Arizona republican., 1891-06-07

more. m ms eSIlIuatlOH tueSe tWehty words, variously used, after sort of grammatical kaleidoscopic fashion, seemed adequate to convey everything required. One of his presumed English expressions long puzzled the boys Ask ing the price of articles at the store he would say, "Too muchee pollyfoot." At last the riddle was correctly guessed. He meant, "Too much profit"
 For protection Keen Fam built his house opposite the store. The Mexi- cans were then attacking and robbing isolated bands of Chinamen. At one Bar a few miles below, then deserted by the whites, the Chinese had inclosed their camp with high stockade of logs. Yet one night they were attacked. The Mexicans beseged their fortress for hours, peppering them from the hill side with revolvers, and at last they broke through the Mongolian works and bore off all their dust and dozen or more revolvers. Keen Fann's castle was in dimensions not more than l2 by 15 feet, and in height two stories. Within it was partitioned off into rooms not much larger than dry goods boxes The railways were just wide enough to squeeze through, and very dark. It was intensely labyrinthian, and Keen was always making it more so by devising new additions. No white man ever did know exactly where the structure began or ended. Keen was a merchant, deal ing principally in gin, fish and opium. His store was involved in this curious dwelling, all of his own construction.
 In the store there was counter. Be- hind it there was just room for Keen to sit down, and in front there was just room enough for the customer to turn around. When Keen was the merchant he looked imposing in an immense pair of Chinese spectacles. When he shook his rocker in the bank he took off these spectacles. He was large consumer of his own gin. once asked him for the amount of his weekly allowance. "Me tink," said he, lone gallun hap" (half). From the upper story of the castle pro, truded huge spear head. It was made by the local blacksmith, and intended as a menace to the Mexican bandits. AS they grew bolder and more threatening. Keen sent down to San Francisco and purchased a lot of old pawnshop revolv- CTS. These being received, military preparation and drill went on for several weeks by Keen and his forces. He prac- ticed at target shooting, aimed at the mark with both eyes shut, and for those in its immediate vicinity with a most ominous and threatening waver of the arm holding the weapon. It was proph- esied that Keen would kill somebody with that pistol. None ever expected that he would kill the proper person Yet he did.
 One night an alarm was given. Keen's castle was attacked. The "boys," hear ing the disturbance, grabbed their rifles and pistols and sallied from the store. The robbers, finding themselves in Q hornets nest, ran. By the uncertain light of a waning moon the Bar was seen covered with Chinamen gabbhng and wildly gesticulating. Over the river two men were swimming. Keen, from the bank, pointed his revolver at one, shut his eyes and fired. One of the men crawled out of the water and tumbled in a heap among the powders. The "boys" crossed, and found there strange white man, with Keen's bullet through his backbone.
 experienced about the narrowest es. cape of my life in a boat during freshet on the Tuolumne crossing. counted myself a good river boatman, and had just ferried over Swett's Bar miner. He had come to purchase gallon of the native juice of the grape, which was then grown, pressed and sold at Red Mountain Bar. When he crossed with me he was loaded with it. Some of it was outside of him in a demijohn and some of it was inside. Indeed, it was in. side of us both. l set him across all right On returning, by taking advan. tage of certain eddy one could be rushed up stream counter to the current coming down for a quarter of mile, and at a very rapid rate. It was very exciting thus to be carried in an oppo, site direction, within ten feet of the great billowy swell coming down. It was a sort of sliding down hill without the trouble of drawing ones sled up again. So l went up and down the stream. The Red mountain wine mean. time was working. Night came on, a glorious moon arose over the mountain tops, and I kept sliding up and down the Tuolumne. became more daring and careless, so that suddenly in the very fury of the mid-stream pillows l slipped off the stern sheets at sudden dip of the boat and fell into the river. l was heavily clad in fannels and mining boots.
 Of my stay under water I recollect only the thought, You're in for it this time. This is no common baptism. J The next knew l was clinging to rock half mile below the scene of the sub. mergence. had been swept under water through the Willow Bar, the walls of whose rocky channel, chiseled by the current of centuries, were narrower a, the top than on the river bed, and through which the waters swept in a succession of boils and whirlpools. Wet and dripping, I tramped to the nearest cabin, a mile and a half distant, and staid there that night. Red Mountain Bar, on seeing the mishap, gave me ur for lost-all but one man, who was mega. tive on that point, for the reason, as he alleged, that was not destined to make the final exit by water. l reappeared the next morning at the Bar. When told the boys that had been swept through the Willow Bar they instituted af aim il rit,r in 4ha