The herald., 1897-06-24
Maxfield and Hearn Reach
Colorado
ANGELEN0S' ADVENTURES
BULLS, BANDITS, aILA MON.
ETERS AND RATTLESNAKES
Several Marrow Escapes From Death
Maxfield in Denver and Hearn
Over in Kansas

| ]. D. Maxf1eld, the we'll known bicycle
rider of this city. who started to ride
from Los Angeles to his old home in
Michigan as a pleasure trip, is now in
Denver, where he arrived on June Is,
just two months out. When he left Los
Angeles he was accompanied by D. V.
dad, Colo, from which place he will ride
across into Kansas.
Maxfield and Hearn rode through the
Arizona desert and across the New
railroad tracks most of the way. meet
ing with no end of interesting adven-
lures, some of which were unpleasant
enough to remember long time. When
Maxfield left this city he had the records
of four men who said they had ridden
across the desert, but when he got out in
the sands the section men told him
that everyone of the four had crossed
in the cars. So Maxfield. to guard
against possible disputes, procured a
little book, in which he secured the
written statements of the section men
to show that he and Hearn had actually
crossed the desert on their wheels.
GILA MONSTERS v9g o.
Maxfield and Hearn made the inti-
mate acquaintance of various rattle
snakes and Gila monsters. although
they persuaded the reptiles not to'leave
their cards. One night they tried to
proceed on their journey along the rail-
fyan of a h,,f heo I'd
the ominous rattle of a snake ahead.
They came to a dead halt and peered
into the darkness The rattle could be
heard, but the source whence it
came could only be conjectured. The
boys slipped down the bank and around
where he lay, listening intently at
every step for another warning signal
from another direction. But that was
the last night they tried to ride after
dark
One morning they were aroused by
hearing a tremendous outcry from a
couple of tramps. who had camped near
them. They rushed over to find that
Gila monster had shared the blanket of
the hobos during the night. That set
tied it for Maxfield and Hearn, who,
after that, slept under water tanks, in
sheds, anywhere except on the hot
ground, where Gila monsters and other
reptiles like to cuddle.
IN THE DESERT
Three weeks were occupied in crossing
the desert, meals being taken at Sec
ton houses. Not many years ago Sec
tion house people in the desert refused
to feed travellers, but orders were is
sued compelling them to do so. Since
that time high tariff has prevailed, but
it has been possible to procure meals.
The usual price is 80 cents, and in some
instances 81 is demanded. Near the
boundary line between Arizona and New
Mexico the travellers espied large
mountain lion sneaking along hill. He
was in pursuit of several cows, and paid
no attention. to the bicyclists. Several
wildcats were seen in rocky places, but
they always sneaked back out Of sight.
MEXICAN BANDITS g..
| The Glorietta canyon Is infested by a
gang of Mexican bandits, who are on
| the lookout for tourists awheel, afoot or
| any other way. While passing through
| there the boys noticed that they were
being followed by two Mexicans on
horseback, who were afterward Joined
by two others. The Angelinos avoided
| the gang by detour and reached the
next station safely They slept in the
little station house. and barred the
door as best they could, but slept
very little. During the night they
heard some one trying the door, and
are firmly convinced it was the bandits
but they did not get in.
Eight men have been robbed and MUIR
dered by the Mexican bandits in that
section within the last year or two. and
the boys are convinced that they had a
narrow escape. a
Another source of danger was the
herds of wild cattle in New Mexico. AT
a little place called Rio Peico large
herd of cattle were spread out on both
sides of the track The ordinary COW OF
steer would eye the travellers for time
and then bolt as If shot out of a gun
The only danger was when the herd was
| on both sides of the track. The minute
one started, all started and they ran in
| the same direction. If the cattle on the
wrong side of the track did not have
proper room to get by the wheels there
might be damage.
A BAD BULL
| Inc boys thought they were going tC
get past without trouble, but, alas a
bull of large size and low pedigree soon
barred the way. 1t was not the first
time that they had been thus attacked
but they had each time sprinted from
danger. Here they were caught on a
rough track, with long way to a safe
place. Mr.. Bull scraped several times
in the dirt to work up his mad, and then
charged. He was about 800 yards away
when he started and half vanished in a
little draw on the way over, but he
came out of that on the jump, his eyes
rolling and his tail lashing. Half the
distance done, he fell to a trot, and
threw up his head to take another view
of his prey. Then he ducked his head
and started on business drive Max
! field met him as he came the last fifty
yards with bullet square in the head
The old fellow stopped, staggered and
fell. The boys mounted their wheels