The Nome daily nugget., 1936-01-24

By James J. Montague

Dy JdllIeS o. NlOlledS ltC THE first mistake l made was go
 ing up that canyon at all. The
 A second was letting the guide per suade me that I couldn't possibly get here afoot, but must ride Caballero Caballero was regarding me at the time with what appeared to be friendly expression. Moreover, despite his size which was diminutive, he looked capa. )le. So set forth with two mistakes on me.
 was a little disturbed as we start ad boldly forth to hear the guide call put from behind me: "l forgot to bring he chow along when we left the ranch. You go ahead an I'll ketch up with you. Ole Cab knows the way just as well as do"
 By this time Caballero was forth on gained my confidence. The trail was easy for the first mile, and then de. scended at an alarming angle toward he bottom of a canyon. Through this canyon mountain torrent was pour. ing, but l supposed, of course. that we would travel along beside 1t. l love mountain streams and I was quite hap py oyer the prospect of seeing one so close at hand.
 But when my mount, instead of skirting this wild water course, walked deliberately into It, 1 thought It was time to assert myself. If you want I drink, Mir. Burro," said politely, "I will find one for you later on, but jus, now I think 1t would be better not to tempt these wild waters. The first thing you know, we'll be-"
 didn't finish the sentence because | was surrounded by engulfing rapids. My first impulse was to get off and walk back to shore, but when l Ob- served how far we were away from the refuge, and how high were the waves between us and it, desisted. seized the pommel of the Spanish saddle as l would seize a life preserver and hung on. "The torrent roared and we did buffet it." to quote MT. Cassius, but did most of the buffeting, for Caballero submerged along toward the center of the stream. knew he was not drowned, for 1 could feel the throb of his four propellers, but fOrding rapid running river on mount that you can't see. and which you fear every minute will be bowled from under you by a particularly heavy mass of water is not my idea of enjoying myself in the man deserted wilds.
 don't know how long that crossing took, but it was not the six months l estimated at the time. l am informed now that 1t was not more than six min utes, but in those six minutes, as lived them, Columbus might have crossed the alien ocean.
 Caballero soon began to become slightly more visible, and at length hooked his fore knee over a boulder while the waters swirled around my thighs. When he felt sufficiently re- stored, he rose almost upright, grasped rock with his other knee and we were ashore once more.
 1 made feeble attempt to dismount. 1 didn't know where l was, or how could get back to where l came from unless the guide came along before 1 died from chill, but 1 had lost con, fidence in the little animals knowledge of the topography of the country. and felt would be more able to collect my thoughts If sat down on a rock and reflected for little while. But the burro had, other plans Waiting only to shake the water from his flanks-he almost shook me off in the process-he laid leg over another rock and drew himself up into the mouth of one of those dry canyons which, think, are called arroyos. Suddenly he rose forward and sank aft, and l perceived we had begun a long ascent It was a short climb, but not a merry one. Scrub trees grew hor. izontally out of the walls of the noun tain, and shredded my apparel when