The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-05
A BIC CAT STORY.
BY @. A. GRATTAN.
lSan rral cisco Bulletin

San rfai cisco Buletin
Whe the Golden Bolt was paying high
wages for shaft to be sunk in the ledge
found myself laying down spectacles and
book. and with many others of all occupations
for miles around, proceeding to the field with
the pick. Enter your name go out to work !;
when the days ended, pocket a V was the
rule. We knocked off work at O'clock for a
half-hour's slight with the cook" role we
went through very heartily at long, board
tables. spread to the edge with good things
of which only working man knows the full
flavor; and after that till or half-past we
sat round campfires at tent doors, and spun
yarns In various fashion, In the gang with
which | was booked some very rare and ,sS.-
lect ones were told by true masters of the
art; but 1t is lamentabe how soon the stock
was exhausted and We lapsed into nj lazy chat,
which put many of us earlier to }oed than was
our wont. One fellow alone remained un-
fathomed; he could liveni zap ON occasion the
sleepy glow of pipeS--a remarkable fellow,
who had been deep in every part OF the world
and its ways.
Sumo bone,5 had been picked up by one of
the men-a jaw-b0ne heavily loaded with
teeth, ''ttseth", generally pronounced to be-
IL.
befusre we knew it, Hawkins was launched
otdt on a yarn.
"The next morning." he was saying con-
rerning himself and certain person named
Pratt, both at the time mere boys, out with
surveying party In Texas. 1.-THE next
posed to be on a sort of vacation, and with
the only shotgun the camp could raise, we
determined to tap the game resources of the
lovely country. river led away from the
camp, and along its steep banks we followed,
entering country plentifully dotted with
oak trees and here and there, near the river
bank, or down in the sandy bed, cotton
woods, naples and willows.
1--WE had walked an hour or more, laZily
pOtting jack-rabbits and letting one never
to- be-fOrgOtten shot at six ducks, all dumped
together in narrow stream. so that only on g
flew away; when suddenly Pratt jerked my
arm, and almost huskily, with excitement,
called my attention to black object. which
moved slowly in the plain ahead. Butt was
such a mere >peck in the distance as to be
laughably Insignificant, probably nothing
more than buzzard walking his native soil.
told Pratt so, nevertheless taking the pre-.
cauti,'n of getting quickly hid, SO that, in
case we were not yet perceived, we might
have chance of crawling up closer to as
certain the '.atuIe of the game.
Pratt pulled me- down to the river, and
over the bank we both slid with plump, to
the sandy bottom, soaring up an enormous
flock Of grouse, Indeed, this seemed to be the
plac. nf gaine. On every hand our ft. { were
staid ami ears Dricked up by rustic, Il siaIt,
and vision OF fleeing animdtOn; but any
thing smaller than deer or wolf was now out
of the question. for we were resolved not to
shoot Till he caught another glimpse of the
dark object.
Soon we were quickening our steps. The
object had been seen IN the open plain: yet,
1t might te able to gain the river-bed, in
which cast IL would be lost In the brush.
Very soon We We're running, my companion
In the lead with the gun and kicking sand in
to w f %s,t some distance ,sfors NO AGAIN
reconoitered the field, for twas no easy mat
ter to climb the bank. some Straight twelve
or fifteen feet Pratt began to w0bOe in his
tracks, when suddenly spying sort of lad
der Of roots in the bank, he turned to it and
mounted, cautiously as he approached the
top. poking his head above the bank. saw
him remove his hat first and then raise his
nose above the banks next he lifted himself
up higher, sweeping his head about; at last he
rose almost upright, when down he dropped
again like a bullet. Then he crawled down
to me- and said:
1T Is there yet. way
"'What does it look likeP" asked.
"A wolf! and he SAID. come on starting
on on run again he was killing himself
with his madness.
"Before followed, was determined to as
certain Tor myself the existence and nature
of the alleged animal. and was soon sticking
my own head above the bank. The weeds,
which grew straight and high here, necessi.
tated my standing up for a good view, and
even then, as far as my eyes could reach, the
plain was clear and lifeless, right up to the
horizon with its dotted line of trees.
"'Come back herer yelled impatiently.
Pratt, as well as his legs could lift, was
plunging through the sand. He turned and
looked rather mad to see me stand shouting
on the bank.
"'Y0u are killing yourself for nothing |
pleaded, your wolf has flown away
lie gesticulated wildly, meaning that
should come down again, suppose, but was
somewhat tired of the business and staid up
where ] was, walking slowly along to above
where he stood
Meanwhile, he tried to fight his way up
the bank. but the loose soil tumbed back with
him. and be bad to content himself with
staying belo1. could see that he was al
most crying with vexatiOn. and when said
his buzzard had flown, he sw0re that he had
seen every one of its four legs, and then again
and lie low.
AT last he found way up the bank and
STOOD painting at my side. But look as he
Wouio' wait rs he would, no object came in
signt. otill, Whatever | conld say, it seemed
an lneHpllcaDle mystery to him; continually
assertlne' \ saw It's four legs; / saw dis
.! could have been induced to believe there
might be some ground for what he said. had
1t not been that the plain was open as day-