The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-03-20
UNCLE JOHNS STORY.
An Adventure with q Mountain
Lionon a Western Range.


We had been camped at the old ar
rastrG for nearly three weeks, building
a road to bring in the machinery for the
new smelter. This had kept us so busy
that none of us had time to 90 after
deer, and we consequently had short
supply Of fresh meat. So that day Mex
lean Joe had been sent out to San Raj
ael with burro donkey to see if be
could buy quarter of beef; and now
we were waiting for his return. For he
ought to have been back early in the
afternoon, and already dusk had fallen.
We began to wonder in good earnest
what could have detained him, when
we saw two dim forms coming down
the trail, and minute later ssJOe'' and
his burro limped into camp. BY the
light of the campfire they proved to be
two as sorry-looking objects as could
well be pictured
Joe's hat was gone. His shirt was
torn, and his face and clothes were COW
cred with blood, which still trickled
from cash on his cheek. The burro
had three. or four ugly-looking burrows
on his neck and long cut, as if made
by sharp knife, on his left flank; and
as he plodded dejectedly into the circle
of light, we saw that he bore no meat,
and that even his pack-saddle was gone.
After our first expressions of wonder
and eager questions, Joe told us his
story, in his broken Mexican-lndian-
Pigeon-English, for Joe was species
of human polyglot, having had Mexi-
can father and an Indian mother, and
having been for many years ''boss" of
a gang OF Chinese laborers in the Santa
Rita gold diggings. He could, if it was
necessary, talk very fair Mexican or
English, but when he was excited, he
mixed up his languages till the result
was something wonderful. As nearly
as can reproduce his jargon, his pres
emit tale rarl somewhat as follows:
''Me find UNI San Rafael, buy UNI
meat, start home. You sabe (know)
camena (traiD long O Bone Gulchp
Him very bad; mucho steep, mucho big
tree top-side, mucho big rock on um,
muy steep down-side bottom, camena
dere no bueno (not good). just get
hap-way ober, something bounce out O.
tree, hit me, knock me down side
bottom; tumble ober and ober, roll
million feet bout; tink UNI Joe kilt.
Lay still, no move, say noting, cato
grande Chg cat) leave me, climb a up
a hill, make one jump, make two Jump,
catch UNI burro just where trail make
wide pass-by place. Hear UNI burro
squeal; cato 90 gr-r-r! gr-r-r-r! Burru
kickl Cato bite, scratch, kick up
mucho Robbery; stone rattle, dust fly,
hair fly, mucho, mucho fuss
Cato want beef; tink give UNI beef
jump up, climb um hill, slip up hind
cato, pull out navaja, cut sinch, cut
girt, leave um beef loose, leave UNI gate
have UNI. He chaw UNI beef, he pull,
he growl, he tear, he no mind UNI Joe,
no mind um burro.
''Burro jump up, no stay, make UNI
head down, heels up, run for wickiuI
casa (campl. doe run, too. Cato, he
no mind UNI; eat UNI beef; chaw, chaw,
growL growl. Let we two vamos.
No see UNI no more, no want see um
more. Lose UNI carne, lose UNI aparejo
(meat and pack saddle). Joe all safe,
burro safe; quien sahe Joe ale
bueno.
"Amountain lioni'' exclaimed Uncle
John" Jour head teamster). when Joe
had finished the above serio-comic re-
cital. II didn't think there were any
of those beasts left in these parts.
should have supposed that the blasting
and the saw-mills and the road-making
would have driven them all out But
they used to be plenty all through this
range. y
OF course the mountain lionn is not
q lion at all, but q variety of the Ameri
can panther. 1t lacks the name, the
strength and the dignity of the real lion
but as the lion is king of beasts" in
Africa. so is the panther, (unless the
grizzly deserves the title) in North
America. A specimen in the possession
of a. gentleman at Denver measured
eight feet three inches in length, from
tip of'nose to tip of tail, three feet one
inch in height at the shoulders, and
weighed, two days after death, one
hundred and eighty-iive pounds. Color,
tawny. yellow on back and sides, white
IN belly and breast
''Sneaking, tricky brutes!'' some one
remarked. We sat about waiting for
the cook to make dish of iaush.
We'll, sometimes they are, and some
Dimes they aren't. continued uncle
John, with judicial fairness. sQueer
animals! The more you see Of 'em,
he less you'll think you know 'em. The
act is a man never can guess how ono
nag take notion to act. Eve known
EN- to be as fell and fierce as tigers,
md then again as mild and gentle as a
samb. Sometimes they're the evil one
nearnato; hen again they are harmless
IS doves They arr"
VERY much like other people, : in
terrupted the mining expert, gently.
Yes, replied uncle John, smiling;
there . good deal Of human nature