The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-07-21

never went back to the place. but
want to leave the gold to the church.
took the map. then wrote down the
directions, and to prove his story he
told me where he had buried the men.
and made me promise to erect cross
over them.
"'Well,' continued the senior. after
short pause. the man died, and few
days later l started for the Sierras
across the desert found the place
where the bodies were, as it was near
water. didn't waste much time there,
but pushed on, and in three days, as
near as could reckon, was somewhere
near the spot The map called for sew
eral mountains to be in a line, then the
mouth of a canyon, marked by a big
sycamore; and there were other direc-
tions- My friend, to make long
story short, I'm hunting that placer yet,
and if there is one, from Mojave to
Warmers ranch, that don't know I'd
like to see it That was forty years
ago. and I've made up my mind that
the man was mad. That he had killed
the men there could be little doubt,
but the placer must have been in his
imagination. But here is my shanty.
I'll show You the map
1.-THE shanty was a rough board af-
fair set back against the mountain, and
SO partook of it's general color that it
might have been passed unnoticed by
the stroller up the arroyo had it not
been for the score or more of white
beehives scattered over the space in
front of it, from which rose an ominous
humming. The shanty contained but
two rooms, one q kitchen, the other
library. The sleeping room was out OF
doors when it did not rain. The books
were few, but to the point, their selec-
ton telling of man of taste; and con-
spicuously hung on the wall, in an old
lookingglass frame, was the gold seek
er's map.
"'You can have half the output il
you can find the placer said the own
err of the map.
1.-The map was on piece of sheep
skin, carefully drawn in what had been
red ink. and bore the appearance OF
having been made in good faith.
"'No. l don't get lonely here said
the old man in reply to my question;
there is plenty of company of de-
cided variety. l generally sleep out
yonder in hammock swung between
two trees. l like plenty of air, and
one night awoke, as ono will some.
times, feeling that some one is around.
| kept perfe city still, and soon heard
step as soft rs cat could make, then
another. and then two fiery eyes looked
into mine. My rifle was in the house.
so l waited The animal soon turned
and walked off, and few moments
later heard rush, then scream in
the corral. ran for my rifle, and got
back in time to hear something leap
into the. bush. / found my burro
badly wounded, his side cut and torn,
but believe to this day that he kicked
the mountain lion over the fence; he
was equal to it We trailed the lion
the next day, but lost it up the canyon.
bears frequently come down and
try conclusions with the bees One
night, hearing a loud noise, / went out,
rifle in hand, and there stood big
grizzly not ten feet away. in the moon
light, looking twice rs big as he was
He had beehive under one arm, and
was brushing bees off with the other.
The moment he saw me he began to
growl, and l wasted no time, but let
him have it just where thought the
heart was. lie dropped on all tours and
made off, and fred several times And
to show the tenacity of bear life under
difficulties, we found the animal the
next day five hundred yards away up
the side of the canyon dead, with ball
through his heart. have known them
to go even further with the heart blown
to pieces
''Senor Sebastian was type OF men
who live in the hooks and corners of
the great range. There are several liv-
ing the lives of hermits, some of high
education, who have filed places of
honor in the world at times. All have
a story. Something occurred in their
lives to drive them away from their fell
low men.
THE abodes of these hermits are be-
coming known to the public, and mod
ern science and engineering will soon
throw open all the hooks and corners
of tho great range."-N. Y. Sun.