The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-16
A THRILLING NIGHT.
Louisville commercial.l

shall never forget my first experience in sure enough mountain climbing with Pike's Peak as a subject. The only half way up the trail for the unaccom- modation 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 ana between and over mountains of 900 feet in height, which were yet as corns on the toe of the monster peak. Nov 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 at sea, with stormy weather for the whole trip Every 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, general reader, an ordinary Kentucky donkey reduced one half as to size of body and expanded to double dimensions as to ears give to his coat increased shagginess, to his eyes 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 ap- partition numbering down the trail, which sloped at an angle of about forty five de- grees, and generally allowed full two feet between cliff of 900 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 well as flag, bearing the symbol of its trade. What though it bore an angel at the masthead, we nevertheless 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 an aerial voyage without the proper preparation therefor.
 Before the company had all passed we were apprised of two facts, and given, in connection with each, warning. Fact number one, mountain lion had been seen above. Fact number two, charm ing young lady had lost her sacque. 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 a lite like appear ance, warning number two seemed the more timely fact is that it probably saved my life, as the sequel will show. l passed the Halfway house at 7 o'clock. Two hours and a half for the first six miles-by far the easier half of the climb Was not encouraging. Nevertheless, l pushed on, nothing daunted.
 The bulk of Pike's peak was now be- tween the sun and me ; so that it had set so far as was concerned. A mile fur ther the jackrabbits were playing about the trail, which now lay throug immense forests of well-grown spruce pines. It was fine sport for half an hour shooting at them with my revolver in the gloaming
 Night was now slowly settling down ever the mountain. The thought that bears, wolves or other like convivial gen. tleman might be watching my movements with all the interest of one friend who proposes to dine at another's expense, was not the most enlivening. l picked up my rabbit and started on, leaving the held in possession of my feathered enc my, who followed me little way, scold ing as vociferously as ever and almost ai :. ticulating, Get out 1 get out scat-t-t !!
 scat-t-tW l never knew what had so dis. comhted me until some weeks later. when, on the streets of Denver, saw a bird of the same specimen walking along the ipner side of the pavement, head dropping, feathers bedraggled and spat- tered with mud, bearing much the ap- pearance of having spent the larger hours of the night in dissipation and the wee sma' ones in the gutter. Like the poor Indian of to-day who, through govern. ment hash and 6re-water, is become the ignoble son of the noble red man, my friend the magpie had not improved by civilization.
 Aalfan hours further climbing brought me to the sacque which had been told to look for. It was hanging by the trail from twig on which it had caught, and not being inflated or otherwise distended, did not mistake it for monster wasp peculiar to the Rocky mountains.
 Being now near the region of perpetual snow, the tropical summer which 1 had left four hours before was exchanged for arctic breezes. The mercury had dropped from the nineties to the near neighbor hood of the freezing point Through ig- norance or thoughtlessness, had set out in tue morning with no wrappiugs what ever, and only my summer walking suit -knickerbocker, and a thin coat. That sacque- silk, satin, plush or velvet, I never knew which, seemed a godsend. | preceded to insert thirty eight.inch chest in the dainty affair. Only those ladies whom nature made larger than fashion's standard, and who must hence wear ose-6tting" corse,s, can under stand how the feat was accomplished. I confess it is incomprehensible to me, but suppose the alternative of freezing to death did the work. The strength of the material and the merit of the artist who fashioned it are attested by the fact that the cloth az without yenl and lhs..