The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-12-15

NO. jim. Ill take nOtnlnR out a
light pick and shovel and some grub"
replied, passing out.
Near the door were tied our two deer
hounds, Zip and Keenc. and, as
stopped to pat their heads, both begged
piteously, in dog fashion, TO be taken
along.
mo, no, old boys, no hunting to-
day" said, soothingly. And the in
telligent creatures, seeing that did not
carry gun, soon ceased to grumble.
1t was the 4th of July, 1869. We
had been for some time engaged in
silver mining near Argentine Gulch,
Col, and were living in a stout log hut,
of which, in the absence of other claim
ants, we had taken peaceable possess
sion. We could not think, however,
of prosecuting our usual work on the
Fourth; and Jim, not feeling like join
ing me, had decided to go off pros
pecting alone.
Don't lose yourself, old man. It's a
mighty easy thing to do he called
out, as l walked away; while the
hounds gave me cheerful sendoff in
the shape of a parting howl.
''Well, no, Jim, I'm not quite so
green as all that. But if I'm not back
tonight maybe you'll look me up" /
laughingly rejoined; the point of the
joke lying in the fact that was an old
mountaineer and Jim a comparative
tenderfoot, though one of the best fell
lows in the world.
Prospecting or, indeed, travelling on
Ill -, a. Il
is exceedingly hard work, not only be-
cause of the physical obstacles, but
also from the unsatisfying nature of
the highly rarefied air, of which one is
obliged to inhale vast quantities in
order to get oxygen enough to sustain
life. Hence, after four hours of in
cessant toll, by whic time l had got
above timber line, l was glad to sit
down by little spring to rest.
So far, though making many tests,
had found no indications of paying
''lead;" but was not going to give up
hope, and, after making hearty din
ner from the bre ad and cold meat in
my haversack, scaled the heights to
my right, determined TO find my way
home by another route. Twas easier
SAID than done, for, on descending the
ridge, l came into an utterly strange
neighborhood, and shortly found my
self wandering in wild labyrinth of
intricate bowlder-strewn gullies and
browning precipices, from which extri-
cation. seemed hopeless as every at
tempt to travel in direct line only
tended to confuse me more and more
For two hours, spent in desperate ex-
ertion, tried vainly to thread the
mazes, and finally had to confess that
was lost Then l thought to retrace
my steps to the old trail and take a
fresh start, but this, too, found impos-
sible. l had, somehow, got complete
ly turned round;" and, despite all
reasoning to the contrary, could not
convince myself that the sun, of which
caught occasional glimpses, was in the
right place.
"Pshaw, I'll get out all right" said
aloud, as if arguing the point with a
companion, but can do it this after
noon? If not Jim will have the laugh
on me, and can't stand that"
At last, twisting and turning. plung-
ing. climbing and scrambling into.
around and over ravines and rocks,
managed to get down to UNDERLINE
again, but of how far had come or of
where l now was had not the least
idea. Two things, however, did
know: That the shades of evening
were coming on and that my chance of
reaching camp that night was hardly
worth reckoning.
No glimpse of sunlight now. The
deep shadows of the lofty peaks were
all around me- and IN another hour the
gloomy solitude would be wrapped in
darkness. The night, too, at that alti-
tude, would be unpleasantly cold. /
must prepare for it in time.
had come to little valley hedged
in by great pieces of detached rock,
and there were numerous gnarled
roots, dry, broken limbs and other
available fuel scattered around. De-
termining to go no further, / com
menced to gather heap of these, in
tending to keep up big fire until
morning. | picked up one armful of
small stuff and then stepped across to
attack a specially dense pile which lay
close against the base of an overhang-
ing cliff. Selling hold of protruding
stick, gave a strong pull and brought
down the whole mass.
Then | saw behind the rubbish was
the mouth of rough, shallow cave;
and. curious to see what it contained,
! very foolishly stopped down and went
in.
At first ! could distinguish nothing;
but when my eyes became accustomed
TO the dim light ! saw. huddled up in
one corner and quite motionless, two
furry-looking objects about the size of
raccoons; and, on going closer, found
that they were neither more or less
than grizzly bear cubs.
So soon as the little creatures were
convinced that ! had seen them, they
punched up for a fight. but picked up
one, and, in spite of its furious strug-
giles and pig-like cries, carried it out of
the cave.
Holding it between my knees, with a
torepaw in each hand, while the claws
Of its hindfeet were vigorously digging