　light　green　when　it

thinned　out；　and　below；　as　it　dashed　on　the　stones；　it　became　a　beautiful；

sheeny　white。



Upon　a　flat　rock；　so　near　the　cascade　that　spray　flew　over　him；　sat　another

hunter。　The　roaring　falls　drowned　all　other　sounds；　yet　the　man　roused　from

his　dreamy　contemplation　of　the　waterfall　when　Joe　rounded　the　corner。



〃I　heerd　four　shots；〃　he　said；　as　Joe　came　up。



〃Yes；　I　got　a　squirrel　for　every　shot。〃



Wetzel　led　the　way　along　a　narrow　foot　trail　which　gradually　wound　toward　the

top　of　the　ravine。　This　path　emerged　presently；　some　distance　above　the　falls；

on　the　brink　of　a　bluff。　It　ran　along　the　edge　of　the　precipice　a　few　yards；

then　took　a　course　back　into　densely　wooded　thickets。　Just　before　stepping　out

on　the　open　cliff　Wetzel　paused　and　peered　keenly　on　all　sides。　There　was　no

living　thing　to　be　seen；　the　silence　was　the　deep；　unbroken　calm　of　the

wilderness。



Wetzel　stepped　to　the　bluff　and　looked　over。　The　stony　wall　opposite　was　only

thirty　feet　away；　and　somewhat　lower。　From　Wetzel's　action　it　appeared　as　if

he　intended　to　leap　the　fissure。　In　truth；　many　a　band　of　Indians　pursuing　the

hunter　into　this　rocky　fastness　had　come　out　on　the　bluff；　and；　marveling　at

what　they　thought　Wetzel's　prowess；　believed　he　had　made　a　wonderful　leap；

thus　eluding　them。　But　he　had　never　attempted　that　leap；　first；　because　he

knew　it　was　well…nigh　impossible；　and　secondly；　there　had　never　been　any

necessity　for　such　risk。



Any　one　leaning　over　this　cliff　would　have　observed；　perhaps　ten　feet　below；　a

narrow　ledge　projecting　from　the　face　of　the　rock。　He　would　have　imagined　if

he　were　to　drop　on　that　ledge　there　would　be　no　way　to　get　off　and　he　would　be

in　a　worse　predicament。



Without　a　moment's　hesitation　Wetzel　swung　himself　over　the　ledge。　　Joe

followed　suit。　At　one　end　of　this　lower　ledge　grew　a　hardy　shrub　of　the

ironwood　species；　and　above　it　a　scrub　pine　leaned　horizontally　out　over　the

ravine。　Laying　his　rifle　down；　Wetzel　grasped　a　strong　root　and　cautiously

slid　over　the　side。　When　all　of　his　body　had　disappeared；　with　the　exception

of　his　sinewy　fingers；　they　loosened　their　hold　on　the　root；　grasped　the

rifle；　and　dragged　it　down　out　of　sight。　Quietly；　with　similar　caution；　Joe

took　hold　of　the　same　root；　let　himself　down；　and　when　at　full　length　swung

himself　in　under　the　ledge。　His　feet　found　a　pocket　in　the　cliff。　Letting　go

of　the　root；　he　took　his　rifle；　and　in　another　second　was　safe。



Of　all　Wetzel's　retreatsfor　he　had　manyhe　considered　this　one　the　safest。

The　cavern　under　the　ledge　he　had　discovered　by　accident。　One　day；　being　hotly

pursued　by　Shawnees；　he　had　been　headed　off　on　this　cliff；　and　had　let　himself

down　on　the　ledge；　intending　to　drop　from　it　to　the　tops　of　the　trees　below。

Taking　advantage　of　every　little　aid；　he　hung　over　by　means　of　the　shrub；　and

was　in　the　act　of　leaping　when　he　saw　that　the　cliff　shelved　under　the　ledge；

while　within　reach　of　his　feet　was　the　entrance　to　a　cavern。　He　found　the　cave

to　be　small　with　an　opening　at　the　back　into　a　split　in　the　rock。　Evidently

the　place　had　been　entered　from　the　rear　by　bears；　who　used　the　hole　for

winter　sleeping　quarters。　　By　crawling　on　his　hands　and　knees；　Wetzel　found

the　rear　opening。　Thus　he　had　established　a　hiding　place　where　it　was　almost

impossible　to　locate　him。　He　provisioned　his　retreat；　which　he　always　entered

by　the　cliff　and　left　by　the　rear。



An　evidence　of　Wetzel's　strange　nature；　and　of　his　love　for　this　wild　home；

manifested　itself　when　he　bound　Joe　to　secrecy。　It　was　unlikely；　even　if　the

young　man　ever　did　get　safely　out　of　the　wilderness；　that　any　stories　he　might

relate　would　reveal　the　hunter's　favorite　rendezvous。　But　Wetzel　seriously

demanded　this　secrecy；　as　earnestly　as　if　the　forest　were　full　of　Indians　and

white　men；　all　prowling　in　search　of　his　burrow。



Joe　was　in　the　seventh　heaven　of　delight；　and　took　to　the　free　life　as　a　wild

gosling　takes　to　the　water。　No　place　had　ever　appealed　to　him　as　did　this

dark；　silent　hole　far　up　on　the　side　of　a　steep　cliff。　His　interest　in　Wetzel

soon　passed　into　a　great　admiration；　and　from　that　deepened　to　love。



This　afternoon；　when　they　were　satisfied　that　all　was　well　within　their

refuge；　Joe　laid　aside　his　rifle；　and；　whistling　softly；　began　to　prepare

supper。　The　back　part　of　the　cave　permitted　him　to　stand　erect；　and　was　large

enough　for　comp