Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-06-27
San f rancisco.

Hdu started on. Inc trail wound among
the mountains, making many crooks
and turns, but could see that It's gen
eral course was easterly. 1t was a reg
ged road to travel, and we were not In
a mood TO enjoy the fine landscape
views. Sometimes 1t skirted the brink
of steep precipices and again would lie
along some grassy upland valley. II
was at one of these that Antonio, who
rode ahead, pulled rein and motioned
for me to come up. There in the moist
earth was the track Of grizzly bear fol
lowing the burro. Antonio shook his
head.
"That fellow get Sintago," he said
ave get the pack, mebbe, But the bur.
70 he cat ul' by this time"
"The bears track kept on with Sin.
lagos, and at the next valley, at green,
moist spot, new track appeared above
the bears, the big, round footprints of
an immense mountain lion which had
crossed the low marshy place in long
bounds. Things certainly looked bad
for Sintago, but Antonio said
"They have big fight, those fellows,
bout Sintago. Both want to eat him
same time-one get licked-mebbe they
fight before they ketch him."
"The three tracks kept on together
for halt mile or so, and then, where
the path followed the shelf of rock
round the side Of precipice, we came
to the place where the mountain lion
has overtaken the grizzly There had
been fight and no mistake. There was
blood and hair and other marks of a
fierce struggle, showing that business
had begun shortly after they got to-
gether But neither bear nor lion was
to be seen, and we could find no traces
of either leading from the pla.e,
although we searched for them forward
and back along the trail Antonio went
to the edge of the precipice, which fell
sheer for full 200 feet. He sIeadied him
self by scrub oak tree that grew out
from the brink and looked down.
"ffhere they bee, both those fellows
he said. They tumble off, and both get
killed
"Antonio stepped back to give me
chance to see, and with him holding me
fast by my belt clutched the tree trunk
and looked down the dizzy depth. At
the foot of the cliff both animals were
lying still, the bear a shapeless heap,
the lion stretched on his side, and both
dead. Sintago was safe from them, but
where was he? for we had not once
Come in sight of him. We were hungry
for it was now afternoon, and we had
eaten the last morsei of bread and bacon
we had brought with us from the sta
ton on starting out In the morning.
We had to stop an hour and let the
horses rest and feed, and then we took
the trail again, for the specimens must
be recovered and we must follow wher-
ever Sintago chose to load thought
of the wagons numbering along toward
Silver City and the teamsters' comfort
able dinner, and 1t did not help my feel
ing to- think what the mine owners
would say when the wagons came In
without me or the specimens.
"But soon there was something closer
at hand to think of. had fallen little
behind Antonio, and when came up
with him nc was looking very serious.
He pointed to the path and there across
1t was the trail of fifteen or twenty DO.
mics that had passed within an hour GO
ing to the south. The depth Of the
hoof prints and the way they had trav-
eled in single file showed that they had
carried Indian riders.
"Los Appaches," said Antonio, look.
ing fearfully around, and both of us
clntched our firearms as if the Indians
were upon us. But they were not In
sight, and they had been going in a bur
ry for not one of them ha turned to
follow Sintago's tracks, which must
have been fresh when they passed. We
went on, keeping sharp look. out for
Indians, for when the Apaches are out
there is no safe place for any white man
about the Burro mountains. We bur
ried on, but still could see no trace of
Sintago. It was plain that he knew
where he was going, but we didn't. IL
might have been to Silver City, or some
Mexican plazetta; it might be an Indian
camp or robbers den in the mountains
At last, as the sun was going down
behind the peaks we saw the burro far
ahead just entering a narrow canyon.
We set spurs to our horses, took the
tail down the long steep mountain
side on a run and came out on the plain
with the mountains all behind us, Ahead
and disappearing like a shadow in the
twilight was Sintago, still carrying his
pack and heading straight for Silver
City, whose lights were cleaning five
miles away.
ee'Iad enough we were TO see those !