St. Landry democrat., 1885-06-06
ON PIXIES PEAK.
Story of a Thrilling Night Passed
in the Snow.
How Mans Life Was Saved by Pretty
Girls Dainty sacque-An Actual Adj
venture of Climber Above
the Snow Line.

shall never forget my first expert
ence in sure enough mountain climbing
with Pixies Peak as subject. The
only houses above Manitou are log
cabin halfway up the trail for the UNI
accommodation of the travellers, and the
United States signal station on the
summit
During the first half, or six miles, of
the ascent the trail wound continuously
around and between and over mount
aims of one thousand feet in height,
which we're yet as corns on the toe OF
the monster peak. Now | met the
struggling train of tourists returning
from the summit. During the summer
season, almost every day from twenty
five to fifty make the ascent. Here they
come, on burros, ponies and mules;
single file, in squads of from one to a
dozen; each one has the look of having
Just ended his first week ut sea, with
stormy weather for the whole trip.
Each step down the steep incline
threatens to pitch the tired voyager
over the beasts head. Some of the
fairest young girls [ have ever seen /
met on that wild mountain trail that
August afternoon.
Picture to yourself, gentle reader.
an ordinary Kentucky donkey reduced
one-half as to size and body and ex-
banded to double dimensions as to ears;
give to his coat increased snagginess, to
his ewes an increased dreaminess, to his
nose more emphatic disgust Of the
actual and real and yearning for the
unattainable ideal and you have the
burro-the Rocky Mountain elevator. "
With such an apparition numbering
down the trail, which sloped at an
angle of forty-fve degrees, and gener-
ally allowed fully two feet between a
cliff of one thousand feet on one side,
ON the other precipice of an equal
depth-with those monstrous black ears
waving wildly in the air, one could not
help dreaming for an instant OF being
at sea and run down by pirate ship
with sails, as we'll as flag, bearing the
symbol of its trade. What though it
bore an angel at the masthead, we new
erthe1ess steered clear of the craft, and
either took our chances at being
squeezed against the cliff on the one
side, or, on the other, started on an
aerial voyage without the proper prep
aration therefor.
Before the company had all passed
we were apprised of two facts, and CIV
en-, in connection with each, warning.
Fact number one, a mountain lion had
been seen above. Fact number two, a
charming young lady had lost her
sacaue. Warning number one, look
out for the mountain lion. Warning
number two, look out for that sacque.
AS it was barely possible that this had
fallen on bush, or otherwise retained
q life-like appearance, warning number
two seemed the more timely-the fact
is, that it probably saved my life; as the
sequel will show. ] passed the Halt
way House at seven o'clock. Two
hours and a half for the first six miles
by far the easier half of the climb
was not encouraging. Nevertheless
pushed on, nothing daunted.
The bulk of Pixies Peak was now be-
tween the sun and me; so that it had set
SO far as Twas concerned. A mile fur
Their the jackrabbits were playing about
the trail, which now lay through i'm
mense forests of well-groWn spruce
pines. 1t was fine sport for halt an
hour shooting at them with my revolver
in the cleaning.
Night was now slowly settling down
over the mountain. The thought that
bears, wolves or other like convivial
gentlemen might be watching my move
ments with all the interest of one friend
who proposes to dine at another's ex-
pense, was the most enlivening.
picked up my rabbit and started on,
leaving the field in the possession of my
feathered enemy, who followed me q
little way, scolding as vociferously as
ever and almost calculating: ''Get
out! Get out! Scat-t-t! Sca-t-t-t?
never knew what had so discounted
me until some weeks later, when. on
the streets of Denver, / saw a bird Of
the same species walking along the
inner side of the pavement, head droop-
ing, feathers bedraggled and spattered
with mud, bearing much the appearance
of having spent the larger hours of the