New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-09
CAMPING IN CALIFORNIA.
XII.
THE END.
JFRom STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE


NoRDHoFF, Cal. Aug: -.
II was the failure Of forage which compeilol US
last TO break camp; would gladly have stayed
another month in the mountains if our horses could
have lived there. Two or three extra pack animals
were brought up TO move ne, and early on Monday
morning the whole train was in motion, with tue
baggage in front. the COW in the middle. and me
riders in the rear. We halted for the night IN the
same spot where we had slept two mouths before
on touches of bav leaves, and we found our beds
undisturbed. and the whole scene very pleasant
and home-like. How much worse it was to come
down the mountain than to 90 up; how we stray
gled into Nordhof, at the end of the second days
ride. dirty beyond all descriptions; how We clam
ored for warm baths. and felt uncomfortable IN
sarohed collars and found cool bedroom so close
that we wanted to take the roof of-all this you
can imagine without detailed account. We were
glad to see houses again, and yet we were sorry.
TIE summers experience had been valuable and on
the whole delightful; and had the satisfaction
of rejecting that we had passed through it all
without accident, and in all our rough journeyng
had broken nothing but one egg-and that was only
cracked. There were few incidents of our last
weeks which may still be worth telling.
After killing bis first deer. Albert Durer had no
mind to rest on his aurels and soon as the store
IN the arder began TO low. he saddled his horse
and in the early dawn rode off alone towards the
east end of the mountain. In few hocrs he re-
turned with afarge burden dashed to his saddle-a
doe of about one hundred pounds aud a spotted
fawn. We cheered hm warmly as he came into
camp but there exultaton in his counten-
ance to answer enthusiasm. In spite of his sue
cess, Dprer was a disappointed man. The doe and
the fawn were very well but he had lost o noble
buck, great fellow with spreading anters, such
as all our hunters had longed for but of them
I'll hahs nd he lad pri under
the most exasperating circumstances, after bringing
il down. and supposng ii to be dead Desperately
wounded, the deer had nevertheless found Its feet
again. and escaped down the mountain. only TO
furnish meal, no doubt. for the cougars and coy
otes
Harvey had somewhat similar experience q fe W
days later, in an early morning hunt with Durer
and the Doctor. The party had divided, in order
to approach tho haunt of the deer by different
routes In an open glade on the southern slope oil
the mountain Harvey heard a movement In the
bush above him. and presently large buck iol-
lowed by doe, sprang into sight. He fired at the
buck, which gave one bound and rolled down
steep ravine leaving trail of blood. Sure of this
game he then turned his rifle upon the other, and
after she had been hard hit she too disappeared in
the ravine. Harvey went in pursuit. For some dts
tanc the blood and foot prints were distinct sud
denly every tlace was lost, There was no moro
blood: and the nature OF the ground dusty. strewn
with pine needles. and trampled by shecp,-made
the foOt-tracks undistInguishable. The hunter con-
tinuei the search until he exhausted. Finally,
without waiting for his companions he shouldered
his rifle and tranped home III a bad hunor When
he came in he spoke TO nobody, but marched dog
gedly up TO the water bucket. Fired seven shots
at couple of deer" he growled at last. as he
drained a secondcup. mt 'em fair. and then lostem
both wont say anything about my going hunt
ing this morning anyhow" The narrative Of his
msadvcnture was gradually nniolded, with such
touching simplicity that we all mourned. Il never
felt so wicked as did coming back" he continued;
" | saw another deer; ho came ont where could
have shot bin as well as not. but wouldn't. lust
looked away, and kept on II | could have picked
up tho whole of this blamed old mountain I'd have
pitched 1t night into the sea-
discovered afierward that the mans chagrn
was not altogether owing to the loss of the game or
the imaginary damage To his repulaton as a sports
man; it was attributable IN large part to tender
feeling for the deer d" IL there's anything hate
said he one evening shaking his head, MS to leave
a wounded animal; " and whenever such a mislor-
time beiell HIM noticed that he was haunted long
after by the image of his victims s1nerIngs ana
guesscs of its ultimate fate. The Chinaman was
troubled by no such fanccs "Oh, think he die.
snrep he remarked. Blood go IN stombick. kill
him heap qdick."'
When Durer and the Doctor came in, Harvey pro-
posed another sraroh; so Inc on foot and Durer on
horseback returned TO the raylne. They found the
double trail and them taking opposite sides of the
ravine. they followed it down. through an almost
impossible succession OF BRUSH and rock aud prcci
pce and nearly to the foot of the mOuntain-the
horse being left at the top. Durer came upon blood
marks after while lost them. recovered them. lost
IL Il hi tan lfra-
ment OF the the animals were likely to have
taken than by any positive indications of them; aud
at last discovered the doe lying under abush iar-
yeys bullet had cut off of her fore legs at the
knee In spite of which she had run a mile. She
sprang up and Durer fired. breaking the other fore
leg; even then she was making of on the stnmps
W hen he put ball through her neck. The carcase
had now with Harveys assistance, 10 be carried up
TO the summit and tho purpose Of the hunters was
then TO make a more careful examination of the
trail TO discover where the buck had turned off,
But as they sat down TO rest on the way. Harvey
esped the missing game lying across a fallen tree,
quite dead. One of his hind legs had been shot
clean off and ball had entered near the shoulder
andcome out at tue belly tearing the entrails; with
those wounds the creature had run a rough half
mile. He weighed about two hundred pounds
(which is good size for deer in this c0untry,) and
was in splendid condition; but his antlers being III
the velvet and badly cut, were not worth saving.
Harvey packed him up the mountain on his should
ers with great difficulty, and the two sportSmen
walked home in triumph with nearly three hundred
pounds of venison their horse. They had started
OH their hunt between and O'clock IN the
morning, and they back between and
4 o'clock IN the afternoon. The flesh of the buck
was far better than any other game we had secured
tender, juicy. full 1avored-and it the first on
which We had found any fat There was nothing
in our kitchen capable of holding ono of the noble
haunches and we had TO build special Fireplace
10 roast it. high back OF fat stones confined and