New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-06
A PEDESTRIAN FEAT.

Mr. Lummis has written q really fascinating account
OF little pedestrian trip OF 3.501 miles, from Clncn-
pau to Los Angeles But nc thinks that his narrative
will set fashion, We fear he will be disappointed. for
the story Of the and sulengs he experienced
In crossing the continent. while delightful to read
is by no calculated 10 tempt even the athletic
youth Of the country to emulate his example ME-
Lummis IL himself trained athlete and a stalch
pedestrian and he was in perfect condition wheh ho
set out his long journey, which appears to have
been undertaken for no other reason tlal love OF
adventure. But what he went through, nolwih-
standing his physical fitness and his remarkable power
OF endurance suggests the strong probability ha' "o'
one in u hundred thousand would survive suoh
an experience. What he did Is indeed Astonishing
He appears 10 have made days marches OF from
thirty 10 fifty miles all the way across. ana hardly
ever less than the lowest figure even in snow or
burning deserts. on the way he hunted ana hsheo
whenever opportunity served and he STAYED several
DAYS among the Pueblo indians, with whom he SUD
seaueatly took up his residence at lsleta
Twice he encountered f0Otpads, who attempted u
hold him up; but in both cases ho was too quick
for the thieves and discounted them. lie CLIMBED
Pixies Peak and went many miles out OF his course
on the chance Of catching trout. one Oh Ills ihos'
bairbreadth escapes occurred In Colorado He came
upon the Penitentary one day, and FOUND q NUMBER
of convicts working outside under guard These con
yicts numbered many desperate rflians. fact WHICH
he had occasion to realize. In his interest ne
had driftcd close to a low wall which the convictS
were building, and presently turned his BACK 10 lho
wall suddenly he happened TO glance do"h upoh
the white road and caught sight OF shado" Just
behind him. and this shadow was swinging up
heavy stone hammer over his head. With an III
stinctve movement he sprang into the middle OF the
ro,d-oplv lust in time to escape having his skull
crushed An armed guard up at the moment
and roughly scoldcd the traveller for taking such
o risk saying that the convicts would have KILLED.
him without hesitation for the sake OF his revolver,
nossesson of which would give one or moro OF them
q chance to escape.
Upon such an expedition all thoughts OF comfort
or OF palatabe food must be abandoned. only
a Young and robust man could have endured The food
Mr. Iummis had TO live upon. For the most part
It was procured from the section houses on rail-
roads and 80 bad IL that he always preferred
TO camp out when there any game attainable.
spd rule slept in the oPsn ar rather tnan speTa
abIo New Mexico he entered with strong pref
udlce against the natives, but left the Territory
wholly emancipated from 1t. lie does not hesi'a'e
to say that he found greater hospitality and polite
ness amcng these people than among the Americans he
encountered aoug the route. few dehgh'ini Gays
were spent at the ranches OF old Colonel Chaves'
the famous Indian fighter and the crack shot OF ue
whole region for years He has much that Is III
teresng 10 say of the Pueblos and NavaloS. ana IL
is TO be hoped that after his long residence "l'p
the former he will record his experiences even
tpally in q book dealing with the whole subject.
There is not, indeed, an uninteresting page III 'no
volume but there episodes which are more impress
sive than Others Little adventures with rattlesnaKes,
abush SPIDERS" centpedcs and such small deer Incl
dents such as getting his shoes pierced Win the thos
of the pncky pear. and having to pun on 'he soe.
under the torture Of tearing hundred fshhoohs out Oh
his feet walking scores OF miles with spraned ahke'
waking 10 find a coyote investigating him; tumbihg
into lev pools in the mountains; being nearly cr'zcd
With thirst and heat the deserts after all, only
secondary matters. To appreciate the travellers ei'
one must read Of the accident that bcfell MN on
one of his hunting expeditions. by This time he hnd
picked up a companion In the shape of n black grey
Mound puppy. which he called Shadow because inc
moor beas, followed him 80 closely. He had Just
crossed the line into Arizona, when one morning he
crossed the fresh trail OF deer. The rest we VIII let
him tell himself -" The animal had gone up draw
md thinking 10 head him of, started 10 chmo inc
urecipous face Of a fifty foot MEGA Of shnle Shadow
sat whining below, and watched as chmoe1 cau-
,iously the crumbling lodges. Halfway up, as my
weight came upon jutting Shelf 1t suddenly prone
beneath my feet The ledge 70 Which was ho1lhg
cmmbled too, and In shower OF rock Tell DacN
sprawng through the air and landed upon the Jagged
debris twenty feet below, and knew no more Whch
life came back TO me- Shadow licking my face ana
whining plantively. My whole body was afrc with
main and here and there we're red drops upon the
rocks and and upon my clothing. MY lett arm
WAS doubled under me and twisted between two rocks
and when last ! mustered strength and courage
10 rise 1t was to make a serious discovery. That
arm-aways my largest and strongest-was broken
two inches below the elbow and the sharp santing,
lower end OF the large bone protrudcd from the Inc
erated flesh. Here bad job-an ugly fracture.
and so far from any medical help that the arm would
probably be past saving before could get there
thought very hard for few moments. There was but
thing TO be dOne-the arm WIS U DC put III sn"po
right there"
COuld
through what follows The author proceeds: placed
the dlscolored hand between my feet and tried to tug
the bone back TO its place. but flesh ana blood coud
not stand IT, All the strap OF my discarded canteen!
II was very long and broad and strong eather-lust
the thing. | gave it two fat turns about the wrist
and bucklcd il around cedar tree Beside the tree
was big s0uarish rock. Upon this mounted. facing
the tree set my heels upon the very edge clenchod my
teeth and ewes and fists and threw myself backward
very hard. The agony, lncomparably worse than the
first madc me faint: but when | recovered conscious
ness the arm was stight and the fracture apparently
set-as indeed il proved 10 be. ! cut some branches
held them between my teeth, trimmed them with tle
hunting knife and made rude splints. And then win
Shadow who had been tendery and tactfiilly sym
pathetic as a brother through 1t all. poddlng mourn
fuly at my side needless Of the rabbits, staggered
hack toward the railroad. All the torture Of that
walk! Cut and bruised from head to foot that agoz
Ing arm quverng the jar of every footstep' weak
With pain and loss of blood, with cold, wet feet
spping In the muddy snow-a thousand years could
not drown the memory OF that bitter 9th OF January
AZ the track he found old spike keg, and from
one OF the slaves he made good splints, which were
never taken of until the arm was well. The next
question was. should he go walking' lie thought
that lit would be shame TO give up the tramp
Already so rich in interest and experience, ana u
would be quite after all to keep walking ana
bear the pain and get whatever distraction might
as to 60 home by rail and then have the pain for
company The result WAS that he walked the re-
naming seven hundred miles to Los Angeles Win
the broken sung In bandanna. what ths
involved must be gathered from the narrative on one
occasion. having climbed the gorge OF the Colorado
and being the way down the cliff again. he sud'
denly found himself In q position were. to gain