The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-07

- Esa-E- YOU NAV run
- on in h ese
,oleak and trackless mountains"
No, Jim. I'll take nothing but
light pick andsho and some grub,
] replied, passing out
Near the door were tied Our two deer
hounds, Zip and Keene, 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
felligent creatures, seeing that did not
carry gun, soon ceased to grumble.
IL 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 posses
sion. We could not think, however,
of prosecuting our usual work on the
Fourth; and Jim, not feeling like join
ing nee, / had decided to go off pros
pecting alone.
Don't lose yourself, old man. It's
mighty easy thing to do," he called
out, as walked away; while the
hounds gave me cheerful send-oH in
the shape of parting howl
We'll, no, Jim, I'm not quite SO
green as ali that But if 1'In not back
tonight maybe you'll look me up"
laughingly reioined; 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 inthesworh
Prospecting or, indeed, travelling on
foot at all in the heart OF the Rockies,
is exceedingly hard work, not only be-
cause of the physical obstacles, but
also from the unsatisfying nature of
the highly rare6ed air, of which one is
obliged to inhs1e vast quantities in
order to get oxygen enough to sustain
life. Hence, after four hours Of in
cessant toll, by VIII ich 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 a hearty din
ner from the bre ad and cold meat IN
nv haversac}z, scaled the heights to
NV right, determined to find my way
homo by another route. Twas easier
said than done, for, on descending tho
ridge, came into an utterly strange
neighborhood, and shortly found my
self wandering in a wild labyrinth Of
intricate bowlder-strewn gullies and
frowningprecipices, from which extri-
sation seemed hopeless, as every at
tempt to travel In a direct line only
tended toS confuse me moro and more.
For twothours, spent in desperate ex-
ertion, 1 tried vainly to thread the
mazes, and finally had to confess that l
was lost Then I thought to retrace
my steps to the old trail and take
fresh start, but this, too, found impos-
sible- I had, someh ovv. got complete
ly turned round" and, despite all
reasoning to the contrary, could not
convince myself that the sun, of which
caught occasional gGmpses, was in the
right place.
''Pshaw, I'll get out all rightF' said
aloud, as il 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 OF of
where l now was L had not the least
Idea Two things, however, l did
knows 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
Eeep shadows of the lofty peaks were
all around me, and N apothe T hour the
gloomy solitude would be wrapped in
darkness The night, too, at that alti-
tude, would be uupleasantly cold l
must prepare for it IL time.
had come to a little valley hedged
IN by great pieces of detached rock,
md there were numerous gnarled
roots, dry, broken limbs and other
available fuel scattered around. De-
aermining to go no further, l com
nenced to gather heap of these, in
sending to keep up a big fire until
morning l picked up one armful Of
mail stuff and then stepped across to
attack specially dense pile which lay
Hose against the base of an overhang-
ng Cliff. Selling hold of protruding
tick, ! gave a strong pull and brought
Town the whole mass.
Then | saw behind the rubbish was
he mouth of rough, shallow cave;
and, curious to see what ii contained,
very foolishly stopped down and went
b.
At first / could distinguish nothing;
but when NV eyes became accustomed
10 the dim light l saw, huddled up IN
ene corner and quite motionless, two
turry-Iooking objects about the size OF
faccoons; 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 1 had seen them, they
punched up for fight, but picked up
sne, and, in spite Of its furious strug-
slcs and pig-lille cries, carried it out Of
the cave.
Holding II between my knees, with a
torepaw in each hand, while the claws
81 il. hindfeet were vigorously digging
Etmy boot tops, was msnutSSs exam
nc it. when l heard a noise as 9 flying
Kravel and, looking up, saw t. -~other
SDDeI.t.CS Cut, ITS . 3 Buns.
&kEESf -, Scaaas, ISlo2s,