Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-10
ADVENTURE WITH A MADMAN.
Crisis Averted by Resort to Cool Dar-

was a pair OF very Snugly nttlnS Beu-
ford cord riding trousers worn by
me upon a certain pouring wet day
in California, dried on me under
semi-tropical sun, and hauled off me
by the united efforts Of three strong
men! In my own opinion, however
I have been in a yet tighter place,
although it is certain that 1 did not
suffer so much physical discomfort.
We-my brother and myself-had
been shooting in the San Emigdfo
foothills of the Santa Lucia noun
tains; the coast range Of California.
Here, in the early SOS, grizzlies were
still to be found.
But although we saw tracks and
signs, the beasts themselves remained
invisible. Bear hunters will testify
that even If you discover the very
lair of the monster whom Californians
call Uncle Ephraim," he is almost
invariably not at home.
Finally we gave up our quest In de-
spair: out of heart and out of grub.
NV brother suggested that We should
find venison al a ranch, the nearest
10 the wilderness in which we had
been wandering for the previous three
weeks.
We knew the boss and the foreman,
and after a long days travel were de-
lighted to find both men at home.
Living as they were, some hundred
miles from the nearest store, with no
companions other than half a dozen
cowboys, you may be sure that we
received a hearty welcome.
AS we were putting our horses into
the barn. our host said abruptly:
"Got any whisky"
"a big emijohn-nearly full"
replied. Its yours, If you want It,"
"Shush-h-h! Want it? Not I. We
must hide it."
Then he explained that his cook
saw red after taking one drink Of al
cohol Accordingly. we hid the poi
son-for poison it is to such fellows
under a bale of hay.
After supper we smoked in the
sitting room, which occupied the mid
die Of the house, a long, low room.
with a big fireplace at one end OF
it, our bedroom at the other end, and
doors facing each other on the sidesi
through each door one passed on to
rough veranda.
Garden, there was none. Encom-
passing these, the huge ranch stretch
ed for leagues, a sixty thousand acre
grant Of foothills and valleys untouch-
ed by the plow.
The cowboys squatted about the
fire and told stories as they smoked.
The four chairs were occupied by the
boss, foreman, my brother and my
self
The foreman, John, was big. loose
limbed fellow, extraordinarily skilful
with the lariat and one Of the finest
horsemen in southern California.
His brother, Charlie, one of the cow
boys was half his size. but wiry as
an Apache and Of much the same
complexion. Both men said little,
answering such questions as we put
to them curtly, but not uncivilly.
At that time our county-one of
the last in California to be reused
from sluggish stock raising uses in
to agricultural and horticultural ac-
tivities had become a sort Of sanctu-
ary for cattle thieves and despera-
does: stage coaches were robbed fire.
quently; banks were held up and
looted, and hardly a month passed
without it's shooting affray.
The conversation turned naturally
enough into these encarmined chan
nels. Some of the bad men were
known to US; John, the boss. had
taken a prominent part, so 1T was
whispered, in the lynching Of train
robber, the terror of the S. P. COM
pany, who had worked as a cowboy
on this very ranch, had sat, as we
were sitting, about the fireplace and
had been reckoned by his fellows a
quiet, peaceable citizen.
Suddenly the foreman said in a
slow drawl:
Lets quit this talk about bad men.
Hugh may be through washin' up at
any minute-and it's kinder pussonal,
seein' as Hugh's father died with his
boots on"
AN it wouldn't surpries me overly
much" remarked Charlie, 'ef that
same sort O. send-off was in store for
Hugh himself"
Hugh was the cook, who saw red
whenever he smelled whisky. The
boss whispered to me that his father
had been strung up to a telegraph
post just outside the county town.
He's bad egg" he concluded. "is
Hugh, but he's derned good cook,
as cooks go in these parts"
"Sing us a song, Charlie" said one
of the cowboys.
After a little pressing, Charlie
broke into a mournful ditty; a sort
of recitativo, setting forth, in dis
NAL procession, the misadventures
and miseries Of a tramp. The COM
pany listened with interest and SYM
pathy.
Looking at the spare figures and
bronzed faces about the fireplace, one
realized vaguely that in the inexor-
able trend of events their picturesque
occupation must be taken from them
within a decade And dismounted,
what awaited them save a dreary
tramp afoot through the country
across which they had ridden so gaily
in the past?
While Charlie was singing I kept
an eye on the door. looking for Hugh,
the cook. I had not had more than
q glimpse of him, and the son of a
man who had been lynched stirred
my curiosity. But he did not come
in.
After a couple of songs somebody
proposed an exhibition of high kick
ing, which led to other feats OF
strength and activity. The fun had
begun. One could see the grave faces
of these silent men change; as their