New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-14


bed with six blankets. and wonderful TO relate,
there were neither bugs nor fieas. Her horseback
Journey to Estes Park bcforc the greater perls oi
mountain travel had begun. rs made the SUBJECT oi
pleasant description :" was awake all night nj
Longmount owing TO tho sitting heat, and cot mn
nervous and miserable ready to give mp the Thought
of coming here, but the sunrise over the plains ana
the wonderful red of the Rocky Mountains, as they
reflected the eastern sky, put spirit into me. lhe
landlord had got a horse. but could not give any
sati sfactory assurances of his beng quiet. ana
being much shaken by my fall at Canyon, ear
nestly wished that The Greeley Tribune had not
given me n reputation for horsemanship, which had
preceded me here. The young men VINO were to
escort me seemed very innocent he said but
have not arrived at his meaning vet. When the
horse appeared in the street at S::}0 saw, to my
disnay a higl-bTed. beautiful creature, stable
kept with arched neck, quivorng nostrils and rest
less ears and eyes. My pack. as in Hawai-, was
strapped behind the Mexican saddle, and my canvas
bag hung Oh the hora but the horse did not look nj
To carry gear and seemed 10 require two men to
hold and coax him. There were many loaf
crs about. and | shrank from gong out
and mounting in NV old Hawanan iiu'hg-
dress, though DIR. and Mrs. III. assured me that
| looked quite insignificant and unnoticeaDie.
We got away at nine with repeated injnnctions
heroic The sky was cloudless. and deep, blll-
liant blne and though the sun hot the air was
fresh and bracing. The ride for glory and delight
| shall label along with one TO Hanaei, ana an
other to Mauna Kea. Hawaii. felt better quite
soon the horse in gait and temper turned out per
fection-al spring and spirit, elastic in his motion,
walking fast aud easily. ard canterinG with lght
graceful swing soon rs ore pressed the reihs on
his neck a blithe, joyous animal. To whom day
among the mountains seemed Il pleasant frolic. 30
gentle he was. that when got off and walked he
followed me without being led, and without need
ing anyone TO hold him he allowed me TO mount on
either side. ~ addition 10 the charm of his move
mcnts he has the cat-likc sure-footeducss If Ha-
waan horse and lords rapid and rough-bottomed
rivers and gallons among stones and stumps and
down steep hills, with equal security. ! could have
ridden him hundred miles easily as thirty We
have only been together two days, yet we are hrn
friends and thoroughly understand each other.
should not require another companon on long
mountain tour All his ways are those of an animal
brought up without curb, whip or spur. trained by
the voice and used only to kindness, as is happily
the case with the majority OF horses III the Western
States. Consequently, unless they are broncOS,
they exercise their intelligence for your advantage,
and do their work rather as friends than as
machines There was great exhilaration in the
elastic air came down from the glorious mountains
IN 'front.' After canterng across SIX miles of prairie
they reached the beautiful canyon Of the ST. Nram.
Its ripples danced brightly in the giitcring sun
shine and the musical murmur of the water re-
minded her of the streams of Hawaii There were
wonderful ascents over which she was obliged to
lead her horse. The wild fantastic views on every
side formed a continual succession of surprises.
The air grew keener and purer with every step.
The sense of loneliness was intense. tremendous
ascent among rocks and pines to height OF 5000
feet led to passage seven feet wide through wall
of rock with an abrupt descent Of 1000 feet and
vet higher ascent beyond. Wall beyond wall OF
similar construction. and range above range, rose
into the blue sky. Deer, bighoru, and elk come
here in the early morning TO feed, while the Rocky
Mountain lion the grizzly bear, and the treachorcus
wolf prowl around at night. Entering a long guch
with broad swellings OF grass bclted with pines.
our horsewoman makes a strange acquaintance OF
whom we hear great deal in the subsequent course
of the narratlve:-
very pretty marc. hobbled, feeding collie dog
track there a ude black log cdbir as rough rs y
could he TO be liter at all WIN smoke coming 9a OF
tered that II the home, IA her den, 81 not0'
Ious rufan" and despcradO" One of nly c0mpan-
ions had disappeared hours before. the remaining one
was townhTed youth. longcd 10 speak To some one
who loved the mountains. / called tic hut dent
looked like the der wild beast The big dog lay on:
side It IN TIN eatenng attitude and gfowle The mud
roof covered with lynx beaver, aud other urs land
out dry, bea fpaws were pinned out on the logs,
part the carcass of deer hung at one end OF TIL
cabin. skinned beaver lay III lfont OF ran on perry
Just within the door and anets OF deer OLD EorssOes,
h tS rowIn of Tic dog his owner came out broad
tlnckset man, about the middle heiS1t, WIN an cd cap
on his head, ana wearing gray hunting SUM mucn the
worse for wear almost falling 10 ieces, In ac) dig
gers scarf kuotied round his waist koiie IN bis belt,
S Sef of h coat Lis feet whcn We're very
small were bare. except fOr some dlapdaed moccasins
| clothes hung together and on him. Tho scarf
round bis waist must have had something 10 10
is man abou, rtyhvc and mus. have been sirkinrly
handsome lie hos large gray blue eyes deeply set,with
We'll marked eyebrows a handsome aquiinc nose and "A
very handsome mouth. lls lace was smoothly snaFen
hair in thin uncared-ior curls. fell from under his hun
ers aud over his collar one eye was en.ItY gohc,
and the loss made one SIDE OF the face repuisVe WINE
other might have been modelled In marble " Dies,
perado written III large letters all over him.
almost repeated OF having sousit MS ACQUAINTANCE.
first impulse TO swear at the dog pnt ON seeing
n lady ne contcnted himself with kicking him. and com
lug NJ 10 me he raised us cap showing ~ ne u 50
maguificenty formed brow and head, ana ia cultured
tone asked II there were anything he could do
for me ASKED FOR some water ana he nrOught some IN
a battered TN, gracefully apologizng Tor not having
ton and as lie spoke forgot both his reputation and
appearance, his that OF chvaIous gen.
eman his accent refined. and his language easy ana
elegant. inquired about some Drawers paws which
dying, and III moment they hung 81. the norm oil
my saddle Apropcs Of tie Wild mails OF the region,
told that the less OF his cyews owing 10 recent
encounter with grizzly rear, which, after giving him
death hug tearing him all over, breaking his arm and
Scratching ont eye had left him for dead As rode
away for the sinking, be SAID, cOurteously,
| You are not an American i know from your voice
that YOU are n country Of Inlne. hope YOU will
allow me the pleasure OF calling YOU! This
man. known through the Territories aud beyond them
as Rocky Mountain JIM" more briefly as " Noun
tain m OF the famous scouts of the Plains, ana
original Of some daring portraits In fiction con
| Indian frontier warfare. so lar a. nave at
present heard, he f. "a for whom there II now
room for time for blows aud blood IN tins part OF
Colorado is past and the fame OF many daring exploits
IL sulied 10y crimes which not easily forgiven here.
He now has "squatters ciaIn.' but makes bis living
as trapper and "a complete child OF the mountains.
OF his genius and chlvalry to there does not AZ
near 10 be any doubt but he IS desperate character
.. nglv WI