Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-01-26

stone and jagged peaks rose before me. /
followed the canon round bend after bend.
sometimes the scsut stream Of water would
sink; again IL would trickle, q slender
thread, over slats and lime rocks i Was
several thousand feet above the desert.
close under the snowy back Of old San Ja-
cinto, and the night was growing cold.
The last sunlight had disappeared from
the eastern hills, and twilight would soon
fade from the detils. The pictur ssaueness
of the place forced itself upon me in spite
Of the trsbled gloom Of my outlook.
The end had come. 1t now appeared,
indeed, that had been wrongly informed
Directly before me was O wall of rock,
barrinr further progress. A few crevices
and opened seams made scant footing for
mountain sheep, and it was by their trail
had been led astray.
The moon, now nearly full, Was rising
over the hills, rejecting from the white
ridges and throwing black shadows into
the rsvine. / kindled q fire, tied my horse
near q few tufts of bunch grass, and dug
hole at the base of q rock 10 catch the
slowly flowing water. After gathering all
the wood and brush near by, and making
my horse As comfortable rs possible, /
spread my blankets on few juniper tWigs
and tried TO sleep.
The ory southern air was rapidly grow
ing colder, for heat rAdistes almost imme-
diAtely from tho barren soil, and gusts of
wind drove down showers of sand and
pebbles from the heights above. The fire
gave out about midnight; the moonlighted
air was intensely cold; frost was forming
on my blankets and l could hear il crack
ling in the sap of the Willows.
Sleep was impossible. When one side
Was likely TO freeze turned over on the
other. Once q huge owl few softly over,
clicking his sharp bill Once or twice /
fell into q miserable doze, and was Awak-
ened by my horse sporting in some sudden
fear, or by gusts of wind rAttling down
arAlAnehes of loosened rocks from the
cliffs. Again the terrified Enprting Of nv
dumb companion in misery, my poor faith
full Pedro, donbled the loneliness and de-
jection of the situation relieved my
mind At intervals, when nv momsntRry
doze WAS broken by the sound of steAlthy
footsteps near, by firing q shot in the d.
rcetion of the noise Silence again for q
time, but my unhappy horse Was evidently
apprehensive every moment. Miserable
even TO hOnesicEness, watched the slow
ly passing stars In whose glorious march
bad now no Joy, and no interest except
that which related 10 my escape from this
sad plight
The long night, doubly long with pain
of body and mind, at last gave way 20
dawn i climbed tall cliff, but could see
only the lonely desert rocks and soanty
cactus; no sign Of a ranch anywhere. /
hastily planned 10 retrAce my tracks 10
Palm Springs, giving up without one pRng
OF regret ihs eagerly projected journey
along the sea coast south ward But Ii Was
no easy matter 20 follow the circuituus
trail by which had come, and TO take q
direct line across hills and canuas ihrouph
aud hr1e1a s4B1yaraaFls11
Before starting ] shared q half loaf Of
bread with my hungry horse, who "a can
not ssy which after fBch q nights expert
ence and conpEuionshipD had Jared even
worse than ], with nothing but tough,
luioeless bunch-grRss, and nothing 10 sus-
tain his terrified mind. he seslpea ns nnx-
ions 20 get away as J. and broke into a lone
over every level stretch
The pwo deer had scared from their
resting place the night before were evs-
IDENTIFY old settlers for on rounding an An
gle saw them feeding In q Ast below.
Near by the sharp tracks Of wild sheep
were common
was anxious 10 get near view Of these
shaggy big horns, the most striking of
North American mammals. This WAS q
good opportunity, As their trseks were
fresh and they could MT leave the canon
without being seen ] had scarcely come
to the gulch where had descendsd from
the bluff when q Noise on the canon side
caught my ear. There they were, sir
splendid fellows, standing facing me with
their big horns heavily poised ON short,
hsavy-sei necks and shoulders. IL I had
bad a rife Of good range I could easily
have shot some of them, but IL would have
seemed a crime 90 harm the desert-dwell-
ers. As IL was i hedged them in some
what. for they could neither go up nor
down the canon without passing nearer to
me; so up the rugged clifs they sprAng,
zigzAg and ~ straight leaps, newer once
missing foothold-
! worked my way up on the bluA; there
had been bat little wind on this SIDE. and
/ followed my tracks better than I had
dared TO expect GlAncing back saw the
big horns on a knoll, smiling and tossing
their heads.
II was past noon when came out on
the hills overlooking the desert. Never
before had that forbi6ding basin appeared
90 lovely. A few clouds Aasted over the
mountains, shading it here and there;
white sunshine flooded the rest Away
off TO the northwest were the yellow cot
tonwoods and the white rsnch-houses
about the springs. My gaunt horse also
felt the inspiration Of the scene in his ways
pricked up his ears and increased his pace
Hours later ] sat under the bright cotton
woods in the delicious air of evening