Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-03-17
ting rid of 1t. And that was how ]
came to meet Mr.. Biggs.

Ncut Oub 9ofcE&l uulto6 Ou tuo Rihau i
md amused myself knocking their |
oesky heads of until I grew tired OF
he sport, and as was ON my way |
back to camp met Mr.. Blggs. He
vas herding large flock of sheep
md, as IL was about noon, he asked |
ne to stop and take dinner with him.
In . large basket he had an abundance
,f splendid cold mutton and as nice
and sweet fightbread NJ I ever tasted. |
Now, If Mr.. Mckinley could make |
such bread as that he would have to |
double the capacity Of his bakery in
lees than week and then he couldn't
begin to supply the demand. I asked
Mr. Biggs where he got his bread and
I was surprised when he informed me
that he made ithimseh. And this was
his formula: Take stone jar, il you
have one, q tin can or bucket will do.
and put enough flour and water into
It to make q quart of thin batter; set
this in the sun and 1t will soon fer
ment and your yeast is made. I soon
found that Mr.. Biggs was one OF the
most genial and sociable men that I
ever met. He wore . warm heart in
his bosom as large as that of an OK.
Not long after this Mr.. Biggs informed
me that he was going to Sacramento
on the following day and, as the drive
was a long and lonesome one, he asked
me to accompany him. Early the
next morning Mr.. Biggs came along
with fine spring. wagon and a spank
ing team OF long cared Missouri mules
and / and my cousin went with him.
When we reached the city that
afternoon We separated with the
understanding that We were to meet
at q certain place at l O'Clock the
following day and start back. We
met at the appointed time and then
MIR. Biggs stated that he had learned
that by crossing the river six miles
below the city we could cross the tules,
which were about six miles wide at
that place and the water shallow all
the way, and, az it would shorten the
distance many miles, 1t was not neces-
sary for us to leave the city before 8
O'Clock.
Well, we got through those tules all
right until we got within a few hun
dred yards Of the west shore and then
we got into deeper water, where the
bottom was soft mud, and as quick as
q fash the mules went down. At the
first plunge those mules got their ears
full OF water and then they stuck their
fool heads under as though they were
trying to drown themselves. Evident
" Mr.. Biggs understood what mule
will do when he gets water into his
ears, for he sprang into the water and
got to their heads in moment and,
grabbing their bits, it was all he could
possibly do to hold their noses above
the water until my cousin got them
unhitched from the wagon, and, after
q hard struggle, they succeeded In get
ing them to where the bottom was
firm enough for them to stand. Then
Mr.. Biggs said: "Don't you get out
Of that wagon, for you will surely
freeze to death II you do. I know an
old German farmer who lives about
two miles from here, 80 just stay where
you are and I will 60 up there and gel
q yoke OF cattle and then come back
and pull You out"
The sun was sinking below the
horizon when they left and soon af.
terward was surrounded by wild
geese, swans and ducks, and they
would swim along close to the wagor
and cock their heads to one side anc
look up at me with wondering eyes q
though they were puzzled to under.
stand what kind of an animal / was
After had sat shivering in that wagor
for several hours--it seemed an age Il
me-and had arrived at the conclusion
that Mr.. Biggs had gone back on hil
word and was going to let me roos
out there with the geese and ducks al
might, heard him whistling merrill,
and my spirits rose 40 per cent, whel
I heard the splash OF the cattle's fee
In the water. But my spirits droppet
below zero, when those cattle got nea
enough to see the wagon, which the.
evidently mistook for some frightfu
monster, for with . loud snort the.
wheeled around and wanted to rul
laway. After Mr.. .Biggs had persuade'
them to stop he shouted to me that
| would have to wade ont to where b
was, and this quickly did, and neithe
knowing nor caring whether that ol
Iox had ever been ridden before o
mot, I climbed on his back. When "
got out ON dry land the cold wind Gu
lme like kife and felt a. though tn
very marrow In my bones was freezing
1 dug my heels into the ribs Of tbs
steer in order to make him move
little faster, but the one that Nj
Biggs was riding wouldn't respond, 9
I gave him q dig 10 the flank with th
toe OF my left boot just to see viii
effect 1t vonld have. 1t was magica
for with q loud snort that OK lifte
himself of the ground ~ high as tt
yoke would let him 60 and Mr.. Bigt
.. shot up into the air like q rocket an
! disappeared In the outer darkness
! Then those cattle took fool motto
: into their heads to stampede, and the
went laundering across the plail
, like Q young tornado. Howl manage
|. to stay on the back OF that steer
> more than know, but ! think that
{ little Jimmie Robinson could ha'
: seen me about that time he won
; have thought that he was not the on
y man on earth who could do the bar
q back act. In the meantime Mr.. Big
4 was doing some pretty tall sprintii
E lon his own hook, and when the catt
4 had finally slowed down into va
E and he had caught mp with them,
|, Iout OF breath, and climbed back to |
seat, he said: "I'lI be pleased II u
. isn't the funniest steer that ev
+ saw and can't even imagins VII
!. ever possessed him TO act that way
!. And innocently replied that hadl