Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-08-18

round quick. Lands O. rattlesnakes
boys, what a sight met my eyes! Tha
was a big, u~gly-lookin' cinnamon b'a
standin' under an apple tree an a-look
in right at me. Wall, I'll bet thos
beautiful locks of mine stood on en-,
like porc'pine quilts. They want NJ
use feelin' for q gun, cause l knowed
didn't have any, not even a jackknife o
weapon Of 10 kind. 1t was a leetle hot
ter proposition than l wanted to tackl
jest then, so I babe Mr.. Bruin a hast,
farewell an made for the fence.
"But now, boys, come the trouble il
earnest. 1t was an easy enough mattel
to get over that fence, but when it com,
to gettin' back, why that was a diff
ferent thing. / seen I couldn't do il
nohow, an so I jest stood an turned my
back to the fence an waited. Bruir
was within three feet of me then, an hi
riz up onto his hind feet an stood thai
movin' his head about in a threatenin
manner an motionin' at me with his
big, ugly paws. The Dor was shinin
out bright an clear above us, an as he
stood thar between me an it he was one
of the most skeery-lookin' sights l ever
seen. He didn't appear to be narvous
or disconnected in the least, an l made
up my mind I wouldn't be narvous
either. So, lookin' straight into his face
an reckonin' the distance, I picked out
a spot on the big feuer's under jaw an
give him such a kick with my big cow
hide boot at he yelled with pain.
"You can bet 1 didn't wait to see the
result, but I jest took it across that
o'chard as if the devil was at my heels.
Lordy, how my feet did welt the
ground! At last l seen a hole in the
fence whar a board was gone, and at it
1 went; I reached it all right, an was
jest about half way through when I
heard a shuf1in' an pantin' behind me
at made my blood freeze up in knotty
leetle Jumps. Boys, did you ever know
a bar could bunt? Well, l have had the
fact drilled into me in a purity forcible
way; for what knocked me through the
fence at such a lively gait that night
was nothin' more nor less than that
bars head. I was knocked into n heap
the outside of the fence, an thar l
laid huggin' the ground an shiverin'
an expectin' every second to find Bruin
top Of me.
"Wall, I was purity sore when I got
back to the camp, but 1 didn't say moth
in bout that an the gals put up a nice
leetle story, tellin' me how when they
the bar they was so skeert they
couldn't say nothin' an jest a back to
the house. I took in everything they
said, an the next night when they asst
me if I wanted to 60 long down with
EN- an explore the old mine, I was jest
to death to get the chance. We
took an old mimi lamp with us, an
when we got thar 1 started in ahead,
carryin' the light. The old drift hadn't
been worked for years, an dirty water
was drippin' from the roof an coverin'
my best coat as I CROPPED my way in,
never doubtin' at the gals would fol-
Ter. I had only got a dozen feet or so,
IN vas jest turnin' round to see If the
was gettin' on all right when
stumbled over somethin' an went
'prawlin'. The light went out in the
furry an the fust thing I knowed they
was a deep growl at echoed through
he mine an somethin' had hold Of me
" the bootleg.
1T was pitch dark in the hole, but a
lood OF moonlight TO one side told me
vhar the openin' was. With an awful
fort I jerked my leg free an scram-
lied to my feet with the intention of
maxim a dash towards that food of
Wal, I had only jest nicely
ot onto my feet an turned around
,hen I felt somethin' shoot between
~ legs an tip me back. I clutched
idly in front of me an got my both
ands imbedded in the shaggy hair of
I knowed right we'll by this
me what 1t was. The bar shot out
that drift at an almighty rapid gait,
n I didn't dare drop off for fear of
uttin' my brains out against the sides,
I jest laid fiat an Rugged tight,
,atchin' for q good chance to make a
zap.
oval, I kin sit here nov an laugh
18th the rest of you, when I look back
/ it; but you kin bet they want no
In in it fer me jest then.
fright outside the mouth Of the drift
as a little decline, an at the bottom
I it was a pool of water that was made
7 the leetle stream fowin' out OF the
inc. I was all ready, an as soon as 1
zen at I was out in the open air again
jest slid of, easy as you please, from
lie bars back an struck right in that
,ol of water. Wow! But I did get a
ce duckin' an no mistake.
The first thing I done was to cuss
yseH for bein' such a blamed fool as
drop in that water, an then I pulled
yself up onto my feet an proceeded
look myself over. Never lettin' up
my cussin' for a minute, I mean
,red back to the camp an jest sneaked
an went to bed without sayin' moth
; to nobody. 1t was a little late when
got around the next mornin', an jedge
y surprise, f~ellers, when I went be-
nd the fence an seen one of them
AIMED gals feedin' an old bar outen
tin pan!
II seen how the whole thing was in a
cond. Them gals had been maxim |
of me all the time, an the bar at |
d been maxim me 80 much trouble g
" nothin' but a tame one at wouldn't {
lrt nobody. Fust I had a notion to 20 l
an get my shooter an put an end to r
9 'tarnal thing for spite, but I con b
,ded it wa best to curb my temper
, let it 60 The fellers had all gone
work, an I knowed if 1 waited until
~ got back they'd be onto the thing
, have an awful loo nm ma AZ 7 io.< 4.