Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-05-28
SAVED BY A BURRO'S FANCY.
A Miners Story of Escape from
an Indian Massacre.
SiRtago Carried the Richest Pack In tho
Train, and When He Took short
Cut the Trainmaster and
Trailer Followed.

creatures, and will keep together in
herd or pack train so closely that you
have hard work to separate one from
the rest" said Washington Himrod, a
mining man from Arizona. "Sintago,
the one 1 am going to tell you about,
seemed no exception. He was plain,
everyday donkey with the regulation
ears, drab skin, and black mark of the
cross between his shoulders. He had
behaved so we'll before that it surprised
us all when he gave us the slip one day,
and, what was worse, took his pack
load along with him. It looked like
misfortune when it happened, but 1t
proved good luck for me in the end.
Sintago was in the burro train which
packed ore from the Buena Cincha
mine, in the Burro mountains, down to
Cavallo station on the wagon trail.
But none of us knew then that his first
master had been gambrusino who had
driven him, packed with stolen ore, in
and out of these mountains so many
times that Sintago knew all the trails
and short cuts as we'll as the Apaches
did.
charge of all freighting for the Buena
Cincha, and had started from the mine
with a train of 90 burros loaded with
ore in sacks. At Cavallo station four
wagons We're waiting for me to arrive.
There l was to complete their loads
with the ore l brought and go on with
the wagons to Silver City. This was in
the 70'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.
For my train of 90 burros there
were three Mexican packers. / rode my
horse in advance to see that the way
was clear 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 mine
owners and the representatives of a syn
dictate that proposed to float our stock
were there waiting for me.
"From the mine to the station was
long days trip. 1t 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 canyon at a place
where the trail made sharp turn. so
that after passing it Sintago was out
of sight from the Mexicans behind for
i minute or two. He turned short off
the trail. took five or six steps into the
bushes, and stopped behind big rock.
The burros behiud him, following the
soundi of the hell ahead, kept to the
trail, and had closed up the gap before
the two Mexicans got round the turn.
They did not notice that one was gone,
and it was not until we got near the
station, at five o'clock, that l found out
that Sintago, with the specimens, was
missing.
"At the station the wagons were wait
ing. Of course could not go with them
and leave those specimens behind. 1t
took but few minutes to load on the
ore sacks and start the wagon off. Then
/ went back on the mountain trail, TAX
ing along with me Antonio Valjez, one
Of the packers, a reliable man and good
trailer. / had found bronco for him
at the station. and l rode my own horse.
The bronco would serve as 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 mountain little distance
and then came back to the canyon,
found grassy place where our horses
could feed, and, picketing them. lay
down to sleep until morning.
"With the first gleaR of day we were
off up the mountain side. None but an
experienced trailer could have followed
the tracks of a burro,stlnshod feet over
the rocks and hard earth of the noun
tain side, but Antonio managed to trace
them. But he didn't take much stock
in our finding Sintago-fnding him
alive, at least.
y
first he said. Los Apaches mebbe.'
''In 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 little valley, where
Sintago had stopped to Craze and then
had started on. The trail wound among
the mountains, making many crooks
and turns, but could see that its gen.
eral course was easterly. 1t was q
rugged road to travel, and we were not
in mood to enjoy fine landscape views.
Sometimes it skirted the brink of steep
precipices, and again would lie along
some grassy Upland valley. 1t was at
one of these that Antonio, who rode
ahead, pulled rein and motioned for rue
to come up. There in the moist earth
was the track of a grizzly bear follow
ing the trail of the burro. Antonio
shook his head.
THAT fellow get Sintago,' he said.
we get the pack, mebbe. But the bur-
rO-he eat IN bv this time