The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-05-07

or a nerce struggle. showing tina
business had begun promptly afte
they got together But neither bea
nor lion was to be seen, and we cOul,
find no tracks of either leading from
the place. although we searched back
ward and forward along the trail An
tonic went to the edge of the precipic,
which fell sheer for 300 feet. HI
steadied himself by a scrub oak tree
that gaew out from the brink anC
looked down.
"'There they be, 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 the belt | clutched the tree
trunk and looked down the dizzy
depth. At the foot Of the cliff both
animals were lying still: the bear d
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 We're hungry, for it was now
afternoon, and we had eaten the last
mOrsel Of bread and bacon we had
brought from the station on starting
ont in the morking. We had to stop
an hour to let the horses rest and feed,
and then we took the trail again. for
/ the specimens must be recovered and
we must follow wherever SintagO
| chose to lead. | thought of the wag
ons numbering along toward Silver
! ('rtrr 1YI +la +D1,,C+n,.f.- fI, ~ la -
dinner, and it did not help my feelings
to think Of what the mine owners
would say when the wagons came in
/ Wlthout me or the specimens.
But soon there was something
closer at hand to think of, [ had fal-
len little behind Antonio. and when
[ came up with shim he waa looking
very serious, He pointed to the path,
and there across it was the trail of
fifteen or twenty ponies that had pas
sed within an hour, going to the south.
The depth Of the hoof prints and the
way they had travelled in single file
showed that they had carried Indian
riders.
Los Apaches,' said Antonio, look
ing fearfully around, and both of us
clutched our firearms as if the Indians
were upon us. But they were not in
sight, and they had been going Ill a
hurry, for not one Of them had turned
to follow Sintago's tracks, which must
have been fresh when they passed. We
went on, keeping a sharp lookout, for
when the \ Apaches are out there is NO
safe place f-r any white man about
the BurTo mOantains. We hurried on
but still could get no sight of Sintago,
1t was PLAN that he knew where he
was going, though we didn't. it
might be to Silver City, or some Mex
lean plazetta; it might be to an lndi-
an camp or robbers den in the noun
tains. At last, as the sun was going
down behind the peaks we saw
from the top of a rise the burro
far ahead, just entering narrow can
on. We set spurs to our horses, took
the trail down the long steep canon
on the ruG, and came ont upo n the
plain with the mountainsall behind us
Ahead, disappearing like a shadow in
the twilight, was Sintago still carry
ing his pack and heading straight for
Silver City, whose lights We're CLEAN
five or six miles away.
Glad enough we were to see those
lights, and our horses at the sight
of them quickened Their pace. We
soon overlook Sintago moving smart
ly along at half trot looking none
the worse for wear, though he had
been carrying his pack for thirty six
hours through a mountain country.
We kept him ahead Of us, and, in an
other hour, we all halted in front of
the Legal Tender corral in Silver
City with the wagons not due until
the next day at noon.
We put our animals in the corral
and went to the hotel. taking the sacks
of specimens with Us. That evening
| met the mine owners and the syndi
cate man at Porter x CrawfOrd's
store, with the specimen ores to exhi-
blt, day ahead of time, and the deal
was made then and there. Then |
went to the hotel and to bed. for was
very tired. At O'clock in the morn
ing | was awakened by the landlord
bringing news.
"A courier has just come in over
the stage trail he said, and he says
the Apaches jumped your wagon out
fit in Teiion gulch last evoning. They
killed all the teamsters, ran all the
stock off, and burned the wagons.
The sheriff Is getting up a party to 90
out and get the bodies at daylight, and
thought you'd like to go along
i went out with the party to the
scene of the massacre. There were
the nntilatad bodies of the teamsters
lying, as they had fallen, by the char
red wheels Of the wagons | should
have been lying there with them had
it not been for Sintago's strange fan
cy for trip over the mountains.
which kept me from going along with
the wagons. The one break in his
! good record that caused me SO much
anxiety ana trouble had been the
means Of saving my life"
AUTHOR OF BEN BOLT.