Los Angeles herald., 1890-10-27
Disastrous Hunt for an Ari-
zOna Silver Mine.
A Plunge Down a Deep Preci-
pice Averted.
Hiding the Revolver in the Coffee
pot.
Dangers of Gambusino Seeking Hidden
Wealth While Hunting 1t With
Lunatic.

Some years ago when l was in Pres
colt, said gentleman to, g. HERALD re-
porter yesterday, had an experience
which 1 will never forget as long as /
live. A couple of ospectors-gambus-
mos, as the Mexicans call them, were
around town showing huge chunks of
virgin silver, which one of them, small
old man, said he had found ON the top of
a mountain in Northern Arizona many
years before. He was certain that he
could locate the mountain again. His
companion was a tall young man, who
had become interested in the scheme OF
rediscovering the mine and making
fortune. The two left together to hunt
the ledge where silver grew SO plenti-
fully.
Some time, may be two weeks alter
ward, the little old man turned up alone.
without burro, money or anything to
eat. He came to me and asked me for
agrub stake. You know what grub
stake is, of course. 1t consists in pro-
viding a prospector with burros, food
and other provisions which are neces-
sary to him while hunting ore-bearing
lodges in the mountains. The old man
promised me one-half interest in his
rich mine if would stake him. After
some consideration consented. but told
him to wait a few days until the return
of my partner, when l would go along
with him myself. The old chap was
very pleased with my proposal, and
whiled away his time around town in
easy star niente'' until / was ready to
go on that trip, which would not un-
dertake again for hundred splendid
mines or millions of money.
If there is anything that can
be called monotonous it is Arizona
scenery. Sage brush and gramma grass
seemed to be about the only vegetation
that we met, and we kept vending from
one canon into another until / was dizzy.
From the beginning, I noticed one pc
culiarity about this old compaliero of
mine. Instead of camping beside me at
night he would go off a little distance
from where had selected spot to sleep
in. and he would build himself fire
the night being cold-while | would be
near the fire we had built for supper
Though had noted this peculiaritv l did
not mind it much, because the old gam
busino was not exactly very clean sort
OF man.
After several days. travel, we reached
q trail which led mp very steep noun
tain. My partner became very joyful
and exclaimed that this was the place
where his mine was. We toiled and
toiled until we reached plateau. You
know the rate at which burro travels,
especially upwards, SO it is useless for
me, to tell you that it was night when
we made the mesa.
The old man WAS all excitement and
his actions made me think of the poem
Excelsior" 1t was a bright moon
light and the landscape was as distinct
as in daytime The febrile surexcita-
ton OF my guide caused me to ride
little ahead of him, and-good God, 1
shudder when l think of it, before 1
knew it, l was on the brink of
precipice one thousand feet deep. 1t
was one of those peculiar rents similar
to those found in many places in that
country. l stopped at once and dis
mounted. The old fellow was still
blindly going ahead and had just time
to halt his donkey before he went over
that tremendous bluff. My partner was
dazed for moment, but when he real
lied that we were not on his own parti-
cular mountain, the enthusiasm which
had kept him up left him
suddenly and he became perfectly
unnamed. He admitted that he had
been wrong in his calculations, but did
not doubt but he would find the mine
next day. So we wended our way down
the mountain again. When we made
camp he went and laid himself to rest
far away from me and built huge fire.
l felt uneasy, l know not why. L in
tended not to go to sleep, but fatigue
overcame me. When | woke up and
looked for the old man he was gone I
did not know what to think until the
disappearance OF his former companion
came into my mind. Could the old
man have murdered him? ] made up
my mind that something was wrong,
and in order to await whatever might
ensue l hid myself little WAYS from
my couch, behind some bushes,
with my big revolver in my
hand. l had not been there long
before the old prospector came out OF
the bush and, to my horror, discovered
that he was maundering maniac. He
had moments of good sense, it is true,
but most of the time he would talk
nonsense. He had revolver, but
/ got it away slyly, from him and re-
moved the chambers, which threw into
the, coffee pot. When he discovered that
his weapon was useless he became fran
IlC, anu aCCusou IHe Vi JoDDlHS HlH. he
looked everywhere at my request,
searched my traps, but of course over
looked the coffee pot. Nothing now re-
mained to be done but to retrace our
steps towards Prescott. | did not dare
to sleep and had to watch my distracted
companion all the time to prevent him
from committing suicide. l was not
sure that he would not attack me in
sneaking way if he had chance. Well,
it took us several days to get back, and
in all that time l never closed my eyes.
The nervous strain on me was fearful l
admit that l was frightened, not so
much of what that poor old maniac
could have done to me, than of things of
which | had no idea and were the