The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-08-20

In the winter IF 1856, the writer Of
this had occasion 10 visit the Pacific
slope. ard while there, business called
him to n thinly settled part Of upper
California. The snow in some places
vas so deep ~ seriously tn interfere
with travel, and while the foot prints
Ut l~ar, catan'"unt, lien and pther
wild animals were frequent aud
the occasional glare ot distant Indian
camp fire could he seen. vet rothing Of
a remarkable nature occurred until ON
the first trail. and just in the border
Of the settlement. Here the hero Of
this story arrived, after a long and
tires me journey, at the rancho IF an
old aud honored friend. whom ], then
saw. tor the FIRST time in many wears.
The greeting / received. vas the most
hearty aud cordial. and after my tired
beast wac cared for and genuine old
fashioned repaSt was partaken Of, We
gathered around the big fire place, To-
talk over old times. The history Of
my uneventful lite was SION told. and
until u late hour. nv friend kept me
listening with spell-bound attention, to
the tales Of his early struggles-his
fights with Indians an.l his narrow
hospiiable from wild beasts, which, at an
earlier dav filled the marshes. sw amps.
canons, aud caverns vi that rugged
and picturesque country. The rancho
If my profitable friend. occupied n
small basin. some parts of which were
en-, lo>ed by fences. running quite up
to the steep cliff. ON either side.
The dav after my arrival. some
cattle hal strayed off. and it became
necessary for William. u son Of the
old gentleman. To look after them.
William was hearty young lad Of
abou; seventeen years. ant l had
taken quite fancy To the boy ON nc
count Of his bright intellect. and
genial disposition. so I determined
to accompany him ON his little tramp
aftcr the cattle. We started ou with
light tread. and happy hearts. Just a.
the sun in all its grandeur was p-eping
ab"ve the eastern cliffs. The country
being comparatively well settled. and
anticipating not the least danger.
had left my weapons lying where | had
thrown them the previous day. aud
the only defensive weapon between u.
consisted ola rather long bladed jack
knife, opening with n clasp. which !
carried in my pocket. We proceeded
quietly across the meadows and fields.
until We reached the Western ange nf
foot hills. and then along the cattle
trail. ut the hase, examining the
ravines and h"lIows as We passed,
never dreaming Of danger from any
source. S"on We entered Narrow
gulch with steep. hig h sides. through
which the pearIy mountain stream
rushed. and Eamesl on its way tn the
fertile valley below. We had keep,
our eyes bent To the ground on the
lookout for the curious stones and
fossils. many of which could b. found
along the stream. when suddenly
| discovered track in the wet sand,
resembling very much that Of a bear
cub. My companion Immediately
Gained my fears by explaining that
he had cr'ssed there the day before
aud that Was where old Rover-the
large northumberland placed
one Of his paws. We were laughing
quietly at nv suspicious, when. Just
~ We turned sharp cprner. into a
gloomy. solemn lo"king canon, our
eats were greeted with a most uu-
earthly s"uni--half growl--half roar
Il insliuc,ively c:utched and opened
INV clasp knife, while Pictues Of lions,
hears and man eaters crossed nv
vision. The young m"untaineer at
my side. laughed imnoderaiely ut INV
tragic looks. aud attitude. Above Us
stood a massive spruce pine. while
another equally huge and tall. but
hollow and rotten. had fallen across it,
and breeze having come up. caused
the two to rub together. producing the
sound.
We went on our way, heavens we'll
knowing. or al least believing. that
there wasn't grizzly, ar other dan.
gerous animal within twenty miles If
us. Somehow. though. ! felt that
something terrible would happen to
us-l felt it in INV very bones. aud
wished To get through that gloomy,
dismal place. into more open country.
We did presently reach a little open
place. oyapart where the stray cattle
were found. and driven homeward.
After retracing our steps rather hur-
richly. my companion thinking. that
the cattle would reach home without
u. proposed that We take a near cut.
through the hills, n he desired to
show me huge cavern that had been
discovered. called the "cave in the
E"cks" where bpnes Of different
animals, and some # human beings,
had been found. We ran. jumped.
hopping nimbly from rock 10 rock.
crept along narrow ledges, climbed
precipitOus places, but never once
having q thought that dreadful fate
lay in wait FIR either Of ms. The |
cavern WIS visited, and our footsteps
took their way down the mountain !
q lie. toward home, which we could
even then see nestled in the vally far
below rs. We had almost reached !
the base. and still nothing unusual
was noticed in the surroundings. !
There were numbers If cattle near us,
in and along the stream, and besides
being so near home, that We were
thrown entirely of our guard. 1t
never struck US that flesh eating wild
animals, we're Oitener to be found near
where there we're large numbers If
cattle and sheep. At the brook,
William stopped to gather in some