Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-19
, STORY OF THEpREsENr DAY
,,,vely Adventure IN the Silver Noun
tnins

Northwest Of Salt Lake City, hundred
,,Ias as the crow flies, are the Silver
wountains. For three months l had been
nrospecting at the eastern point. 1t was
rstting late in the fall, provisions wererun-
Emo short. and one day loaded the pack
nile with the specimens l had secur-
ID saddled my horse, and turned his head
sontbwest toward the Humboldt river.
reaching that stream, should not lose
s,sht Of it again until rode into Sacra-
r,ento 500 miles away.
long, wild ride through an Indian
infested country, with danger waylaying
very mile of it-mOuntain, prairie,
Sosert wild streams, savage animals,
6orce storms-I had passed all these in
safety: would the same good luck attend
me in returning!
II WAS about an hour after midday
rben set out; the sky was overcast, the
Wind clustered up strong, and experience
aid me that a storm was brewing. 1t
vas time for snow. had been riding for
two hours, then l looked back over my
Trail, Four or five miles away two horse
MON were coming up at a smart pace.
Indians? / could not tell with the naked
eTe. mad good telescope with me, and
once glance through the glasses proved
hat they we're white men.
HuntersS No!
ProspectOrs? No!
Enemesi Yes!
me secrets of the Silver Mountains
we're known to Brigham Young. Hints
of their richness had floated in the air TO
Omaha on the one hand and to Sacra-
mento on the other. Accompanying these
hints were low whispers OF how lealously
m no f.,p
gnarded. Individual prOspectOrs had
departed for this locality and were never
heard OF again. Bands of fifteen had
zone forth, but the earth seemed to have
sgalowed them up. Some talked of Indi-
ans. but the majority shook their heads,
4 looked about them in startled way, and
4 whispered:
Il "The MormOus-the Danitesp'
Ihad taken the utmost precaution. Sew
4 eral times had seen white men at a dis
4 lance, but if they suspected my presence
thew had searched for me in vain. AS
luck would have it, now that | was off,
these keen watchers, these housekeeping
,entinels, had discovered me.
We're they following me? ldismOunted
and clambered to the top of a great rock 20
Il feet high, where | could secure a better
4 view. They were dead on my trall. Not
81 only that, but great dog was running
ahead of them with his nose to the ground.
The men might have lost my trail on the
broken ground; the dog would follow me
to the death.
The men were riding at lope. Why?
81 They were waiting until / left the noun
tain to strike across the prairie. Behind
some rock at the base of the mountain |
could hold half a dozen men at bay. Out
81 On the prairie 1t would be two to one. 1t
was their business to kill and destroy,
not to be killed. l scrambled down from
q the rock and mounted and rode on, push
ng nv animals at a gallOp. | turned to
look, and the pursuers had increased
their pace. l slowed down to a walk,
and 10! they did the same! Then, at a
moderate canter, / rode forward tor two
hours, turning occasionally to look over
ny shoulder. They were gradually draw
81 Ing nearer. The atmosphere was thicken-
ing and the afternoon wearing away, and
they did not want to lose me in a storm
Or the darkness. Even when they had
shortened the distance to two miles they
could not see me turn in my saddle.
If struck off on the prairie they would
soon settle me. IL continued ON along
The base Of the mOuntain-what? Would
they try to steal upon me before the com
ing Of darkness? Ii l turned at bay,
would they give it up as a bad job and
,iless, determined. They would cling to
ny trail as the wolf follows wounded
ieer. II took a position of defense they
would besiege me. Ii rode on ] must
leave trail for the keen~scented dog to
follow.
At A O'Clock it was rapidly growing
dark. The sky was now an inky black,
and the coming of the storm could not
long be delayed. The avengers were not
more than mile away, keeping my pace
as before.
What! A great, soft, white flake of
snow tiuttered down upon my horses
name and hung there like feather.
turned to the left and rode straight out
upon the plain. 1t was desperate chance
10 dodge them. If the storm held off tif-
teen minutes, must fight them in open
ground. If the storm broke in ten
might try plan had conceived. Another
nake-a third-a fOurth-and then all OF a
sudden there came a sudden gust of wind
ol the mcSntain, and night set in as if a
lrtan had been lowered. With the
iarkness came such downpOur of flakes
mat could not see five feet beyond my
horse, and the ground turned white in an
instant Providence was with me.
turned the animals sharp TO the right
ulect for the mountain. l had half u
nile TO 80 to reach ii, and the ground was
Olgl and broken. Knight as we'll have
Oeeh blind for the good my eyes could do
ne IN such a storm, but il was not likely
could miss the mountain. My horse
was stumbling forward, followed by the
niue, when i heard the deep bay of the
log' Phis was the first time he had given
oague. He had chung TO my trail for
oaTs, silent, grim, vengeful. He bad
ld0enly lost the trail, and was giving
eat TO his anger thereat.
leu seconds after the dogs first bay
eald the men shouting to each other.
ael had separated in order not to miss
IN the storm, and were apparently
3.oWing on my trail, or, at least, coming
BYand by the wind ceased TO beat in
lace, though | could hear it roaring
lu n0wling above me. i had reached
W base of the mountain. The horse did
stop, however. Right ahead, into
L'ch blackness, he slowly walked, and
IeIty soon the snow ceased TO blind me.
lQeed, only now and then a stray fake
aehed to descend, and the ground be-
tsh my horses feet was no longer
lHe' Far above my head l heard the
lsl and roar OF the storm, but down
uere was there was scarcely any mo-
on 70 the air.
slowly and carefully the horse felt his
and the mule kept at his heels and
elsl times uttered snOrts or alarm.
lsh the horse ceased TO 80 forward !
mounted. There was grass under my
ana there was no snow on the grass.