Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-09-17
JUMPED OVER THE BEAN.
An Adventure of Captain Jack Craw.
ford, the sFPOet ScOut.o

Captain Jack Crawford, the "Poet
Scout" tells this story in the Detroit
Free Press:
81 was stationed at Fort Craig, on the
Rio Grande River, and on the 18th day
of August, 1880, received telegraphic
instructions from Gen. Edward Hatch,
commanding the district, to proceed at
once to the Sacramento Mountains, scout
them thoroughly and report the presence
there of any hostiles TO Gen. George T.
Buel, - Fort Cummings. The dispatch
was received late in the evening, and at
3 O'Clock the following morning | was in
the saddle. Fording the Rio Grande l
set my face eastward across that dreary
desert the "Jornado del Muerto," or
Journey to Death.
"Shortly after noon reached the Drip
ping Springs, and halted for rest and
to Craze my horse. Wearied with my
fifty-mile ride across the desert, / lay
down in the shade of blackberry tree
and slept for an hour.
"After leaving this point | rode up n
sloping mountain side, and while scan
ming the hills down the range with my
field glasses was somewhat startled to
see band of about twenty Indians NOV
toward the springs, and less than a mile
distant. Hastily entering an adjacent
gulch, l descended the mountain to the
trail leading toward the Sacramento, and
rode rapidly onward.
A few miles IRON Dripping Springs |
entered u narrow pass which leads out of
the San Andreas range to the level
plain beyond, the precipitous walls of the
canyon rising for hundreds of feet on
either side of the trail. / was still push
ing rapidly ahead, fearing the Indians
might have seen me and were in pursuit,
when monster silver-tip bear appeared
on the trail but short distance ahead of
me. Taking position in the trail, the
savage brute stood there looking at me,
evidently determined to dispute my pas
sage through his haunts. | could easily
have dispatched him with shot from my
rifle, but the report of the gun would
have revealed my location to the Indians,
and l dared not fire. My thoroughly
affrighted horse was rearing and prancing
in terror, and utterly refused to move
forward and attempted to pass the savage
beast. Dismounting | threw stones at
the unobliging animal which so persis-
tently impeded my course, but all my
efforts to induce him to vacate his posi-
ton resulted in but eliciting from him a
series OF savage growls and u display of
cleaning white teeth. Realizing that
further delay might bring about unplea-
sant results, l determined to force my
frightened horse by the monster if twas
in the power of steel to do so. AT every
prod of the spurs the animal would rear
and plunge until goaded to desperation
by the cruel rowels, he gave q snort of
terror and pain and sprang forward with
terrific leaps, swerving aside to pass the
shaggy obstacle. Evidently divining his
intention, the bear sprung angrily in
front of the horse, and ere | could realize
what was takinseplace "Chief" had
risen on his hind legs, sprung clear over
the astonished brute and sped like the
wind down the echoing canyon.
After riding some distance out in the
level plain | slackened my speed, know
ing if the Indians were in pursuit could
see them when they emerged from the
canyon, and when, at distance of sew
eral miles, my glass yet failed to reveal
their presence, felt satisfied they had
not seen me, and had gone into camp at
Dripping Springs.