Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-18
ing, but I don't mind having a drink
with you, sir, thank YOU"

and about the canon. Wild animals
have pursued him and clawed him and
bitten him and crushed him; Indians
have shot at him and tried to toma-
hawk him, snakes bigger than boa
constructors have had him in their
coils, he has been lost in the wilds
many times and gentle birds have
shown him the way to safety, and he
has tasted the pangs of bitter hunger
and thirst.
The closest call he ever had was one
day when he fell over the brink Of the
canon while sitting on bronco.
You see, 1t was this way" says
Hance, had been so busy showing
tourists around that 1 didn't get time
to feed that bronco. I think he re-
sented it a little. Hadn't had any
food for nearly two days, and l sup
pose he was cut up about 1t. Well, l
was sitting on his back and had par
ty Of tourists with me-they were all
horseback, too-and 1 was right at
the edge Of the canon pointing out
some Of the beauties Of nature. Why,
sir, what grander, and more magnifi-
cent-Oh, yes. was telling you about
that horse.
II was pointing out some tufts Of
grass that were growing so bright and
green way down there In the canon
and proving that things can and do
L
believe 1t, that horse Of mine got so
interested in looking for that grass as
1 was pointing 1t out that he forgot
he was on the edge Of the canon and
lost his footing and over he went with
me on his back"
There was a pause In the story. FL
nally some one ventured to say:
II see. captain, that you escaped
with your life. How about the bron-
coz"
| "Well, that was curious" said
Hance. Greatest kind Of luck that 1
am here! That fall was nearly 1000
feet, sheer. If you go out to the rim
of the canon the other side of that
point yonder you'll see where 1t took
place. About half way down you'll
notice a gnarly tree jutting out Of the
rock. 1t has one great limb on 1t that
Is bent nearly double.
That's the limb I caught hold Of
and bent as we went down. The poor
bronco kept on going down and 1 new
er saw him again. except to give his
remains a decent burial. Pity that
his sense Of hunger got the better Of
his Judgment!
Hance has a weeping affection OF
his eyes. He uses a handkerchief a
good deal, especially with his prize
story. Whenever he gets a party of
recognized sentimentalists with him
he usually brings the subject Of con-
versatlon around to the joys and
blessings of married life. Generally
one Of the women In the party asks:
You have been married, captain?"
"Oh. yes, wiping his eyes. o..
You have lost your wife," .
"Oh, yes" mopping his eyes some
more.
| IAN accident, perhaps?"
"Yes, a most sad accident" Hand.
kerchief now freely used.
"Ah, quite recently, presume?"
Several years ago, but 1t grieves
me yet. 1t was my first and only ac-
cident while taking any one down the
| IN oh
happened to my own wife! That was
what made 1t most distressing"
Handkerchief in constant use now.
Indeed that is so sad. How did 1t
occur?"
| 1T was this way. I was taking her
down the TRAIL and she was on mule.
The mule slipped at a dangerous turn
and threw Mrs. Hance and broke her
leg" Handkerchief now growing very
damp.
| And you had to carry her all the
way up that trail and she suffering
agonies from a broken leg?"
| "Oh, no." says Hance, the handker-
chief nearly wringing wet by this time,
I'VE had to shoot her."
| Hance has made only one serious
slip in any of his stories. He was re-
lating a shooting experience. He said
he started out one day with a double
barreled gun to see what game he
could find. One Of the barrels was
loaded with birdshot and the other with
a cartridge.
That was the time, according to his
story, when man-killing panthers were
| found in the canon. This Is the way
| Hance told his yarn:
II hadn't gone far before I stirred up
some quail. 1 wanted to get some of
the flock and I raised my gun to fire.
In my excitement I fired the barrel
containing the cartridge.
"Of course, killed bird or two with
| that bullet, but just as / was lowering
my gun / found myself facing terri
BILE dilemma. A panther had been
| crouching in a tree near by. The re-
port Of my gun aroused him to fury.
I turned just in time to see him leap
straight at me.
81 knew it was his life or mine. I
raised my gun and put my finger on
the trigger of the barrel that contained
the birdshot-"
"Come now, Captain, you don't mean
to tell us that you killed that panther
with birdshot?"
mo" replied Hance, absentmindedly.
1.-The panther killed me-"
Hance isn't the only guide around
the Grand Canon. Bass and Berry
know how to whet the interest Of the
traveller and wet their own whistles
with great skill when the proper time
comes You can hear Indian legends
that will beat any folklore stories you
ever read of all to pieces. You can
get all the details of the greatest In
dian fight that ever occurred In the
world, when the Navajos pushed 100,-
o00-make the yarn big enough-over
the brink of death.
Some of the Indians landed on the
heaps Of dead ones and weren't killed.
They couldn't get out Of the canon and