The Somerset reporter., 1900-08-30

burros to 90 home with. Mr.. c. said
'in time like this the place for men Is
here among so many women and chill
dren." The minister plead in vain and
at last said, with some aspirity, "well II
you won't let me have one today when
will you let me have ones' | shall never
forget the dignity with which Mr.. G. re-
piled IL do not undertake TO regulate for
est fires. "The intermlnab bic day wore on.
| was consumed with the fever of fear,
every burro was engaged and | knew
there was nothing for US to do but stay
and take our chances. | said "if II. were
only here know he would find way
for us to escape for he knows the mount
aims like ranger, so full of resources
and never gives up to obstacles, but
alas he Is far away and unconscious OF
our danger" AT three O'Clock many Of
the campers had passed our tents and
started, with anxious hearts, for home,
full OF fear lest the fire might have cut
off the trail on the other side OF the
mountain. The smoke hung low and the
sun shown with sickly glare. The
lonely silence was broken only by the
ripple of the little brook, the cries OF the
frightened birds that futtered wildly to
and fro and the signing of the plaintive
wind among the branches overhead.
We seemed to be left alone to our fears
and our fate.
Suddenly far up the Wilson trail
came the sound of a galloping horse. His
hoofs clattered among the stones and
dry leaves as though the rider was on an
errand OF life or death. In q moment
more the bushes were dashed aside and
FL. stood before US, his horse covered
with foam. He was more welcome TO
our eyes than an angel from heaven.
He had seen the great clouds OF smoke
and flame rolling up from the mountains
at nine In the morning lad stoppi x for
nothing, had started immediately to our
relief. The trails which usually take
man a whole day to travel he had passed
over In about half that time. When the
path was too steep for the horse to run
down, he had gone ahead and dragged
the horse after him. He was full Of
splendid courage and hope, confident he
could get us home In safety although the
fire was within a half mile of our home
ward path.
The next morning early, every saddle
burro In camp having gone out, he pro-
cured two pack burros and piling COM
forters and blankets upon the ungainly
saddles and fastening on ropes for stir
rups, leaving all of our baggage and
household goods In our tents, we started,
C. upon the horse which had borne II.
into camp and M. and |, two fantastic
looking figures, upon the aforesaid pack
burros, II. walking In the rear to keep
the unique cavalcade in motion. AS we
climbed higher and higher toward Will
sons peak magnificent Landscape un-
rolled before our eyes, grand and awe
inspiring beyond words TO express. For
miles and miles the smoke and flames
rolled below US, struggling, wreathng
In fantastic shapes, now cut athwart its
blackness by gigantic swords Of fire,
now contending light with darkness
like mighty spirits of good and evil,
reminding one In its lurid grandeur of
Dante's Inferno. Peak beyond peak
was bright with smoke and fame or
smouldering and sullen with its burned
out fire. At times the dense volumes Of
dun colored Clouds settled and filled all
the vast canyons that lie between the
mountains and we seemed to be looking
off upon an endless ocean of smoke.
AS we approached Mt. Wilson the as
cent was almost perpendicular and the
soil loose to the burros' feet. They
stopped often to rest and get their
breath and sometimes groaned like one
who has more than he can bear. The
ugly pack saddles dug into our backs,
the hard ropes cut across our feet. The
struggling burros were at such an angle
we feared continually lest we might
reverse the laws OF nature, advance
backward" and stand upon our heads.
H. ,l,, ontn al
as modern office holder although the
chances were "16 to l" against our ever
reaching the summit In safety. But all
things come to an end and at length we
came out upon Wilson's peak, 6000 feet
above the level of the sea and overlook
ing wide and varied range OF country.
This has been popular resort for
pleasure seekers for number of years.
Here | discovered that 1.-THE wild man of
the woods" who had nearly frightened
us to death by his insane warning upon
the Sunday before and whom we had
taken for lunatic or drunken man,
was no other than the proprietor OF Will
son camp. He had been watching the
flames for a number of hours and seen
them approaching so rapidly, he had
lost his head and crazy with fear, had
TuSLtu uOWu anu given US his HtculceS
and alarming warning. We came down
from the peak on the beautiful "old
trail" which does not compare with the
grand and magnificent views which we
see from the Sturtevant trail but which
Is lined with ferns all the way, Is shady
and restful to the eye and overhung by
the dropping boughs of tall trees. AT
the half way house, a sheltered glen in
the mountains, where rustic house was
built, we unstrapped our blankets from
our donkeys, spread them beneath a
sheltering oak and lay down to rest and
here In the pickering sunlight and
shadow, with the soft wind soughing In
the branches above US, peace descended
upon our spirits like dove and we rose
refreshed and went on our journey. We
met two professions of men with axes
and shovels and other implements going
up to fight the fire and 1t made "our hair
stand on end and our voices cling to our
Jaws" to see how near the edge of the
precipice we would come when they had
to pass.
Being exceedingly weary from anxiety
and loss Of sleep, we were obliged to
make many changes Ia our mode OF
travel. We would ride until we were
faint from nausea and feared we should
fall from our burros, then walk until we
almost fell by the way.
Two miles from Sierra Madre my
burro took advantage of his liberty
while was walking, crowded himself
by the horse, nearly pushing him from
the trail and started for home at a good
roupd nace RI tried m head him off in