The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-10-31
ENCOUNTER WITH ROBBERS.

of furs he was carrying on his back to some
Of the seaport towns on the coast to dis
Jose of; but, as the furhunters are general
" on foot, and, from habit of watching a.
bout either for hostile Indians or wild ami
mails, they are always on their guard, and
Ifas the robbers well know that they are to a
man, rifemen, who seldom miss their mark,
Shey avoid them. During my rambles ia
she wilds and fastnesses of California, L be-.
came acquainted with many of them, some
ffom the back settlements of the u. States,
others from Canada. L have hunted for
months with them, and witnessed some COLI
ficts between them and wild animals in
which the utmost daring and recklessness $
was exhibited by the hunter. These are not
the men that robbers like to encounter, brit
| have said they sometimes take fancy to
the valuable pack of furs which, if they lind
any facility of obtaining, they make the at
tempt. It is the very climax of cruz city to
plunder those poor fellows of packs, which
were procured only by outlaying for months
in the depths of the forest and wild of the
country, and not unfrequently in the hunt
ing-grounds of tribe of hostile Indians.
| once hunted for three mont Is in COM
pany with hunter we'll known in California.
In idea he was wild and imagins tive in the
extreme; but, in his acts of daring, etc.,
the most cool and philosophic fellow / ever
knew A commensurate, or merchant, at
San Francisco, on whose ve,racity [ know
from experience can depen |, told me the
following story of this man which will at
cnce illustrate his character. This hunter
Vas, some months before I had fallen in
with him, making the best of his way down
the valley of the Tule lah,s from the inte-
rior, with heavy pack Of furs ON his back,
his never-erring rifle in his hand, and his
two dogs by his side. Fl was joined at the
northernmost end of the, valley by the mer-
chant have spoken of, who was armed on
.ly with his sword an9 pistols. They had
scarcely cleared the alley when a party of
robbers galloped out before them. Three
were whites fully arm ed, and two Indians
with the lassos coiled lp in their right hands,
ready for ''throw."
The hunter told t he merchant, who was
on horseback, to d ismount instantly ''and
to cove" Forum ately for them there was
a good deal of thi'Gket, and trunks of large
trees that had fall IN were strewed about III
a very desirable IT .anner. Behind these logs
the merchant a nd the hunter quickly took
up their positic n, and as they were in the
act Of doing 9 o, two or three shots were
fred after tb EN- without effect. The hun
ter coolly un tied the pack of furs from his
back and lai d them beside him. 'It's my
opinion, me reliant, said he, ''that them var
mints there wants either your saddlebags
ormy pack, but Ireckon they'll get neither" "
So he took up his rifle, and the foremost
Indian, lasso in hand, rolled off his horse.
Another discharge from the rife and the
second Indian fell, whilst in the act Of throw
ING the, lasso at the head and shoulders of the
hunter as he raised from behind the log to
firg. 'sNow," said the hunter, as he reload
ed, lying on his back, to avoid the shots of
the robbers, ''that's what call the best of
the scrimmage, to get them brown thieves
with their lassos out Of the way first. See
them rascally whites now jumping over the
logs to charge us in our cover.
They were fast advancing when the rife
again spoke out, and the foremost fell; they
still came on to about 30 yards, another fell,
and the remaining two made a desperate
charge up close to the log. The hunter,
from long practice, was dexterous in reload
ing his gun. "Now, merchant" said he,
sis the time for your pop-guns," meaning
the pistols, ''and don't be at all nervous.
Keep steady hand, and drop either man
or horse. A man of them shan't escape"
The two remaining robbers were now up
with the log and fired each pistol shot at
the hunter, which he escaped by dodging
behind tree close to, from which he fired
with effect. AS only one robber was left,
he wheeled round his horse with the inten-
ton of galloping off, when the pistol bullets
of the merchant shot the horse from under
him. "Well done, merchant, said the hum
ter, 'you've stopped that fellows gallop.'
As soon as the robber could disentangle HIM
self from the fallen horse, he took to his
heels and ran down a sloping ground as fast
as he could. The hunter drew his tomahawk |
from his belt and gave chase after him. AS
he was more of an equestrian than pedes-
[ rian, the nimbleness of the hunter short
Ell ,ed the distance between them, and the
las It of the robbers fell.
Thus perished this dangerous gang Of six,
by ,'he single hand of this brave hunter,
md, as the ''commercianto" informed me,
le ac ted as coolly and deliberately as if he
we're ( hoofng tame bullocks for the market.
The al fair was rather advantageous to the
lunter, for, on searching the saddle-bags
md pockets of the robbers, he pulled forth
ome do ubloons, and a few dollars, with 9TH +