The morning call., 1893-04-30

me hGd come unexpectedly upon n Jrfz-tY'
the general. who. as State Senator from
klamath and Trinity counties, was on his
way 10 Sacramento TO take his seat.
How far are you travelling stranger"
be inquired.
." TO salt water replied.
Going to the bay, Ell? Well, I'm bound
to Sacramento. Suppose we keep company
so far"
II was only too happy to have him for
travelling companion, and told him so can
didly.
ION starting we calculated to reach the
town of Red Bluffs and pass the next night
there; but when we came to Bill Lanes
place on the Cottonwood we found that
creek TO be raging torrent, out of its
banks and quite impossible So we called
halt till next morning. or till such time as
the freshet subsidized.
I'VE were not the only travellers. by a
hundred or more, in the same fix. Team
Sters, packers, miners, merchants, a few
tlnhOTn gamblers, couple of rowing print
eIs, always moving on like the Wan dering
J-w, and many others OF different Occupa-
TONS, were compelled to put up at Lanes
Ranch that night. The crowd was a mot
ley one, you may be assured, and would
have been a boisterous and unruly one
had not Lanes character for determination
Ct purpose been pretty well known. He
was the most popular chap in the country,
but at the same time would stand no nom
sense. a man had TO behave himself while
on his premises or take to the woods for
shelter, for when he told an ObstTeperOus
individual to leave he had 10 20, Tor the
landlord on the Cottonwood Eas a dead
shot, and at close quarters could handle a
QuarTels0me fellow as easily as he would
turn a quid OF tobacco In his mouth
There was another and q stronger cause
why belated wayfarers at The Ranch were
always on their good behavior. Mrs. Lane
was there. II a child IN the house is a we'll
spring Of pleasure, as some one says,
woman presence in the dwelling possessed,
in those days, an ineStimable charm. for
even the rOughest natives. So rare a sight
was it TO see one of the sex at out-Of-the-
that even though nature might not have
gifted her with beauty of face and graces
of person, she was still, in the
eyes of all. the most lovable object in
the universe to the average Californian.
But Mrs. Lane was handsome
woman. she was known as pretty Mrs.
Lane far and near. And, besides, she was
as amiable in disposition as she was beauti-
full in person. She had smile ana kind
word for all those who came TO the ranch.
Many time I've heard the toughest Chris
tan to be met in the mountains say he
would willingly travel twelve hours extra
just to get one glimpse of the handsome
iandlady of Lanes ranch. because she
brought TO him the image OF mother, sister
or sweetheart away back somewhere in the
old States, whom he longed to see, but was
prevented by adverse fortune.
For these two very good and sufficient
reasons, everything in and around the
ranch that night, notwith standing the mis-
cellaneous company gathered there, was as
orderly almost as a Quaker meeting"
Whats all this got to do with the grizzly
and Jim Denver's suTgerY?'
I'm comm to that You'll excuse me.
I'm gettin' along in life and l kinder git
little prosy, Pm afraid, when | talk of the
early California times. Early in the morn
ing The oX-teamsteTS, who had to turn their
cattle out over night to forage for them
selves on the hillsides, as there was no
other feed, started out to round 'em up. In
half an hour or so everybody had left his
blankets. Denver went down to the creek
TO see what the chances were for tording il.
Myself and others were hanging around
waiting for his report. when suddenly a
number of men entered tie house bearing
among them what appeared to be a human
body.
THE burden was laid on long table In
the barroOm and then | saw il was a body,
but in most terrible plight. The flesh bad
been elawed apparently off the ribs. both
ankles were badly torn, and altogether the
poor fellow looked as il he had been inter-
viewing a thrashing- One of the
party was dispatched Tor doctor two miles
distant. but before the medicO came on the
scene Denver had carefully washed and
cleansed all the wounds and neatly BAN
daged them, converting sheets and table
cloths TO that purpose. He needed power
OF bRndagine, that wounded man.
Just as Denver had finished up and laid
his patient out on a temporary bed, where
be breathed SO family that everybod
thought each breath would be his last, the
doctor came in, and, after looking over him,
turned and asked:
. Who has taken care Of this man?''
General Denver said one Of the party
Sir said the DOCTOR turning to the
general, you have done all l could have
accomplished. This man Is nearly as good
as dead He may have sufficient vitality TO
pull through. but doubt it
And away he went with his saddle
bags, the contents Of which were Of no USE
Before leaving, 10 continue our Journey,
which we did in an hour afterward, found
out from the other teamsters that the un-
fortunate fellow who had been so well
taken care Of by Denver, and who would
have died in an hour If IL bad Dot been for
his prompt attention, had mistaken, while
hunting for his oxen in the haziness Of the
early morning. an enBrmG Gas grizzly bear for
one Of his cattle, and literally walked into
bruins embrace, who treated his advances
in the manner have described. Why the
bear did not Kill the teamster outright in
Stead of mutiiatinG and then leaving bin.
J could never understand. 1t sounds like
tough story. doesn't it,"
Rather Munchausenish."
TITS true one. though. I'll go before