Litchfield enquirer., 1874-03-19
An Adventure in California.

An Adventure in California.
 Clarence King, in his book entitled
 Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevadas, D relates thrilling adventure in which h1s horse, Kaweah, played prominent part | When about to leave the village of Vioa1ia, one hundred and twenty miles from Mar iposa, his destination, the author drew from the express office 0 small bag of l gold, taking it with him. During this transaction he had noticed two Mexican mountaineers standing in the doorway, chatting, and apparently. unobservant of hin. Before starting, however, he was | annoyed to hear them inquire and receive information of the hotel keeper as to whither he was going. His route lay over an open plain, barren, almost verdureless. Having ridden all day, at nightfall he stopped to rest at ferry, where he per- celved 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 hls guard by the restiveness of his steed, tine, powerful, swift, and remarkably intelligent animal. Glancing in the direc- ton Ill which his horses gaze was turned, he was upon the river bank and among clump of trees, 8 campfire and two men hurriedly saddling their horses. They were the same he had observed crossing the stream the afternoon before, and, it flashed upon him finally, the two he had noticed at Visalia. He at once saw that their purpose was to waylay him. The road lay by their camp, then, turning a sharp angle, led out again upon the open plains. He threw his horse into sharp trot, glanced at his girth, at his pistol, and settled himself in his saddle. One of the Mexicans, finding that they could not saddle quickly enough to attack him mounted, grabbed shotgun and sprang out to head him off. The traveller turned kaweah further to the left, tossed him a little more rein, which he understood, and sprang into gallop. The other rob- Der 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 blank, object less plain, the nearest station fifteen miles away. Kaweah and his pistol were the travellers only defence. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that the Spaniards were crowding their steeds to the fullest | speed, and 1t now occurred to him that they had confederates 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 haweah to the utmost, holding him firmly | and reserving the spurs for the last emer- gency. Still they fairly flew over the plains. To quote from the writer's own description:
 ''The hot sun had arisen. I saw with | anxiety that the tremendous speed began to tell painfully on Kaweah Foam, tin ged with blood, fell from his mouth and | sweat rolled in streams from his whole body, and now and then he drew deep- heaving breath. *As we bound ed down a roll of the plain, a cloud of dust sprung from @ ravine directly in front of me, and two black objects lifted themselves in the sand. I drew my pis- tol, cooked it, whirled Kaweah to the left, plunglng by and clearing them by about six feet; thrill of relief came as I saw the long white horns of Spanish cattle gleam above the dust"
 The Spaniards were now crowding down upon him at Q fearful rate; the crash of their spurs and the chatter of their horses feet could be destinctly heard, even their quick, spasmodic breathing, which he compared with the regular though painful resplratlOns of Kaweah, from time to time, as one would compare the beats of chronometers, and found that the differ ence between their intervals of breathing was rapidly increasing, the stronger of the two Mexicans' horses breathing now nine breaths to Kaweah's seven, few minutes later, ten to seven. ''Then felt the vic tory, and I yelled to Kaweah. The thin ears shot back fiat upon his neck; lower and lower he lay down to his run; I flung him loose rein and gave him friendly pat. It was glorious burst of speed; the wind rushed by and the plains swept under us with dizzying swiftness. shout ed again, and the thing of nervous life under me bounded on wilder and faster, till could feel his spine thrill as with shocks from a battery. I managed to look round-a delicate matter at speed and saw, far behind, the distanced villains, both dismounted, and one horse fallen" The station was a half-mile ahead Reaching it, the traveller passed there the remainder of the day, keeping a sharp lookout with the glass. He saw his en- emies disappear at length, taking the road route. Shortly after dark, Kaweah being ACotCNis AC oCe AOAGA "ACu HUI 1dI from Nillerton, riding through grove of oaks, he heard the iingling of spurs and sound of voices. Dismounting, he turn ed Kaweah from the trail, tied him few rods off behind thicket, and presently from his hiding-place saw his pursuers pass by, one of them singing gaily. Ar irving in Nillerton, he rested there the remainder of the night. Early next morn ing he set forth, leaving the road and fol- lowing a 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 l and occasional pine woods, the ground of ten covered with clumps of low shrub bery, forming inviting ambuscades for highwaymen. But seeing no traces of his pursuers, 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 buildings, grouped about a central space. One of the buildings was store. Entering 1t he found the proprietor asleep on the count CT, revolver grasped in his right hand. Upon waking and being asked for accom- modation, he replied that ''there was bed, and something to eat, and hay" and that if the traveller were inclined ''to take his chances" he might stay This he con- cluded to do, though the unsociable and forbidding manner of his host, and the quantity of firearms lying about within convenient distance, as though there was frequent call for their use, encouraged the suspicious that the chances might be somewhat risky.
 Toward midnight he heard couple of horsemen gallop up to the door and hold low conversation with his host. In one of the voices he recognized that of the elder of his Spaniards, and the fragments of the dialogue which reached him warn- ed him that it concerned himself
 "When did he come?" was asked.
 "Wall, the sun might have been about | hours"
 ''Has his horse give out 9
 ''Going to Mariposa at seven in the l tS