The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-07-29
Mistellauenas.
A WINTER NIGHTS RIDE
I'M THE SIERRA

My medical friend had pulled away Wig
orously at his cigar for some minutes. in
silence; and then, throwing away the
stump, quietly began:
1t was in the winter Of 1869. when /
had been placed in charge Of n division
near the summit of the Sierra Nevada. on
the then half-iinished Central Pacific Rail-
road. After long days ride, i came
back 10 the boarding-hous at ten o'clock
: in the evening. and was told that n mes
scnger had been there from Camp No.,
with request that would lose no time
in hurrying over there to attend upon
John Smith. who was in very critical
condition. The messenger had been very
urgent. and il was evidently case of life
and death-no,hing less. i took few
minutes to consider. was tired out and
wanted sleep badly. but could, ON pinch,
90 little farther without breaking down
entirely. The moon would be up at eley-
en- o'clock, and tho night was still and
clear, though the snow had just ceased
falling. and was from five TO seven feet
deep on the level. IL you can uSe the ex-
preston properly where nothing like a
level Is 10 be found. and the roads or trails
rather are obliter,ted by the drifts. l in
auired about the location OF Camp No.
-. IL was twelve miles away, and di-
rectly over ridge, or spur, of the
mountains. My own horse could not
stand the trip. but big lubber of y cart
horse, that they said was good saddle
horse. was offered me. got supper. put
on dry socks and an extra pair Of fur
AL .,,sf h.af iarlf
was in the saddle and of.
A good saddlc-horse The brute be-
longed to the nightmare family. and his
mother might have taken especial pride
in him. Great heavens, what gait. He
had travelled so long in the cart that the
steady Jolt hal communicated itself 10 his
spine and become chronic. At every step
ne jerked his back up. rs IL expecting 10
feel tho girth-strap strike him underneath
and neither curses nor blows would induce
him to recognize the fact that he was cut
Of the shafts. and abandon his eternal hip
pytyhop. When l started out there were
hard Jumps on the saddle. rs large rs
chestnuts; before the twelve miles were
half completed. the Jumps had grown TO
the size Of paying-stones, and awfully
sharp-edged and rasping. The snow
which had just fallen filed the trail. but
the old snow underneath being hard
packed. and the trees along the route well
bl,zed. had no difficulty in keeping the
right track most Of the time. But when
about three miles from my place Of desti-
nation rs near rs could guess, clouds OBJ
scured the moon for time and lost the
road. kept ON rs well rs knew how,
guessing at the location of Camp No. :.
and. after rolling down the steep sideof n
ravine, and working half an hour to get
old Jerky back upon the ridge. filling my
overshoes with snow, and fairly exhaust
ing myself in houndering through the
drifts, was rewarded with the sight of
lights in some cabins half mile away.
Not doubling that this WAS Camp No. :.
i rounded n small canon. worked my way
over n point Of rocks. Jcrky stumbling
and falling repeatedly. and reaching the
cabins at half-past twelve o'clock.
The lights had disappeared. 'lIalloo
the house. there" No answer. Halloo
the houser louder and longer than be-
fore. A panel in the side Of the nearest
cabin opened slowly and cautiously, and
after time enough had elapsed to allow
of "a critical examination Of the party
outside, a voice demanded: who YOU,
John? What you wantee 10 catchee here!
II was Chinese wood-cutiers' camp
and there was not white man about
the place.
The Johns told me that there was a
camp Of white men ON the other side ol
the ravinc had just crossed. and per-
haps half a mile farther up the noun
tain; they thought IL might be "Camp
2 Number" Half an hours founder
Ing through the snow brought me back
20 the point whence i had sighted the
lights, aud soon after A. Nj. i was at
the white mems camp. Iroused the in
mates moro easily here, rs they were In
dulging In friendly game Of pitch.
or sdraw''-thxt being Saturday night
and had not retired to their virtnou'
hunks. No. that was not Camp No,
my informer told me. and, what was
worse, Camp No.-wss right over the
summit Of the mountain. q mile and
half away. could 60 around By the
trHil. or ride up tho railroad track, ne my