Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-06-27
SAVED BY A BURRO'S FANCY

Mexican Burros as rule are sociable
creatures, and will keep together in a
herd or pack train so closely that you
nave hard work to separate one from
the rest. Sintago, the ore | am going
to tell you about, seemed no exception.
He was plain, everyday donk y, with
regulation ears, drab skin, and black
mark of the cross between his shout
ders. He had behaved SO we'll before
thvt 1t surprised us all when he gave us
the slip one day, and, what was worse,
took his pack load along with him. 1t
ooked like misfortune when it happened
but it proved good luck for me in the
end Sintago was in the burro train
which packed ore from the Buena Chin
chi mine, in Burro mountains, down to
Cavallo station on the wagon trail. But
none of us knew then that his first mas
tel had been a gambrusino, who had
draven him, packed with stolen ore, in
and out of these mountains SO many
times that Sintago knew all the trails
and short cuts as well a. the Apaches
did
"At the time / was trainmaster, in
charge of all freighting for the Buena
Cincha, and had started from the mine
with train of twenty burros loaded with
ore in sacks. At Cavallo station four
wagons were waiting for me to arrive.
There was to complete their loads with
the ore brought and 20 on with the
wagons to Silver City. This was in the
7o's, when the APaches were very
troublesome, for the Chiricahua rene
gades, the remnant of Cochise's band,
were hiding in the Sierra Madre, down
across the Mexican border, and they
raided up into New Mexico and Arizona
every little WHILE
eE1or ny train of twenty hnfrQr sere
were three Mexieasl packers s5s.s my
kerse iii advnaee - see tisat the way was
gclesr ahead One of the Mexicans came
next, heading the train, and the other
two brought up the rear where they
could watch the burros and their packs.
Sintago was in the middle of the train,
and he carried two sacks filled with
choice specimen ore to be shown in
helping through mine deal that was
on at Silver City. The wine owners and
the representatives of syndicate that
proposed to float onr stock were there
waiting for me.
"From the mine TO the station was a
long days trip. It was some time near
the middle of the afternoon when Sin
tago left the train, though nobody saw
him go. He managed the matter very
neatly. 1t was in a canyon at place
where the trail made sharp turn, so
that after passing it Sintago was out of
sight from the Mexicans behind for a
minute or two. He turned short off the
trail took five or six steps into the bushes
and stopped behind big rock The
Eurros behind him, following the sound
of the bell ahead. kept to he trail and
had closed up the gap before the two
Mexicans got round the turn They
did not notice that one was gone, and ii
was not until we got near he station, at
4 o'clock, that found out hat Sintago,
with the specimens, was missing.
"At the station the wagons were wait
ing. OF course could not go with them
and leave these specimens behind. 1t
took but Few minutes to load on the
ore sacks and start the wagons off. Then
/ went back on the mountain trail, tax
ing along with me Antonio Wales, one
of the packers, reliable man and good
trailer. had found a bronco for him
at the station, and rode my own horse.
The bronco would serve as a pack horse
If necessary to bring the ore out of the
mountains. We rode hot foot, and be-
fore darkness fell we had found where
the burro had turned off the trail and
waited behind the rock. We traced his
course up the mountains little distance
aud then went back to the canyon, found
grassy place where our horses could
feed, and, Picketing them, lay down to
sleep until morning.
with the first CLEAN of day we were
off up the mountain side None but an
experienced trailer could have followed
the tracks Of burro's unshod foot over
the rocks and hard earth of the noun.
in side, bnt Antonio managed to trace
them. But he didn't take much stock
In our finding Sintago--fnding him
alive, at least.
"'Los osas, los leones-they get him
first he SAL, Los Apaches mebbe.'
ain the course of an hour we came to
where the tracks turned off into an old
horse trail, and after that the burro's
course was easily followed. Two hours
later we came to a little valley where
slntago had stopped to Craze and then