Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1916-03-16
PROVED HIS METAL
MULE DRlVER coMslnKh ABLY
BETTER THAN HS LOOK 60
stampsded BY Bear, He Guided Team
With remarkable Skill Until In.
avoldable Accident Finished
Run, but He Killed Hrusn

Run, but He Killed Hrusn
George aaskins was lons-legged
red-beaded, longarmed. thin, freckled
aud mild. He had the voice OF bass
fiddle aud the manners Of bashfuI
boy 81 thirteen. He stood three
inches above six feet. and weighed
1a7 pounds Under an immense Mex
lean bat his face looked like turkey y
EGG IN clothes basket His thin
waist was encircIed with belt four
inches vide. embellished with bfasa
studs His arms stuck fir out 0f his
sleevea. and his trousers aid not
reach his shoe tops But there was
something appealing about bin, and
his eyes were very steady and depsnd.
able.
Every day he drove four mules over
the trail between the mining carnD
and the railway station. ~ Underway
and 1000 feet lower He drove weii
his mules were perfectly kept, and he
soon won their confidence
lie had an unexpected aenae Of hui
NOR, too. aud was popular about the
camp 10 spite u his unpromiaHg
looks.
One day George asked ihe boss %
lend him his revolver lie had seen
several snakes and bear. and had
no weapon The boss lei him have Il.
and within two weeks George had
three rattlesu8kes skins and three
prong bnch head on the stable wan
About three weeks after BE- began
carrying the gun man rode Into
camp and asked whether We knew
that freight wagon had gone OF the
grade three miles down this trail ~
said the truck turned squarely ouf ID
the lefl and went down q slide that bF
Was sure no team could keep its feet
on, aud had zone oet ~ sight ainonp
the pines below
seven ~ ia started on AZ once
''Nu mau 90 earth cau ride q WAGON
down there and keep on 4 Said Pete
Simpson as be looked Al thr steel
Incline down whith the WAGON tricks
plunged hat Thai loagieggea gaiont
has done Il. and can ride . uialt
where he cen ridr d wagon 50 here
goetir Ife plunged on. and the rest
followed The chaparrsi brush wa5
several feet high; II whipped Tie rid
ers faces, tore their sleeves and tfuu
hera and tangled tho anlmala feel ~.
~ they stumbled aeain and agair
AZ ihe foot N the pttth the men
found that the saEon bad INSIDE
Quick turn 10 flie left ~ asoad a
bovlder, tiltn another 10 he Faghf to
dodge tree sad bail cntesaa tn
pires On the dead rUn How az,
driver could have kent hls head afleg
that pitch over ls.dogfse p1tsh oi
rough cigapaunl and BE- IL shape IA
guide foar frantic mules wns beyond
understanding.
only little farther they found
George and TIE maies Their haf
nraaes wete bfoken ara hangIng hi
strips, bar MOI mair saa hadiy hnft
The WAGON lay on lss side aKasnaf
big pine. aud It's contents wefa scar
tered all over the gruand Ge8fee
Nas sitting up AGAINST q loa Nfik bic
right arm and BEE bsoken. ht hlB
voice waa cheerful 8a ~ saia siiD
When ,he boye had fonrhls. ~
the broken ilmta, GsnFNe told ihen
what haa happened
Ne had met bic bear 10 civ srail
sud she brute charged the leaders oH
81 pHrr msanness Tho malea whiried
short and jumped over the hank. ana
me wheeiera followed aeNTRe latlica
the revolver and took a snap Shot
- hr weni pakt the bear. ard then
dropped thu g8n 70 psf hla strength
90 the lines Ne bad Kept tEe malea
straight until Tie last turn Ia the
pines. and then the mules headed To-
space too narrow for ihe wagon ~
tried % turn them. aud The wagon
went over and threw bim againat
tree
Pete Simpson vowed that ho would
follow tie bear for the neat Els
months II necessary % got hin and
SITTER they got George back to camp
Pete began 10 prepare To- q bear burt
ihht very night
lie teiegranhe1 "a bis broihaf. ia
miles away. 20 come and btlHR biz
pair Of hounds The brother eame IA
with the night freight. and hy day
light the hounds were smiling the
tracks OF the bear For two miles ~
and over the worst peaks and ridges
they led tho hunters
Then che doris began 10 bay down
IN d dark, heavily wooded canyon a
the right The men acramblea down
intn the canyon and eraWied over
rocks and logs 70 where they could
see the dogs They we're baging 4
dead bear,
That hurried ahOt as the wagon tore
after the mnles down that preeipitoas
slide had gone home and The bear
had gone into the canyon 10 bleed 10
a.