The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-01

James Seaton, young Englishman, who
had tried the experiment OF making altar
of roses in Santa Barbara County and
failed, found himself, one day in August,
benighted in deep gorge OF Santa Lucia
Mountains. He had been invited by an
old-time friend of his to pass few weeks
with him on his place on the San Miguelito
ranch, large tract of land well known in
the southern part Of Monterey County.
He had hired horse at Kings City and
had started early in the morning on his
journey. But the animal was not OF that
tough race of mustangs which can travel
all day without fatigue and which rarely
ever break down; so that the first shad-
ows of night found Seaton in q wild and
partially settled country, without any din
ner or prospect of getting one, without
blankets, with a sluggish, exhausted horse,
and feeling decidedly uncomfortable about
the results of this adventure.
He had concluded to dismount and
camp all night by small brook that
crossed the road. He bad hunting knife
and pistol strapped around his waist, and
he thought that with the aid OF good fire
and his saddle-cloth he could pass the
night, if not in comfort at least in rest and
security. 1t was then almost completely
dark, SO he hurried to find convenient
spot to ride from the highway into the lit
tie canyon. As he parted the underbrush
he perceived, to his establishment, roll of
blankets carefully hidden under some
manzanita bushes. Congratulating him
self upon his luck, he seized the blankets,
walked up the creek little bit, and select
ing a convenient camping place picketed
his horse out with RATA, without which
no horseman's outfit in the southern
country is considered complete. He was
about cutting some brambles to start fire
when the clatter of horses hoofs on the
road made him pause. knowing, too, this
worthless halfbreeds and native Califor-
mans who lived by horse-stealing and rob-
berry of every description, he determined to
he cautious. It was too dark to see the
number or the personale Of the strangers,
but when they halted Just where he had
made his entry into the canyon, Seaton
quietly but rapidly crept away from the
Immediate neighborrhood OF the ST. stream.
are the blankets?)
"By the holy smoke" said Seaton to
himself, 81 have taken those fellows
blankets and | don't like to hear the Span
ish tongue at this hour OF night and in this
part of the country"
One of the party lit match and by its
brief light Seaton could distinguish that
they were three in number. Had they been
Americans he would have welcomed their
advent as companions of the night who
| would most probably have provisions and
something to drink with them. But there
was no mistaking the patois: he knew
| them for halfbreeds and as such the
| chances were ten to one that they were
desperadoes of the worst type. 1t was stand
| off all three with his pistol, and as men OF
that stripe were handler with their weap-
| ons than he was, he considered the advisa-
bility of beating an immediate retreat.
How to escape from the tangle without
| being seen was a difficult problem. Ii they
| were bent upon camping by the creek all
his doubts on this matter were quickly re-
| moved, for the men came crashing through
the brush, but, fortunately for him, on the
opposite bank.
In few minutes they had blazing
campfire started, but were so intent upon
gathering the wood that the whlnny OF
Seaton's horse was not distinguished by
them. He was picketed just outside the
radius of the blaze and was so tired out
that he lay down Immediately in the long