Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-28

an exorbitnnt amount OF money. We
started on, At night we slept In foul
Indian tepcos, whom we could lind
thcm, When We could not we dug holes
IN the snow aud wrapped our blankets
tightly around us. / soon learned that
the latter method was preferable and
always followed IL. our progress was
slow, and we were eight days In arriv-
ing at our destination, There we found
n few white people, who, like ourselves,
were willing TO risk lives In the effort TO
be the FIRST to reach tho unknown El
Dorado. | there discovered that no
man dare 20 into the mountains until
after the snow had melted some aud
the great snOwsliles dlslodged them
selves and came laundering down into
the valleys II was not until May /
that | felt 1t To be safe for me to start
ON my long tramp alone. My pack OF
provisions and tools, Weighing sixty
pounds, consisted Of oatmeal bacon.
salt, sugar, coffee, tobacco. a bottle OF
matches, compass, microscope, pole,
axe blankets and hatchct carried
no fire arm as a rifle | thought too
heavy and q revolver OF little use
against the only animals TO be feared
the grizzly bear and mountain lion.
For eighteen days | slowly climbed my
way back into the range, a task beyond
my strength but for the prize that ever
seemed before me, urging me on when
my burden seemed greater than | could
bear, and tightening my heavy, drag
ging feet,
uwoke one morning, and looking
closely, thought l could distinguish n
well defined ledge in the wall Of the
canyon opposite, which might be min
eral bearing, I left my pack OF provis-
Ions where | had slept, Intending to
return to the same spot by night. In
my haste TO reach the supposed ledge
neglected TO look Mt my compass, and
the sun, that faithful guide for the
woodsmun, was behind the great peaks
OF the mountains. ! found the ledge
was one Of bastard quartz and worth
less, and started back, but soon found
that I was hopelessly lost, and almost
twenty days away from food. The loss
OF my blankets was also a very serious
matter, as the temperature dropped low
enough TO cause Ice to form each night
had with me two artificial trout HES.
and after much effort was able To- SCI
cure two small mountain trout, which
baked over the Goals Of my camp
| IRE / moved on rapidly down the val
| ley, and for two days was entirely
/ without food, The night OF the second
| day | killed species Of grouse called
a tool-hen. by hitting Il with stone
| MS Il slept. For the next four days
| had absolutely no food except a few
berries, which seemed only to increase
\ my. hunger. / was growing very weak
| and discouraged when my eyes liNhted
on a game trail which could not 10 mis-
] taken. | followed It closely, and after
nm hours Journey found It ended at q
| small salt-licls. | can now understand
the great liking animals have for salt.
l had been without It for but neck.
ana yet my whole system seemed TO
crave IT, / slept this night close 10 the
llck, and was awakened by the deem
growls Of two large animals. The
moon was shining. and as one OF Tho
animals bounded where its RAYS Toll
upon Il stopped breathing. II was a
mountain Hon, and not thirty foot from
me, had had but little experience
with Wild animals, but felt certain that
my hour was come. The breeze was
gently blowing. and Its direction was
from the panther toward me, and after
a few moments they moved on moi
having discovered rae. The FOLLOWING
day l caught q few small trout, but I
was weakening rapidly. and knew INV