LOST IN THE CHEAT MOUNTAINS. 



W. L. Washington ( Kildare ). 



FEW who have never visited that spection of the timber, we sat down 



region of West Virginia which and ate our lunch, 



lies in the vicinity of the mys- We were resting near the top of a 



terious Cheat River, have any con- high monntain, where a fine view of 



ception of the wildness and primi- the surrounding country could be 



tiveness of the country. For miles had for miles in every direction ; and 



in every direction there are no signs what a grand sight it was ! Not the 



of civilization. The dense forests slightest sign of the presence of man 



abound in game, such as deer, bear, was to be seen, and as we realized 



panthers, turkeys and grouse. what a wilderness we were in, we 



In the fall of 1891, with my friend, could not restrainafeelingof anxiety; 



Jack Mannion, a jovial Irishman, I but our guide assured us that he 



took a trip down in West Virginia to knew every inch of the ground and 



look over the country, with the com- could take us out with his eyes shut, 



bined object of hunting and of buying After an hour's rest we started on 



a piece of timber land. We closed the to further investigate the timber, 



business side of the trip at a little We walked until about three o'clock, 



town in the centre of the state, and during which time we crossed in- 



in the wildest portion of the Cheat numerable deer-paths and saw a 



Mountain range. We secured the quantity of small game, which we 



services of an old man as guide, who, did not shoot for fear of frightening 



although nearly eighty years old, was away the deer that we hoped to come 



the equal of any young man lever upon almost any minute. I suggested 



saw for tramping and climbing hills, that we had better retrace our steps. 



We started early one morning, with " Old Daddy " told us he was going 



our guns and Jack's dog, Jerry, an in- to take us out by another and shorter 



telligent and comical Irish water way, so we followed obediently, 



spaniel of the Patsy O'Connor order. About four o'clock we noticed that 



We were informed that we should the old man was getting less talka- 



find not only the finest of timber, but tive and seemed to be looking anx- 



an abundance of game, large and iously for a path that he had evidently 



small. missed ; and finally, after many de- 



The place we had in view was nials, he admitted that he had " clean 



about fifteen miles back in the moun- lost his bearings." To say we were 



tains. Two ranges had to be crossed mad is putting it mildly. When 



and then the top of the third moun- we gauged our appetites and found 



tain followed for about five miles, they had made an abnormal growth 



The old man was familiar with the during the afternoon, the thought 



country and amused us with the re- of sleeping in the mountains with- 



cital of his many adventures in the out food, was anything but com- 



hills before the railroad had come in. forting. A council of war was held 



His accounts of bear fights, deer and we began to rake the old man 



butcheries and rattlesnake nests were over the coals ; but he looked so old 



almost blood curdling, and were so and pitiable that we spared him. As 



interesting that under their influence we were all in the same box, we felt 



and that of the bracing atmosphere, sorry for him and accepted his ex- 



we moved merrily along at a brisk cuses with as good grace as possible. 



gait until the land of promise was After a ten minutes' discussion we all 



reached before we realized we had had different opinions as to how to 



traveled 15 miles. It was then get out. Jack was for following 



nearly noon, and after a short in- along the deer path on the top of 



127 



