West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-02-14
Rocky Mountain Jim.


feeding; "A collie dog barked at us, and
among the scrub, not far from the
track, there was rude, black log cab
In, as rough as IL could be TO be a shell
ter at all, with smoke coming out of
the roof and window We diverged to-
ward 1t; 1t mattered not that It was the
home, or rather the den, of notorious
"ruflian" and 'desperado." One of
my companions had disappeared hours
before, the remaining one was town
bred youth, l longed 30 speak TO some
one who loved the mountains.
called the hut "A dent looked like the
the den of wild beast. The big dog
lay outside it in a threatening attitude,
and growled. The mud root was COW
cred with lynx, beaver and other furs,
laid out TO dry, beaver paws were
pinned out on the logs, part of the
carcass of deer hung at one end OF the
cabin, a Skinned beaver lay in front OF
heap of peltry just within the door,
and antlers of deer old horse shoes and
offal of many animals lay about the
den. Reused by the growing of the
dog, his owner came OUT, broad, thick
set man, about the middle height, with
an old cap on his head, and wearing
gray hunting-suit much the worse
for wear almost falling to pieces i'm
facD, digger's scarf ¬ted round
his waist, IA knife I'm his belt, and "A
blossom friend" "a revolver-stickinV
out of the breast pocket of his coat; his
w
except for some dilapidated moccaslns,
made of horse-hide. The marvel was
how his clothes hung together on him.
The scarf round his waist must have
had something to do with it. His
face was remarkable. He was "A mar
about forty-fivo, and must have been
strikingly handsome. He had large
gray blue eyes, deeply set, with we'll
marked eyebrows, n handsome aquiline
nose, and very handsome mouth
His face was smoothly shaven, EXCEPT
for dense mustache and imperial.
Tawny hair in thin uncared- for curls.
fell from under his hunters cap and
over MS collar. One eye was entirely
gone, and the loss of it mad one side
OF the face repulsive, while the other
might have been a. odele i'm marble.
desperate" was written In large let
ters all over him. | almost repented
OF having sought his acquaintance.
His first impulse was to swea. at the
dog, but, on seeing a lady, he contented
himself with kicking him, aud coming
up to me he raised his cap, showing as
he dld so magniticeptly formed brow
and head, and In a cultured tone of
voice asked II there were anything he
could do for me? | asked for some
water, aud he brought some i'm bat
tered tin, gracefully apologizing for
not having anything more presentable.
we entered into conversation, and rs
he spoke forgot both his reputation
and appearance, for his manner was
that OF chivalrous gentleman. his nc
cent refined, and his language easy and
elegant. inquired about some bea-
yer 5 paws which were drying, and I'm
moment they hung on the horn of
my saddle. Apropos of the wild am
mails OF the region, he told me that the
loss of his eye was owing to recent
encoun.er with grizzly bear, which.
after giving him death hug, tearing
him all over, breaking his arm and
scratching out his eye, had left him for
dead. As we rode away, for the sun
was sinking, he said, courteouslv.
You are not an American. / know
from your voice that you are
countryman of mine. | hope YOU will
allow me the pleasure of calling on
you? This man, known through the
Territories and beyond them as ''Rockv
Mountain Jim," or more briefly. as
Mountain jim is one of the famous
scouts of the plains, and is the origi-
nal OF some daring portraits IN fiction
concerning Indian warfare. So far aS
have at present heard he is a man for
whom there is now no room, for the
time Tor blows and blood in this part of
colorado is past, and the fame of MANY
daring exploits is sullied by crimes
which are now easily forgiven here.
lie now has q "squatter's claim =" bur
makes his living as a trapper, and il a
complete child OF the mountain. OF !
MS genius and chiValry to women
there does not appear TO be any doubt.
but ne IS desperate character and il
subject TO ugly fits" when people
thluk II best 10 avoid him. IL is re-
gArdeu here as an evil that he located
himself at the moth Of the only en-
trance to the Park, for he il danger
Gus WIN his pistols, and il would be
SAFER II he was not here Ills beset-
ting sin Is indicated i'm the verdict
pronounced on him by my host:
w hen he's sober Jim's a perfect
gentleman; but when he's had liquor
do"
IL