Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-18

get an impression OF the mighty gran
ite walls from their very foundations
we determined that two Of us should
press on to the mountains base while
the third would 60 back, break camp
and proceed 70 Porveair. where he
would await our coming across eoun.
try before nightfall.
This program proved more easily
made than executed. Old Hermit had
a mysterious way Of being first one
place and then another as we made
our progress through gnl.ies, up and
down ridges, through thickets, over
rocks and fallen trees until. when fin
ally we stood beneath his beetling
walls It was far paat midday. Photo
grapher Siirrat found 1t no easy mat.
ter to lake q mountain after he had
caught him 50 many obtruding crags
and intervening trees prevented secur-
Ing a desirable picture that an hour
more Of clambering about with the
heavy camera was consumed before ev-
en- passable view point was obtained.
Then the artist conceived an idea that
the summit Of a frightful prccipice full
ly thousand feet above us was the
proper spot on which tc plant the
camera. It looked very feasible but the
human burro whose duty It was to
carry said camera balked at the prop
osition 10 storm the height for any
reward whatever It was then deter
mined to retrace our trail partially
and seek a way to p0rvenir over the
lofty divide reaching downward from
Hermit peak This We set about doing.
Depositing the camera half way up one
Of the many descending ridges which
looked as II II might lead 10 passage
across the divide, We both climbed
aloft by different ways to explore
the situation. Scrambling upward
thus we met at the top where high
over our heads arose that pinnacle
which had been the object OF the art.
lists desire, and below us on every sid !
were jagged decllyities over which q
bird could doubtless have made It's
way to Porvenir with ease. but which
presented to us hopeless predica,
ment, being as we were without the
flying machine which Mr.. Stirrat had
just previously been wishing for
Hunger and consequent weakness
made It imperative that we get out
OF the wilderness without further dc.
lay. and It vo5decided to make our
way downward To Las Dispensas. as
rapidly as possible. The descent was
begun at once. But soon new prob
lem arose--w where was the camera
We knew just where we had left II
10 be sure, but where was that? The
dozens Of ribs reaching outward from
the backbone Of the great mountain
look exactly alike to the casual eye
and we In coming down had unobsery'
antly taken a different one than that
upon which we went up. thus failing to
find the camera, OF course. For a mo
ment CONSERVATION seized US. Then
separating, we searched adjoining
ridges and luckily within no long time
hit upon the right locality, and soon
discovered the precious instrument
This we now slung from q pole which
we lifted to our shoulders, In this
way distributing the weight between
us and having now struck upon the
right direction, we were after m
hours arduous travel again at the
plaza Of Las Dispensas. A hospitable
household there quickly provided us d
meal of boiled native corn and beef
tortillas and coffee, which whIe hardly
up to the standard Of Duyall's or La
Pension, was most acceptable TO our
famished stomachs. A farmer coming
with his plow from the field was hall
ed. and after a little negotiation was
engaged to take us over to Porvenir
yet that evening Soon he appeared
with his little threcyear-olds hitched
10 well cushioned. double ssated sur.
rey and in less than two hours he had