The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-05-19

" v
rymen could discover il soy direc
ton
"a bit of paper ettsched TO th
saddle attracted my .at,ca;ion, and
slight feeling of apprehension crep
through my heart as / detached i
and scanned the writing.
"lt had been hastily scsibbled. tb,
purport, summoned up 10 nut shell
was that my escort had deserted
me for the mines. The temptation
had been too great for them to re
sis,. and begging nv pardon for the
act, they bad signed their names t.
the document.
There | was with q large amour
Of money in mr. possession, in I
country entirely unknown to me, en-.
tirely at loss which way to turn.
You csn well imaaine the frame oi
mind was 10 as ! Swung myself il
"For one thing / fel. grateful
They could easily bare murdered me
81 ] lay there asleap. and With the
money in their posaessioas, oblitsra-
ted all traces Of The, deed, and who
in those turbulent abd excited times
would have troubled their heads over
the disappesrance Of AN iasiguifcaus
Army Paymsster.
II could have returned to the
ranche Of the Spanisrd, bu. dislik-
ed the idea of coDfessing the facl
that | bad been deserted by my SOL
diers. decided TO push on, follow
ing the first mountAin path / might
happen to strike and trust to the
stroke of good fortune in meeting
some mountaineer who would either
guide or direct me to my destioation
"Clappiog spurs to my noble
black, | started on . gaIlop, riding
straight ahead, never drawing rein
for an hour The aspect of the
country grew wilder aad more desc
late, with not trace of civilization
on hillside or valley
An occasional-herd of wild cattle
scampered from. my path way. and
once l was nearly thrown headlong
from my saddle by the sudden swery.
ing of Prince, a sharp snort, a
trsmpling of bushes. and g huge
grizzly bear troted out from the un-
derbush, where the brute had been
lurking. With ears pointed and
nostrils distended, my steed required
no urging TO ay from the presence OF
the feroeious brute. Deeper and
deeper | plunged into the unknown
country, while the sun rapidly slid
ing down the western slope. admoa-
lshed me that but limited space Of
daylight remained
"Fhe prospect of camping out with
grizzlies lurking in the neigbborhood
tor companions was anything bat a
consolation for q man already half
worn out by worry aud excitement !;
and to add. if possible, to my discom
fort. unmistakable eyidenee Of con-
ing storm was apparent Clouds.
dark and threatening, were rapidly
mounting toward the zenith, follow
d by a deep mutter of thnnder.
"Cursing my unlucky fate | drew
rein, wiped The dust aud perspiration
from my forehead As | did so my
eyes were glsddened by the sight Of
slight rift of smoke curling aad
twisting as it rose above the tree
tops. Squirting forward, the vel
come savory odor of venisou greeted
my nostrils The next instant /
stood 10 the presence Of mountain.
eer, o .rapper of true type, busily
engaged in cooking his evening meal
q, blazing fire | received a cor
dial welcome, aud after picketiog
Prince, ! Joined my companion with
an appetite 10 no way affected by the
predieament was in.
"I offered the old trapper a round
sum to pilot me tc camp, but the old
fellow was bound to the "diggius, I"
and too much time would be lost, he
said. by leaving the trail
However We compromised the
matter by bis starting ne in the right
direction. adding the pleasing infor-
nation that FIVE miles farther 90 |
would come 10 herdsmsn's rancho.
where could find shelter from the
storm and bed for the night.
Keep in the regular trail stran-
ger, and don't go in any side csnona.
for there's lots o. Gressers about, n
they'll gobble you no if yer don't
look sharp cause yer got mighty
fine horse and saddle there
"Thanking him for his advice !
again struck ouJ on my lonesome
jonroey, following closely the numer-
Gus Distinguishing marks the moun-
taioeer had mentioned
The darkaess increased rapidly,
and urging my horse to o gallop |
hurried on in hopes to gain the shell
ter Of the 5erdsman's hut before the
full force of the storm should swoop
dowI upon me
ALREADY few preliminary pa,ter-
ing drops admodiste.i me that had
but little time to spare, while an %
casional gust of wind would roll up
the dust in sitting clouds. compelling
me to bow my bead to my borse's
neck
''In vain l peered through the
gloom, iDcressiog every moment as
the mist Of the storm grew thicker
and thicker; no signs of q house
could distinguish. Trees, under.
brush, rocks aud fallen trees all loom
ed up 10 one confused mass. while
broad sheets of lightning at intervals
lit up with dazzling brightness the
gloomy scene, bringing out each
crevice in the rocks with painful clear
ness only to be plunged in darkness
the next instant ten times more pro-
found aud perplexiag. The rain came
down in torrents, drenching me
through and through. Prince, siok-
ing to his fetlocks at each plunge,
bore me bravely on, / knew not " hiih
er, for l rad long since given him the
rein, preferring to trust to bis instinct
in preference TO my limited knowl-
edge.
Drawing my cloak closely around
me, | crouched close to the saddle 20
avoid being swept of bs some pro-
jcciing boagh. and relapsiag into q
reverie b, no means complimentary
to the country, allowed Prince to