The Mineral argus., 1884-07-03
Outwitted.

OuCW1CGed.
Clarence King, the Sierra scientist,
was once followed for three DAYS over
the Tulare plains and into the San
Joaquin Valley by a couple of mounted
Mexican h~ighwaymen, who alternately
chased and intercepted him, forcing
him more thar once for safety to the
chances of speed or strategem. After
one narrow escape by a magnificent run
of his good horse, "Kaweah, he had
travelled a day unmolested, and was
stopping for the night at a settlers
ranch, when the robbers rode up to the
ranch, and from their questions to his
%villainous host, and their sudden de-
parture, he knew as he overheard the
whole from his window, that they in
tended to waylayhim on the road. The
story of the remarkable slip he gave
them is thus told by Mr.. King him.
self:
In the night 1 rose cautiously, and
holding my watch up to the moon, found
that twelve o'clock had just passed then
taking from my pocket a five-dollar
gold-piece, Ilaid it upon the stand by
my bed, and in my stocking-feet, with
my clothes in my hand, started noise
lessly for the corral.
A fierce bulldog, who had shown no
disposition to make friends with me,
bounded from the open door o fthe pro-
prietor, to my side. Instead of tearing
me, as | expected, he licked my hand
and fawned about my feet.
Reaching the corral-gate. l dreaded
opening it, remembering that the hinges
creaked badly. So hung my clothes
upon an upper bar of the fence, and eau
tiously lifting the latch, began to push
back the gate, inch by inch, an or~r-
alton which consumed eight or ten min
utes.
Then I walked up to Kaweah and
patted him. The horse was full ofcuri- |
oslty, as if he had never been approached
In the night before. SURPRISING his
ordinary w%hinnying, he preserved a
motionless, statue-like silence. L was
IN terror lest by a neigh, or some ner-
vous movement, he should waken the
sleeping proprietor and expose my plan
The corral and the open square were
h~alf-covered with loose stones, and
when Thought of the clatter of Kaw-
eath's shoes 1 experienced a feeling of
trouble, till finally the idea struck me
mufliing the iron feet.
In constant dread lest the horse
make some noise, / hurried to
nufie his f~orefeet with my trousers and
shirt, and then, with rather more care,
tie upon his hind feet my coat and
lrawers.
Leading him slowly out ofthe corral
gate, L walked beside him, holding him
irmly by the bit, for a distance of per-
laps a quarter of a mile. then stopped
nd listened. All was quiet. Ithen I'M
'oundth wrappings, shook from them
much dust as possible; dressed my
elf n leaping on Kaweah's back start
ID northward on the Mariposa trail.
In the soft dust we travelled noise
essly for a mile or so, passing from ,
pen country into groves of oak and :
tickets of chapparal. l.,
Suddenly, / came upon o shoulder !
ng fire close by the trail, and in the :
hadow saw two men asleep. One was !
tretched on his back, snoring heavily ;
he n was lying upon his face, pill !
owing his head on his folded arms. !
l rode carefully by without awaken 9
lg them. My nerves were keyed up to
high pitch. / turned round in the
addle, leaving Kaweah to follow the ,
ram, and kept my eyes riveted on the
forms, until they were lost in :
distance, and then | felt safe. !
We galloped over many miles of trail. :
a sunrise, and at last came to :
lariposa, where I deposited my gold, {
nd then went to bed, and made up my Z
'st sleep.-Mountaineering in the \
Terra Nevada. 8