The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-03-24
An Adventure in California. I.



relates thrilling adventure 10 which his
horse, Kswcah, played prominent part.
When about to leave the village Of Visa.
liza, one hundred and twenty miles from
Mariposa, his destination, the author drew
from the express Office small bag of
gold, taking it with him. During the
transaction he had noticed two Mexican
mountaineers standing in the doorway,
chatting, aud apparently unobservant Of
him. Before starting, however, he was
annoyed to hear them inquire and receive
information of the hotel keeper as to
whittier he was going, His route lay
over an open plain, barren, almost
verdureess. Having ridden all day, at
nightfall he stopped to rest at ferry,
where he perceived two horsemen crossing
the stream, some distance below, then
disappearing among the cottonwood trees
upon the bank The following day he
rose before dawn and continued on his
journey. He had not gone far when he
was put upon his guard by the restive.
ness of his steed, a Gne. powerful, swift,
and remarkably intelligent animal.
Glancing in the direction in which his
horses gaze was turned, ho saw upon the
river bank and among clump Of trees,
campfire and two men hurriedly sad
ding their horses. They we're the same
he ha observed crossing the stream the
afternoon before, aud, it flashed upon him
finally, the two he had noticed at Visalia.
He at once saw that their purpose was 20
waylay him. The road lay BY their
camp, then, turning a sharp angle, led out
again upon the open plains. Il, threw
his horse into sharp trot, glanced at
his girth, at his pistol, and settled him
self in his saddle. One OF the Mexicans
finding that they could not saddle quick.
ly enough to attack him mounted, grab.
bed shotgun and sprang out to head
him of. Tho traveller turned Kaweah
further to the left tossed him u little
more rein, which he understood, aud
sprang into gallop. The other robber
came up with the horses which he had
meantime saddled, both mounted, and
yelling and plunging in the spurs, began
the chase. Before lay the bland, object
less plain. the nearest station fifteen miles
away. Kaweah and his pistol were the
travellers only defence. Glapcing over
his shoulder, he saw that the Spanards
were crowdiug their stecds to the fullest
speed and it now occurred to him that
they had ooufedarates concealed in some
ditch far in advance, that the plan was to
crowd him through at the fullest speed
and then give up the chase to new men
= and new horses He determined to save
Kaweah to the utmost, holding him firmly
and rcserving the spurs for the last emer.
gency Still they fairly few over the
plains. To quote from tho writer's owr
description;
The hot .uu had arisen. | saw with
anxiety that the tremendous speed began
to tell painfully on kaweah Foam
tinged with blood, fell from his mouth
, and sweat rolled in streams from his whole
, body. and now and then he drew a deep
heaving breath
As We bounded down a roll Of the plain
clowd Of das, spruug from a ravine
directly in front Of me, and two black
objects lifted themselves in the sand.
!. drew my pistol, cooked it, whirled Ka
weah to the left, plunging by and clearing
them by six feet Il thrill Of relief came
as | saw the long white horns of Spanish
! cattle CLEAN above the dust"
The Spaniards were now crowdng dowr
upon him at fearful rate the crash o
their spurs and the clatter OF their horses
feet could be distinctly heard even theil
5 quick, spasmodic breathing, which he
. compared with the regular though painful
respiratioDs Of kaweah, from time to time
as one would compare the beats of chrome
meters. and found that the difference
, between their intervals of breathing was
, rapidly increasing, the stronger Of the two
, Mexicans' horses breathing now nint
/ bresths to Kaweah's seven, few minutes
, later ten to seven. Then | felt the victo
ry, and l yelled to Kaweab. The thir
ears shot back fat upou his neck lowel
and lower he lay down to his run ; l fun,
him loose rein and gave him a friendly
I pat. If was q glorious burst Of speed
e the wind rushed by and the plains szep
e under US with dizzying swiftness.
Q shouted again and the thing of nervous
3. life under me bounded on wilder and fas
= ter, till could feel his spine thrill a
: with shocks from battery. I managed
r to look round-a delicate matter at speed
e and saw, far behind, the distanced wi
e lains, both dismouuted, aud one hors
a fallen"
> The station was a half.mile ahead
a Reaching it, the traveller passed there th'
J remainder OF the day, keeping a sharI
lookout with the glass. Ho saw his enc
: ! mics disappear at length, taking the rsoc
!, ! to Nillerton, which lay upon his owl
y route. Shortly after dark, Kaweah beiD,
: rested, he set forth again. When DO
= far from Nillorton, riding through grow,
: of oaks, he heard the jingling of spur
and sounds Of voices. Dismounting, b,
turned Kaweah from tho trail, tied hin
fe. rods off behind a thicket, and pres
: emily from his hiding place saw his. pur
suers pass by, one Of them singing gaily.
Arriving in Nillerton, he rested there
the remainder of the night. Early next
, morning he set forth, leaving the road
and following mountain trail which led
' toward Mariposa.
The trail led through region of open
hill covered with ferns and grass, brown.
ed by exposure to the summer heats, then
among parklike slopes, covered with oaks
and accasinual clumps of low shrubberv
forming inviting ambuscades for highway.
men. But seeing no traces OF his pur.
suers, the traveller at length gave up
looking for them and rode on with more
assurance. Late in the afternoon he
came in sight of a number of rancho build
ings grouped about central space. One
of the buildings was a store. Entering
, it he found the proprietor asleep on the
counter. revolver grasped in his right