, 1870-06-12
E WINTER NIGHTS RIDE IN THE
SIERRA
From tM OrerIand Monthly.

Ny medical friend had puf1ed away vigorous
~ at his cigar for sone minutes, iu silence
and then, throwing away the stump, quietly
began e n.s in the winter 0, ,sss-s, when = b.,
Just been placed in charge OF a division near
the summit Of the Sierra Noyada on tho then
half-fnished Central Pacific Railroad. After a
long days ride, / came back to tho boarding
house at 10 o'clock in the evening, and was
told that = messenger had boon there from
no time in hurying over there to attend upon
John Smith, who waB in very critical condl-
ton. The messenger h4d been very urgent,
and it was evidently case of life and death -
nothing leas. I took few minutes to
consider. I was tired out, and wanted
pleep badly, but I could, on pinch, 60 little
further without breahng down entirely. The
moon would be up It II o'clock, and the
night was still and clear, though tho snow had
only Just ceased falling, and WAS from five to
eight feet deep On the Lowell, il you can use the
expression properly where there il nothing
like level to be found, and the roads-or
trails, rather-are obGternted blythe drifts. I
inquired about the location Of Camp No. =. It
was twelve miles away, and directly over a
ridge, or spur Of the mountains. Ny Own
horse could not stand the trip, but big lub-
ber Of cart-Aorse, that they said WAS good
saddle-horse, was offered me. 1 got supper,
put on drT socks and In extra pair OF fur-lined
saddle and OF.
4 good saddle-horse! The bruto be-
longed to the nightmare family, and his
mother must have taken special pride in him.
Great heavens, what gait! He had travelled
60 long in tho cart that the steady jolt had
chronic. At every step lie jerled bis back up,
aa if expecting to feel the girth-strap strike
him underneath, and neither curses nor blows
would induce Lin for moment to recognize
the fact that he whs out Of the Bbafts, and
abandon his eternal hippyytJ-hop.. When l
die, as large M chcstnuts; before the twelve
mlos were half completed the lumps had
grown to the size Of paving-stones, and awful
ly ehmIredged and ratping. Tho SNOW which
had juft fallen filled the trail, but the old snow
underneath .E meat being hsFdtpacksd1 1t an and
/ hAd no difficulty in keeping in
the right track most Of tho time.
but when about three miles from my place Of
destination, as near as I could gueHs, clouds
obecrred the moon for a long time, and
lost the road kept on ~ well Is knew
how, guessing At the location OF Camp No, -,
and. after rolling down tho steep side OF .
zavine, and working half an hour to got old
Jerky back upon the ridge, filling my over.
shoes with snow, and fairly .e1hauEting myaelt
in founderiug through the drifts, was re.
wardcd with the sight OF lights in some cabins
half mile away. Hol doubling that this VA
Camp No. -. rounded small canon, worked
ny way over a point Of rocks, Jerky stumbling
and falling repeatedly, and reached the cabins
Tie lights had disappeared, "Halloa
the houae, there!" No ansEer. "Hai-
loo the house.r louder and longer than
before. panel in the side Of the nearest
time enough had elapsed to allow of critical
examination Of the party outside, voice de-
manled: 'sWho you, John What you wantee
catchee heref" It was 3 Chinese Hood-cut-
ters' camp, and there was not white man
about the place. ......,
white men on the other eide OF the rayine
had Just crossed, and perhaps half a milk
further up the mountain; they though,
it might be Camp humble =" Hall
an hours floundering through the snou
brought me back to the point whert
q. m. was at the white mems camp,
reused the inmates more easily here, a
they were iudulging in little friendlJ
| game Of "pitch," or "draw that beint
| Saturday night-and had not retired to then
yirtuous bunks. No, that was not Camp No
- my informet told me, and, what Was worse
Camp No. - was right over the summit OF th'
mountain, mile aud q half away. could s.
around by the trail, three miles, or ride up T.
| tie railroad trnck, tie my horse, and wall
through the Bnow sheds, . little more than
mile-it WAS contrary 10 the rules to take al
animal inside the eheds.
| started up toward the track, and reache.
| it at a. m. Tho night Was now clear an.
still; not tho slightest noise could be heard
! and the eilepce vas something awful and op
presairc The last man and the l2st horse OF
earth will not feel more completely alone thai
! Je1ky and / did at that moment. As va
about to dismount and tic him to tree. |
. At+AA+
train On tho road, and there WAS none due TO
hours from either direction. I hRd
timetable in my pocket, and tool
ii out and examined it carefully b,
the moonlight The track was clear
why might ] not venture to save N,
strength and that OF my horse, and, by aavinl
| time, perhaps save valuable human life a
wellf Why not, indeed? The moro I though
OF il, tho more satisfied became that it wa
safe thing to do
Tho moon, now unobscured, waR high in tn
heavens a. entered the snow-shed, and
was very difficult to keep the way, IS tho lgh
came scintillating through thousand crack
and crericea in tho rough timber structure
Three or four cu1rcrts, to allow the passag
Of mountain streams when the snow is melt
ing, checked my progress for brief time, bn
there was plank across ono or tTo, FOR th
convenience Of "foot+passengerB, aud as til
water was hard frozen, got old Jorky aroun
the others in safety.
The worRt was over, and I wAs nlread
beginning to chuckle over the adventure
and pride myself on my forcthonlght an
| pluck in making the venture. l had, un
]oubtedly, saved at least IN hour OF har
work wading through the snow, and possibly
not improbable, in fact-saved : Lie. jus
then heard low, hemu1ous, hu1nrning 1oia
r,1nniug along ths frost-1aden rails, and il
stinctivcly checked my horse to listen. It ha
eubsided for the moment, and went on !
silence. Suddenly it commenced agaln, an
seemed louder and clearer than before.
halted again. God have mercy upon NE!
exclaimed, involuntarily. It WAS the 1um6'
question. sprang to the ground and place
\ nv ear to tie 1ail. The train was coming frol
| The west; it must be "construction train
laden with materials for the road. and Possib
with laborers, as well. The track occupied r
| full width Of the shed, allowing only for II
overhanging Of the cars. A man might eseal
by lying down: but q horse Was almost sure
death, and il tho train struck him, 1t rnuHt
Oh the track almost inevitably. Was upe
old Jcrkys back EQfote l was even aware
what I intended ddfg, and started down tt
grade, to tile eastward, as fast as his stiff AZ
Clumsy legs, urged by whip and spur, n
the attraction Of gravitation, could move hiu
| CleaIeT and clearer came the hunming nois!
| and heard, at longth. short, SHARP whistl
| az the rushing train entered . tunnel turnt
l curve, or passed out Of tunnel. It con
; not be moro than two miles, Of three at MOI
t | away. Jerly skated over the ico-pateh:
, | aud ,aounde!ed through the small snow-lrif
J 7 which had filtered in through the crevlces
tho shed-work, but, reckiess Of danger
) | limbs alone in presence Of the greater dang
, to myself, and perhaps , hundreds ,s Of my {
\ ly, and drove him on at the height Of /
8 anetI. Nearer and nearer cAme L
) tram; I could alrcsay hesr the couR