The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-05-03
DEFENSE!
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When I was in Lower California,
several years ago, 1 found employ
ment with an American who was
erecting stamp-mill at Aqua Dulce,
a small mining-cam forty miles east
Of Ensenada. Among the freighters
engaged in hauling the machinery was
a Mexican named Jose Gotta, noted
horseman and hunter.
One evening, when the wagons were
camped at the mine, joined the team
sters and swampers who sat round the
fire telling stories. Gotta told this one.
An apology is due for not reproduc-
ing him in his own quaint vernacular.
Gotta was on his way to visit
relative-Qutte a distant one, he ma
lively explained, being the cousin Of
his mother-in-law-who lived at the
end of a trail across three hundred
miles of mountain and desert
Not wishing to leave all his family
behind, he rode the calico-colored
Pinto, this animal being Just like "a
brother" and besides, according to
Gotta, the best horse in all Mexico.
For the fox-trot of Pinto excelled in
soft-footed ease of effort that of the
1.-the bushy-tail for whom the gait was
named.
Then, too, Pinto would eat brush
and grow fat like a burro; all this
despite the fact that he was in years
past twenty. The narrator elaborat-
ed these points in order that we might
better understand him further down
the story.
Travelling with the excellent Pinto
and in addition Gotta had pack
mule that followed like dog or
journey. Doubtless the jacal of the
distant relative would have been
reached without adventure had it
not been for an untoward meeting
just over the Pichango divide.
Gotta was riding along a trail that
cut into the face of bullying precf-
pice Of dizzying height, and driving
his mule before him in order that he
might keep an eye on the pack, when
both animals halted abruptly and
stood snorting.
Looking ahead, the traveller saw a
big grizzly bear coming toward him
round amount of rock about so yards
distant. Even on the narrow trail it
would have been simple matter for
beast with claws to right-about-face
and retreat, and Cato fired his re-
volver in the air, fully expecting the
bear to make off in alright.
But it is hard to divine the moods
and motives of grizzly. This one
chose to consider himself cornered
or attacked, and started forward on
a swinging shuttle. Then both of the
travellers animals tried to whirl on
trail where there was no room to
whirl, and on the brink of sheer
descent into a canon where the cot
tonwoods dwindled 20 the size of sage
brush
It CHANGED that Gotta had his RATA
in hand, having used 1t to urge the
pack-animal across dangerous places,
and no sooner did the mules ears say
II turn" than the bite of the raw.
hide rope struck him on the cheek.
The blow turned him to the cliff,
and the mule. blinking, stiff-necked
and desperate, began a scuttling re-
treat.
Gotta gave way rapidly, holding Pin
to to the wall, and pulling him back,
back, back on a trail where a false
movement of his hind legs could mean
nothing less than a mangled pile
at the base of the precipice. With
every step to the rear the mule at
tempted to head about, but his vigilant
master literally held him in place by
a shower of singing blows with the
doubled RATA.
Fast and furiously he swung the
rawhide, with delicate dexterity he
refined and spurred Pinto, and tremBl-
ing and snorting and sweating from
fright, the animals were kept in or
derby retreat.
Then a wheezy grunt from the ap-
preaching bear drove the mule entire
ly frantic, and squarely against the
raining blows he turned Douling him
self, he whirled nimbly sidewise, draw
ing his forefeet far under him in
an attempt pivot. But his rump bump
ed the face Of the cliff and toppled
him forward With muscles tense as
cables, the scared brute struggled for
a moment to recover his balance, and
then fell headfong.