The chronicle=news., 1913-06-12
Reseiaisceaces Of
The Frontier Days

Dnee remarked IN his OrlSlnAI phIl08-
ophixinE that life 10 but a resting
place between the cold and barren
peaks Of two eternities-" And bring
Ing the proposition down to earth
In something more than the fi.ura-
live sense We know where the spot
10. The writer was only = sangiing
Kid Mt the time with an itch for the
In the way of adveu-
,urc and seeking rest for ham
strung nerve We struck out one beau
tiful morning in 1881 to find sun
ny SPOT In the land of pure delight
which just then seemed to lie In the
big mountains of the Spanish range
hack Of Las Vegas. 4 hard winter
On . daily newspaper makes . fei-
low feel browsy like when the birds
begin their twiiterinEx in the leaf
ing trees and II was me to the hills.
We took saddle pony from Don
stable and struck out know
and caring less. The log road In the
deep canon Of the GaliInAs dwindied
down at the Goose ranch to = mere
bride path which turned abruptly
up u rocky hill and lead down again
to the Trout springs. The pony
seemed to know the trail and was al.
lowed to ambic on without much
guidance. The hills became sleeper
and the trail less distinxuishabic un-
I'll We got beyond the trace altoscth-
er or had lost II cniircly. There
was NO OCCASION for worry however.
Tor as Loasfciiow said: no icars
dim the smile that nature wears. +"
Thus Nc made our way. keeping the
general direction toward the great
fray face OF Hcrmit's peak. which
was popping into View st every rise.
seemingly "a near and yet 50 far. II
VAS Ia fact thirty mii.s distant from
town and wc were not on the rcsu-
lar route leading 20 II.
a chap gets pretty hungry In ih.s,
frtekinEs o.cr the mountains. We
had not seen a sixn Of habitation
sincc leaving the Hot Springs back
at the mouth OF the canon and were
wondering II IL meant starvation
denly n beautiful green spot appear
ci In sight far below In cory little
pocket In the mountains. We found
= place to sidic down into the cove
and In an hour We were at little
mcckcry OF \ cabin stuck there In y
shady dell anon. the pinons and
tn" posics. II wns truly the most
charming little fincon We have ever
seen In the Rocky mountains and
Nc often wonder II Il IL ssiil there.
A. Il must t,c. looking the same and
holding out the cheery welcome that
met US at the Puerto.
A little old Mexican hcmhrc with
gracious bow and n smile that
meant everything came out and
helped unload the trappinrs. HIS
name. he said. with more Of the Cas-.
tiiliano nucncy than the native
Mexican lingo. was Antonio Marti
rex. and wc were thrice welcome n.
he had not seen Il living soul In those
solemn hills for three long years cx-
cept Juan. the sheep hcrdcr who had
taken the flock out to the VEGAS
higher up In the mountains for the
summer grazing. Only once week
did he sec even this simple child Of
the gorsc. He said thu place was
known only ax Cuiito. meaning rs II
does = little brccch. ~ indeed II was
there amid the mighty crcvaxs y.
among which the tcudcrfoo, would
have to lie on his back to see the
sky. 40 pinchcd In 1t all sccmed.
The old don had taken a fancy to
the place a few years previously be
cause Of the vcrdolaga or wild pur-
slain which carpctcd the ground and
grew everywhere around the en-
chanted n1ancha. We turned the
pony out TO craze by itself and the
old hcinit Of the hills. invited us in
for little bite or chiGuito conida.
which meant the same thing. For
fortnight II WAS chill con carne
and borrcEo with the vcrdolaSo or
greens on the side and while there
was = good deal of a samcness in
the dietary II was SO genuinely ap-
petixing and 70 thoroughly good that
Il seemed like feast Of the gods.
Hunger il not very fastidious in the
out of the way places where eating
seems only a superficial pastime at
best. Besides this We caught fcw
messes OF trout from the creek and
the trouchcs helped out the menu.
One day coming down a gulch We
shot some mountain grouse which
the host cooked In the good old
Spanish way and garnished II al
with the vcrdolaga. This ancient
son of the Castilliano was something
OF scholar and had not forgotten
his school Of philosophy. The writer
never spent more happy fortnight
with more consenial company than
with Don Antonio there at Cnlito in
the breech Of the hills where the
rc Ar.1u Drnvvu aud h.