The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-12

II camped out?
| Years ago determined never to re.
/ sort to such an insane means of resting
myself.
But this summer I was drawn into it.
/ Bob said he wanted to take life easy,
! go-as-you-please, you know, and you
can't do it at the seashore. l went by
train and joined the party, going to the
Sierra Nevada mountains. The scenery
was so grand l did not regret letting
| Bob have his way.
There was everything to make us
| comforta Bile; an immense wagon loaded
with provisions and splendidly fitted up.
The first night, after q good supper,
we sat around huge pitch pine fire
telling yarns and anticipating the NOR
row. Then we should be over tho
range where the buffalo. elk and ante
lope were waiting to reward the saw
age instincts of our huntsmen And
the fish were SO obliging they would
jump twenty feet out of water to catch
our bait
The next morning we started for
over the pass, obliged to walk for
miles, but in the grand scenery we lost
all sense of tiredness.
About noon we reached the summit,
where we could see for hundreds of
miles around; Pixies Peak, Lincolns
Peak, and thousands of lesser peaks,
while beyond were the great plains
melting into the horizon.
We filed our souls with the glory of
the earth and sky, and then partook of
light lunch, saving our appetites for
the good supper in store, when we got
into camp on the other side.
! insisted upon riding in the wagon
as my feet were blistcred, but my eau
tious husband refused to let me mount.
He was sure something was going to
happen, as one of the horses had start
ed out in the morning and imped with
out any apparent cause, and it was an
unfailing sign of an accident before
night.
| am above humoring such supersti-
ton, but being warned that we were
approaching the worst road in the
range, with just enough room for the
wagon wheels between the mountain
and the precipice, concluded to wait
until that part was passed
In few minutes we heard a great
crash-a laundering noise which sound
ed as if the very mountains were up
heaving and rolling to the fathomless
abyss below. Then yell and a scream
We all rushed to the spot, and there
on the brink of the precipice stood the
four trembling mules attached to the
two front wheels of the wagon, and
the two pale ghosts of drivers up in the
top of a tall pine tree, hanging over
the chasm, where they had jumped
from the wagon when it went over. If
they had missed the tree they would
have been dashed to pieces on the
rocks below.
One Missouri driver cautiously came
Gown from his pcrilous perch, and sur
veying the wreck for moment said
in tremulous tones:
There lies all have. came from
Missouri to see the Rockies; | have
seen 'em. / 60 back to my own level
country to stay as long as God spares
my life"
The solemn and pathetic tone in
which the trembling creature delivered
himself of these sentiments struck the
ludicrous chord in all of us. and stimuli
taaeously we burst out into laugh,
which drowned the laundering noise
caused by the loosening and rolling OF
the great bow lders to the chasm below.
Our beautiful wagon. the pride of
our hearts was wreck. Fully five
hundred feet down the mountain sides
were literally covered with edibles.
Bread and butter and beans, ali sud-
denly sprouting upon the same tree
Sugar, onions. olives and potatoes all
rolling on and on fifteen hundred feet
below. emptying into the boiling, surg
ing mountain torrent Our clothes and
bedding followed on the mad race, TO
be stopped here and there by the tall
pines and lodged in the topmoss
boughs. Nai;ses were torn asunder
and the trees were decked out IN the
iEost fantastic manner It was certain.
ly a dress parade day In the Rockies.
One gown was spread out in tall
tree top. looking for all the world like
a negro woman dressed in an enormous
set of hoops Handkerchiefs, socks.
neckties, followed their own sweet VIII
in this decorative dance 10 destrrc-
ton
To make matters worse drilling
rain set in. We were fourteen miles
from the nearest habitation; all oar
possessions We're not in our possession.
but over the abyss