The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1881-05-27
THE HUNTERS STORY.

hunter and miner. six foot Que, without
his stockings" he said; broad chest aud
shoulders, an arm like sledgc hammer,
and queer little gray eye that could see
deer II the bush Il quarter of a mile away
one OF those restless, wandering spirits,
doomed to walk the width of the earth and
preparing the way for coming civilization,
then pushing on for more "clbow room."
lie took the first pack train into Yosemite !;
| the geld fever carried him to Australia he
sought for diamonds i'll Brazil prospectcd
the Andes then came back to California
to drive OK teams across the plains, shtiug
Indians for pastime. He drove cattle
in the mountains, took contracts for keep
ing the camps in meat, and so on.
threw myself down on blanket, tired !;
that comfortable tired feeling that comes
after long day 5 tramp, and makes rest so
sweet. "Well,' said he, as he again poured
the frying pan full Of batter, you got away
with that old bruin at last, didn't you ?" l
had come across an old bear and her two
cubs, and she gave me considerable trouble,
! lodging around the rocks, aid my maga-
zine almost empted before she fell
"Well, l laughed as seed you, a pcckin'
and do1gin' round that rock, aud it reminded
me Of lectle skrimmage had once l
was up in Idaho prospectn'. There was
about eighteen Of us. One night we wus
walked up by the yell Of the Injuns, aud
the arrers fyin' thick as hail | should
say, all sbut three of us, they wus fairly
pinned to the ground. We took to the
brush, and they run off nearly all our
horses. In the morniu' We took the
rest, and swcariu' vengeance, started on
the trail.
"Wel, one mornin' we cum on them, Just
at daylight, in big canyon. They wus
| all dismount,d, and lot of squaws wus
holdin their horses while they wus maxim q
ford across the stream. They didn't seem
to be expcctin' US, and the roarin' of the
torrent kept them fiom hearin' us. We
scattered, and took our positions. Only fif
teen Of US, while they wus more N hundred
besides the squaws. got on the right,
behind big boulder, like the one you wus
behind to-day, and soon the boys opened
fire. At the crack of our guns they gave
a yell, and broke across the stream, leaviu'
dozen dead down by the squaws.
81 drawed on the old chief but my Win
chester snapped. 1 pulled agin, and agin
it snapped. BY this time they wus hid be.
hind the rocks Oh the other side, and the
sharp shooting began. 1 guess half a
dozen got their eyes on me, and seeing |
didn't shoot, turned their artillery on me
I How the arrers flew! My rock wasn't big
enough to cover me from their scattered
fire, s. I'd dodge shis way only to see OF
arrcar whiz past me that way.
eur uigh three hours this went on. If
L wus ever near bcin' rubbed out, WI.
then. Look here how they vaccinated me, ,
and he held up his thumbless right hand
ian, look here" he raised his heavy mus
tache, showing scar on his upper lip "an
look here" as he unbuttoned his blouse
aud uncovered great seam across his
shoulders 81 have another remembrancer
Oh the calf Of my leg, an if my shoe wus
OFT l d show you about half of big toe.
1.-The business was giStin' serious, and |
saw my only chance of gittin' my carcass
out Of there wus by my gun so took out
my knife, and removed the lock, while the
flint wus knocking fire out O the rock all
round me. | found the trouble little
stick had run iii h'siles the firm pin as |
rid. through the brush. screwed her to.
gether agin, an when put her to my face
she sung out sharp and clear, aud an Iniun
left his rock. | tell you l wasn't long out
now, for they got bold, thinkin' I couldn't
shoot, and exposed themselves
"When the game was sup an we came
down to the ford, it was sickenin' sight
About sixty squaws and Injuns lay along
the stream. AS I came down the canyon
l seed sight | cant fogct a. young pap.
poose, not more'u four or five years old, a
hangn' on to dead squaw. The BOYS
gathered round, and when we got near, it
ran toward US, and as we tried to touch it,
would kick, an bite, an scratch like a
young bear-then run an fling itself down
on the breast of the dead squaw, an howl
an cry. The boys blood wus up, and one
OF them, raisin' his pistol, yelled "Shoot
the young red varmint; he'll soon be on
the ar-path a shootin' arrers"
81 Amt pious, nor nothin, Parson, but
there wus somethin got in my throat that
nearly choked me, and l looked at tha,
young red skin moanin' on the breast of
its mother, and just stepped before the un
raised pistol, saying: Touch him if yor
dare have you forgot you had a mother
once The boys laughed at my airnest-
ness, an finally let mo have my way.
went toward the little critter, but he fought
like young tiger an it wus good Will,
afore l could tame him down enough t.
handle him.
"What to do with him was puzzle
couldn't bear to leave him there to die, 81
when we'd got the horses 1 put him on
afore me, an we started back. The first
day he would not eat anything, an coult
hardly handle him; but the second he 60
as tame as dog, and would cudde vi
close to me at night; and when we camped