The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-03-29
A MEXICAN ADVENTURE.
Story OF an Encounter with q
Gentlemsnly Bandit.


this number is surely to be reckoned
the reason why certain New York
mining company, which several years
ago secured rich gold prospects in the
foothills of the Sierra Madres, in the
state of Durango, Mexico, suddenly
discontinued their active plans to de-
velop those prospects, and after lapse
of about year as suddenly resumed
operations. There was, at the time, a
mystery about this fickleness of pro-
cedure which baffied the assayist who
assayed the samples from the prospects
and found them to be of remarkable
richness; and when, after this interval
of year, the mines were fully de-
veloped and operated with immense
profit, the general mining public was at
a loss to understand just why this in
terim of inactivity had been allowed to
elapse. Certainly it was not for lack
of capital, for the company had mil
lions at it's command, nor was it from
any desire to speculate, for it resolute-
ly refused the most tempting offers for
its prospects
Not long since, at his solitary camp
fire in the Black hills, l spent night
in company with the mining engineer
who had been sent to Mexico in charge
of the initiatory operations for this
New York company.
He was habitually as uncommunica-
tive as a chunk of quartz, but l had
overtaken him when his supply of to-
bacco had been out for the space of a
day, and was fortunately able to sup
~ -. 90,
his lips were unsealed, and as he puffed
the soothing leaf he related the history
of his apparently futile Mexican ex-
pedition, which give. as nearly as may
be. in his own words:
"My first business, after arriving in
Mexico, was to secure competent
guide and servant and animals, pro-
ceed to the prospects, secure extensive
specimens Of the mineral, and forward
them, along with my report, to the
company at New York. If my findings
were favorable. was promised that
the word would be speedily sent back
to push extensive developments, of
which was to have full charge
II was fortunate enough to secure as
guide a gruff, hardy old chap, who
went by the name of Sassy Sam AL
most his whole life had been spent on
the plains as United States govern
ment scout.
1--WE made the journey to the pros
poets without accident or incident
worth mentioning. The prospects
were far more flattering than l had an
ticipated, and we started back to the
outskirts of civilization with pockets
and pack saddles full of fine speci-
mems.
Just before crossing the Sierra de La
Candida range my horse stumbled on
sharp stone and bruised itself suf-
ficiently to cause a severe lameness.
This nccessitated my walking much
of the wny over the range, which was
rough anu precipitous. Whenever was
compelle,l to dismount in order. to spell
my disabled horse Sassy Sam followed
suit and kept me company on foot
''We had scaled the ridge of the range
and were beginning to descend the
homeward side of the decline, having
fallen probably about a mile behind the
mounted Mexican servants.
''Our rifles were balanced over the
knobs of our saddles, and we were
plodding along in silence, drinking in
the magnificent view of scenery which
stretched away on every hand, when
nation of surprise
Il glanced up in time to see a couple
of uniformed Mexicans step into the
trail few rods in front of us, and
cover us with their rifles.
''Their uniforms at once suggested to
me {. hopeful possibility. We're they
not the revenue patrols of the Mexican
government, who suspected us of being
smugglers?
Il whispered in English my hopes to
Sam, but he shook his head with
hang-dog, defeated air, and sententious-
ly replied:
They're Contreres' men. He's the
biggest bandit in the range. But I've
a powerful notion to try fling at 'em.
I'd ruther be shot in an uneven fight
than to be stripped, tied to a tree and
left to be chawed up piece-meal by
mountain lions and coyotes
HE was on the point of opening a
spirited conversation with the 'Greas-
ers,' in verification of his nickname,
when l summarily silenced him, and
asked him to remain passive and trust
to me to see ourselves out of the scrape
by stratagem-of what sort I had not
the slightest idea.
However, as our interceptors, keep
ing us under cover of their carbines,
conducted us down the trail, l still
cherished the hope that Sassy Sam
was in error, and that we were in the
hands of government agents instead of
Contreres, the bandit.
''But sharp turn in the trail, which
brought us in view of a ravine below,
speedily dispelled that illusion. for
there were our Mexican servants, 4
stripped to the skin, while their cloth
ing was being rummaged by group of
highw aymen:
'Tn marching the intervening dis
tance did more double-distilled think
ing than had done in the whole jour-
ney before-.I might say in my whole
life-but to no avail; for, think as
might, all plausible plans Of escape
eluded me with fatal perversity. and
as wa were marched mn IN the proup ~