Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-05-17
The Story Tellrr.
THE DEVILS BACKBONE.
A Thrilling Story of the Sierra Ne
yadaS.

vadas.
All who have travelled the old i'm
migrant road crossing the Sierra Ne
yadas at the point where the main
chain is intersectel by the "divide" of
the Costumes and Mokelumne rivers,
will probably remember spot known
as "The Devils Backbone" some % or
80 miles from the summit.
"Here the "divide" is so narrow for
distance of 300 yards or more, owing
to the heading of two large gulches al
most Immediately opposite each other,
that the road which passes along it
will admit of but one wagon at time,
and in wet weather, when the earth
is soft and slippery, no little care is re-
quired to guide vehicle in safety over
the perilous way. A portion of the
Backbone" is scarcely - feet in width
and so suddenly precipitous are the
rocky gulches on either side, that it
resembles an arch thrown by some
giant power across an almost fathom-
less abyss, and the eye recoils in gaz-
ing into the gloomy depths, above
which it seems to hang suspended.
The rolling of a stone, the sudden
fright of an animal, or any similar
mishap that might veer wagon half
rod to the right or left, would hurl it
down a declivity that might as we'll be
bottomless for all that would be saved
of whatever was started down the de-
scent.
AS may be supposed, the scenery in
the neighborhood Of the Backbone is
wild, grand and rugged. On all sides
are seen ragged hills and gloomy gulch-
es, covered with chapparel and plum
ed with giant frs and cedars, and the
narrow ridge seems hut an observatory
from which to view the picture-one
of the most impressive of Natures ef-
forts. Travelled only by immigrants,
the road, during most of the year, re-
mains untrodden by the foot of man,
and the grizzly rears it's young in the
thicket beside it, and the deer rests
undisturbed in its grass-grown track.
Approaching the Backbone" from
the east, the road passes along the base
of large rock on the left, probably $50
feet in diameter and so feet in height,
and then turning sharply to the right,
is lost sight of in a descent Of Is or 20
feet. The rock is a black, ragged, sus-
picious-lookipg mass, full of cracks
and shallow openings on the side fac
ing the road, while the opposite ex-
tends to the verge, and forms por-
ton of precipice overlooking chasm
500 feet in depth. A few stunted ce-
dars cling to the sides and fringe the
summit, and to one of the clumps of
sickly shrubbery-the only sign OF
vegetation visible on the side facing
the gulf-we call the attention of the
reader. 1t covers the mouth OF
cleft-like cave eight or nine feet in
depth, and perhaps q never measured
it except with my eye) four feet in
height, which is reached by narrow
little path running round the side OF
the rock, and the formation OF both
shows that the crowbar in the hands
of some one who knew how to WELD it,
completed what nature had left but
half finished.
Many years ago, about the beginning
of September, a man sat in the open
ing of that cave, gazing upon the sun
as it peeped through the trees Of the
mountains beyond, and poured its ear
liest smile into the dark and gloomy
chasm below. He was perhaps 80
years of age, and his face was
unshorn, and his hair hung IN
heavy, neglected masses over his
shoulders. He was clad in suit of
buckskin, and as he sat there with a
small fire smoking beside him, his
trusty rife leaning against his knee,
and his brow barred to the first kiss of
the morning, what a picture for the
painter did he present !! But the ar
tist that morning, would have failed to
catch the expression of the face of that
lonely hunter, so rapidly did it change,
as the crowds of passion swept across
the heart, shutting out its light, then
passing away and leaving full flood
and warm glow upon the countenance.
The sun had just mounted the tops
of the tall pines, when the hunter
started to his feet, as though struggling
with some emotion, and grasping the
rifle, placed his hand to his ear and
breathlessly listened.
"Pshaw j" exclaimed he after mo-
ment, putting his hand to his breast;
"my heart beats like partridge's tat
too, and can hear nothing but its
thro obbings. But it is time for them to be
moving, and after watching for weeks,
I must not fail for the want of care
now" With this, he sprang along the
path, and was soon secreted in posi-
tion afording him full view of the
road.
Whom did he he expect? Go back
with me few months, reader, and |
will explain. Early in the spring of
1S49 party of 10 young men started
overland for California from a small
village in the East. Two Of their
number-Charles Collins and Henry
Pritchard-left under peculiar circum-
stances, which were known, however,