The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-05-21

my own and one we had purchased foI
our friend, Mr.. Goldman, of this place.
About three miles out, the new pony
concluded he would stop and eat grass.
and went about half mile off the road
among Prickley Pears and Chaparral;
and IL took about an hour 10 get rope
around his neck, and il didn't leave his
neck until we got home.
The next day we travelled through a
wilderness, and the next we struck the
rain, was swollen SO that il was impos-
ssible TO ford; so we hired man liv-
ing near with little skifl, 20 help us
cross. We had TO unload our wagon,
take IL all 10 pieces, aud carry over a
little at time, and wade in mud over
our knees TO get To the boat. We got
over after having many narrow escapes
from sinking the boat. Then we had
to swim the horses, which was the
easiest part of all. They were all cap
ital swimmers, and came over safe. 1t
took us just half day 30 get across;
and we went into camp where we land
ed on the opposite side of the river. l
caught a large cat fish that night, skin
ned and fried il in butter the next
morning.
The next day brought us 90 the no.
ted town, and we found everything as
quiet as could be, and apparently as
nice and as quiet people living there
as elsewhere; but these quiet places
are sometimes the worst. A few days
before we got there one Mexican killed
another because he had Sl2 in money;
he waited until the old fellow had re-
tired to his couch of "bulls hides"
then hit him on the head with n club,
killing him instantly. About two
weeks previous n Mr.. Berry, a former
resident OF Michigan, went 10 Laredo
10 hire some 'pastores" (sheep herd
ers). He and his boss pastore were
together. They got two and started
Tor his sheep rancho, about go miles
distant. They went into camp the first
night about % miles from his rancho
(Which has about 900 sheep on it,
During the night the two new Mexi-
cans murdered Mr. Berry and his other
Mexican, robbed them OF everything,
securing very little money. as people
here hardly every carry any amount of
money except drafts, etc, payable 20
their own order (for safety. After
robbing the persons Of the two muir
dered men, they then gathered a lot Of
brush and set fire 20 il and threw the
body OF Mr.. Berry upon the heap and
tried TO burn it. Is is supposed 1t was
getting daylight and they left this last
act Of barbarism unfinished. They
then fed with horses across the Rio
Grando River, and there can defy pur-
suit, as the Mexicans will not deliver
them up unless obliged 10 10y Mexican
soldiers. Eight or ten persons have
been killed within the past year near
this place, and naturally the town get
credit for il.
from there we went TO place call
ed kings Lake and stayed from
Saturday noon until Monday morning.
A little after sundown | went after
some wild turkeys, which came 90 roost
in the large live oak trees on the banks
of the lake. / killed two aud Mack
one. We had liver and gizzards fried
IN butter for breakfast, aud n stew for
dinner. We gave the largest. a COB
bier, away for buttermilk. IL com
menced raining at daylight and raincd
all day long. / washed my clothes the
previous afternoon and they got nice
aud wet, and kept wet for couple Of
days. Sunday we kept under a small
tree for shelter and the buffalo gnats
nearly deyoured us; we used the in
sect carbOlic soap on our face, meek
and hands 90 keep them of, and II is
two weeks to-day and my face, hands
and neck shows the marks vet.
Monday morning we went 90 a river
called the Rio Ferio" Gold River
and the recent heavy rains had swollen
this stream so that IL had washed the
banks away on our side almost perpcn-
iicular. We here took our horses of
the wagon and let the wagon down the
bank by ropes, then l got on my horse,
rode him into the river aud with
rope, fastened 10 the end Of the wagon
pole and attached TO the pummel OF
my saddle, | pulled the wagon on 20 a
solid foundation in the middle OF the
river. We then got the team down
With much danger and difficulty and
ntched them 20 the wagon, while
standing in three feet of water, which
was quite cooling as il was very hot
day. The bank on the opposite side
was firm.
After crossing, we went into Oak
vile, transacted business, and drove
out miles and camped. During the
evening the ranchero who was living
near came 10 our camp, aud we got in-
20 conversation about wild hogs
(hardins). He told us how himself
,nd companion had been put up
tree that day by bunch Of them
Mack and i being both good climbers
concluded we wanted 10 see the hog or
hogs, wild or tame, that could make
~ climb a tree. | asked him 10 90
with us; be said he was very busy
blowing corn this time Of the year, (by
the way, he had about half au acre.,
but he said he would give his whole
crop OF corn to see us "fellors" climb
a tree, and he would let the corn go
and show Us in an hour a thicket where
there were thousands, and where our
bravery could be- tried lie told us Of
men who had been cut severely by
them, some killed, others crippled for
life; but he couldn't scare US; so in
the morning, leaving our wagon aud a
portion OF Our horses in the care Of his
wife and children, the oldest 6 years
old, twin at that, we started. We rode
about 3 miles, dismounted, staked our
horses out and started for the thicket;
| with my shotgun, Mack with II
shooting rife, and our guide with an
old squirrel rifle. We soon struck a
dense thicket aud could see everywhere
their tracks, together with deer,
wolves aud panther tracks; but IL was
as hour before we found one. We
then surrounded the place in thicket
where you couldn't see tour feet from
your nose, aud pretty soon our guide
said, "There he is, in there. Look
outI aud up tree he went and cried.
"Why don't you shOotf" Mack and l
were trying TO peer into the bushes far
enough to see the animal 20 get shot
at il. We could hear his teeth snap
ping, (similar TO an enraged tame boar
at the same time we kept proper dis
tance and had our tree ready TO climb
I in the event OF AN attack by more than
I one. but guess there was but one and
hc thought there we're too many OF us
/ Tor him to attack by himself, and he
soon disappeared. After he left our
/ guide got down and again set out, but
We couldn't fnd bunch together. We
I could hear them run through the bush.
es upon our APPROACH but couldn't see
taem. aud We had 10 give up the hunt,
aud our guide didn't have the fun OF
seeing us "climb a tree ia a hurry" M
he put IL. j have seen many Of them
the Rio Graude aid really they are d
dangerous foe 90 attack II ia n bunch,
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