Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-11-04
A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE.
Meeting with Seven Hundred
Deer in a Single Procession.

Colorado Springs Gazette.l
Sergeant 0'Keefe returned last
evening from an unsuccessful attempt
to ascend the Peak. He says that it
is the first time within his experience
that he has been thus bafned, and he
asks to be excused from ever being
subjected to a similar experience. By
the reports which he he'd received
from Mr.. Sweeney, who is stationed at
the Peak, he was led to infer that but
little snow had fallen, and in eonse-
quence he was not prepared TO contend
with the obstacles which blocked
his path. The Journey, for
the first few miles of the
trail was without any unsatisfacsory
feature, but, while making an abrupt
turn in the trail in the vicinity Of
Minnehaka falls, the sergeant was
brought to a s'andstill by an immense
herd of black-tailed deer, which i'm
peded his further progress. He con-
tends that the herd contained fully
eco head, and says it took Just one
hour and forty minutes for them to
pass a given point. The sergeant was
only armed with q 32-caliber Smith &
Wesson revolver, and, with this Door
apology for a fre-arm, he succeeded in
killing seventeen Of the deer. The
only plausible reason that Sergeant
OKeefe can give for the remarkable
appearance Of this vast herd is that
they were driven from South Park by
the recent storm.
AS the sergeant was compelled 10
continue his journey to the Peak. he
gathered the game which he had
slaughtered, tied their tails together,
and slung them over the neck Of his
faithful mule BALKAN" and con.
tinued on his way. Everything passed
of smoothly until timber-line was
reached, when the sergeant encount.
cred another serious barrier, as the
fierce northwest wind which accom-
panied the storm had formed noun
tains OF snow across the trail. With
the much-trusted veteran mule
Balaam, and an unusual amount Of
perseverance on the part Of him.
self, Sergeant 0'Keefe contrived
TO surmount a tremendous snow.
drift twenty.eight feet in depth.
When safely upon the other side. he
paused for a moment, and taking his
held-glass he viewed the prospect DER
and examined the difficulties with
which he had to contend. AS far AS
the eye could reach nothing but snow.
banks could be seen, some of which
werea at least one hundred feet in hight.
It only required a brief space Of time
for the sergeant TO make up his mind
that 1t would be useless to risk his
life in making another rash attempt
50 he concluded to return to The
Springs, but upon turning to step into.
the saddle he discovered that the mule
had disappeared. The sergeant was
now in a sad plight. Had he only sur.
yived the terrible rat raid Of 1876 to
md death again staring him in the
face from starvation?
ii retraced his steps through the
mammoth snowdrift, and, after a ter
rible siege Of over one. hour. he found
himself standing on the other side
thoroughly exhausted. After he had
somewhat revived be glanced around
him in hopes of finding some trace of
the lost mule, and what was his cha
grin tesee themuch-truste "Balaamn
lying upon his back with feet uplifted
In the air, at the bottom of a deem
r%avine. The deer with which he had
been festooned were scattered from
top TO bottom Of the ravine. The ser.
geent secured the game and the mule
and again started on his homeward.
Journey. While passing a YER So.
cluded portion Of the trail he was az.
! tackled BY six rayenous mountain lions