Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-02
DOWN IN LOWER CALIFORNIA.
Young ScOtchman's Adventures I'm
That wild Region.

Tnat Wild Region.
From the San Francisco Examiner.
Among the arrivals at the Palace Hotel
the other evening was a sun-tanned young
man who wrote J. A r. Milne on the reg
lister.
Give me one Of the best rooms in the
house." said the newcomer, land see that
there are plenty Of good sheets and soft
pillows on the bed"
Mr.. Milne subsequently explained why he
was so particular to have things nice. 1T
is simply to get all the good out of COM
Portable living for the little time / have to
enjoy IT. 1 don't mean that / am going
to commit suicide or that / am on my last
legs In any way whatever. but have been
nVing Tor five years half way down the
Lower California peninsula in Mexico and
time"
This young Scotchman went down into
the district of which the old Mission san
SorJas used to center. representing a
scotch syndicate in an agricultural venture
Since then he has been placer mining and
prospecting.
Il give you my word" said Mr.. Milne,
that from the time left civilized regions,
a man. woman or child who could speak
61t I knew k no Spanish when went
this S~ssT IN OH nd S SCat knoS said
you would call it adventurous to lie awake
all night with gun in your hand, afraid
to go asleep lest a desert lion should take a
notion to call on you, but the only real ad-
venture have had was connected with
the skin OF wildcat I have up In my room
now. The skin was on the back Of a real
live cat at one time and the way came by
IL was this:
81 had knocked over a deer one day ana
had strung up a piece Of it between two
trees on my lariat. 1 curled up in my blan-
ket Just q few feet away and prepared for
sleep down there with a carbine handy
ana with knife stuck In the sand close by
'It was lucky for me that had my knife
handy on this occasion, for along in the
night felt a weight fall on me. then a
sharp claw stuck In my shoulder, a great
and growls and snarls came with the hot
breath Of q wildcat
Il MANAGED to get left-hand clutch on
right hand soon settled the case But i
was scratched and torn pretty badly and
was badly scared In the bargain. I sup
haunch Of venison. taking a midnight
luncheon, when his attention was attracted
to me. ! presume ! must have moved un-
jumped from the venison TO the man, and
IL was lucky for me that / had the knife
at hand. or my skin might have been dried
then In the wilderness instead of my hav-
a friend"
Mr.. Milne says such incidents as these dc
not, however, make outdoor life unbeara.
bic. He processes a sincere pity for men
who live where they have to buy all theil
pleasure. He intends to return to Mexico
as soon as he makes a short visit TO Scot.
land. He relates another experience which
tends to the belief that what is bred in the
bandits bone must come out In one way oil
another.
81 picked up in a canoe in the Gulf O,
California one day." said Mr.. Milne. IAN old
Mexican Indian who was sick and hall
starved. i took him to the camp and
nursed him and made him strong again
That old fellow stuck by me for thPes
years. We passed through many hard.
ships together. and he proved himself TO b,
my friend in more ways than one. You
would have thought he would never dream
of harming me. yet know IL to be a fac
he followed along with the intention OF
killing and robbing me.
Il said goodbye to him at the Mission
San Bortas, but he seemed determined no,
to let me get out of his sight. You see he had
been born a bandit and he felt IL his duty
to prevent my leaving the country witt
what treasure i had collected Another
fellow to travel with me as q guard. Bu'
my old bandit friend rode within sight Of
US for q hundred miles His rifle was AWAY,
on his pommel, and I had to keep min,
handy as well, for II he had caught m,
companion and myself both OF guard there
Is no telling what might have happened
when we got near the town where the
chase. / suppose when I go back there hs
Will be my best friend again, but shall try
not to let him find out when intend leay.
Ing the country next time"