The morning call., 1892-05-08

but we soon found the whole force blowing
ahead through the dense brush and over
fallen timber on double quick
Then we heard low, heavy thunder IN the
heavens. Were they running away from a
thunderstorm? The English artists, who
had been doing India and had come to love
the indolent patience and obedience OIL the
black people, tried to call halt No use.
l shouted to the Indians In their own
tongue. "TOhadul Ki-sal kiu (Hasten
onI Quick Quick D' was all the answer
/ could get from the red, hot face that
was thrown for a moment back over
the load and shoulder. SO We shot for@ ard.
In fact, the horses now refused ali regard
for the bit and made their own way through
the brush with W0ndrous skill and speed.
We were flying from fire, not t1oodl
Pitiful, what g few years CT neglect
will do toward destroying forest!
When a lad / had RalOped my horse In
security and comfort all through this region.
It was ike a park then. Now it was dense
tangle of underground and mass Of fallen
timber. What a feast for flames! In one
of the very old books on America ID the Brit
Ish Museum-p0ssiby the very Oldest on the
subject-the author tells OF the parkllke
appearance of the American forests. lie
tells his English friends that 1t is most COM
Portable to ride to the hounds, since the In
dian squats (squaws9 do set IRE to the
brush and leaves every spring, etc.
But the "sQuats" have long since dsap-
peared from the forests of Mount Shasta;
and here we were tumbling over and tear
ing through ten years or more OF aceumu-
IatIon of logs, brush, leaves and weeds and
grass. that lay waiting for sea Of fire to
roll over all Ike mass OF lava.
And now the wind blew past and over
Hs. Bits of white ashes sifted down like
snow. At last the sea OF ire was coming;
coming right on after usl Still there was
no sign, no sound: nothing at all except
the trained sense of the Indians and the
terror of the "cattle"-this is what the
Englishmen called our horses-to give US
warning.
In a short time we struck an arroyo or
canyon that was nearly free Of brush and
led steeply down to the cool, deep waters OF
the McCloud River. Here We found the
Indians had thrown their loads and them-
selves on the ground.
They got up In sulky silence, and, strip
ping our horses, turned them loose; and
then, taking our saddles, they led US hastily
ND out of the narrow mouth Of the arroyo
under little steep stone bluff.
They did not say word or make any
sign, and we were all too breathless TO either
question or protest. The sky was black.
and thunder made the woods trembie. We
were hardly done wiping the blood and per-
spiration from our torn hands and faces
wherc we sat when the mule Jerked up his
head. shifted. snorted and then plunged
headlOng into the river and struck out for
the deep forest on the farther bank, fol-
lowed by the ponies.
The mule Is the most tTaduced of all ami
mails. A single mule has more sense than a
whole stableful of horses. You can handle
a mule easily if the barn is burning; be
keeps his head. But horse is insane. he
will rush right into the fire II allowed to
and you can only handle him, and then with
difficulty If he shifts the fire, by blindfold-
Ing bin. Trust mule in case OF peril or a
panic long before horse. The brother Of
Solo had Of q rroo
temple builders discernment. for we read
that he rode mule.
AS We turned our eyes from seeing the
animals safely over, there through the will
lows Of the canyon, and over the edge of the
water, we saw peering and pointing toward
the other side dozens Of long black and
brown Outreaehing noses. Elkl
They had come nolselessly. They stood
motioness. They did not look back or
aside. only straight ahead. We could almost
have touched the nearest one. They were
large aud fat-almost as large as cows; GER
tainly larger than the ordinary Jersey. The
peculiar thing about them was the way,
the level way, In which they held
their small, long heads - straight out;
the huge horns of the males lying
far back on their shoulders. And then for
the first time could make out what these
horns are for-to part the brush with as
they lead through the thicket and thus
save their coarse coats OF hair, which is
very rotten, and could be torn off in little
time If not thus protected. They are never
used to fight with-neyer; the elk uses
only his feet. If on the defense, however,
the male elk will throw his nose close to
the ground and receive the enemy on his
horns.
Suddenly and all together, and perhaps
they had only paused a second. they
moved on into the water, led by bull with
head OK horns like arocking-chair. And
his rOckng-ehair rocked his head under
water much of the time. The cold, swift
water soon broke the lne only the leader
making the bank directly before US, while
the others dTlfted far down and out OF sight.
Our artists meantime had dug up pencil
and book and begun work. But an Indian
kicked the saddles on which the English
men sat aside. and the work was stopped.
Everything was now packed UP close under
the steep little ledge Of rocks. An avalanche
of smaller wild animals, mostly deer, was
upon US. Many OF these had their tongues
hanging from their half-opened mouths.
They did not attempt to drink. as you
would suppose, but slid into the
the water silently almost as soon as they
came Surely they must have seen US; but
certainly they took no notice OF US. And
such orderi No crushing or crewding, as
you see cattle In eorrals-aye, as you see
people sometimes Ia the cars. Rabbits,
rats, squirrelsi None Of these smaller
creatures attempted to cross, butcrept along
20 the willows and brush close to the
water.
They loaded down the willows till they
bent into the water and the terrified little
creatures fIOated away without the least BIT
of noise or confusion. And still the black
skies and the solemn boom OF thunder. 10