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Show WHILE HUNTING M THE KG HORN HE DISCOVERED A GOLD MINE1 Maj. Ben Cole quit the army under peculiar circumstances. He told his comrades there was no money In soldiering, sol-diering, and what he wanted was money. mon-ey. He had been poor all his life and proposed to make a change In his financial finan-cial condition. In 1878 he was fighting Indians In Idaho under Gen. O. O. Howard, How-ard, and campaigning out there In the Salmon River country unfitted him for the humdrum life of an officer on Governor's Gov-ernor's Island or in the department at Washington. He was no society man. 'You're a fool to quit," said CoL Biggs. "No; I haven't had your luck. You married a few millions; I'm a rough, uncivilized bachelor without prospects. I'm going to try my luck at mining." The Major went out to the Umatilla reservation three years ago and camped there among his former enemies In northeast Oregon, all now his firm friends. Some of them knew where to go for gold up In Idaho. They were familiar with the Thunder mountain region, re-gion, for they had fought all over it. All were eager for a hunt. The Major got up a party of six, Including old Wat-ls-kow-kow and Little Chlnquln. "What shall we hunt?" he asked. "The grizzly?" "No," said the venerable chief firmly. firm-ly. "Squaw's sport." x "Tho elk?" "No; child's sport." "What then?" "Sheep." The Major was on the point of laughing laugh-ing outright, when a significant glance from Chlnquln caused him to pause. "We hunt ehcop," said Watls-kow-kow. "Start tonight Heap big sport. White brother never saw big horn. HI you good time!" The Major was ready at the appointed appoint-ed time and tho party rode off toward the hunting grounds. Besides his rifle he carried two pistols. Ho was a fine shot with a pistol, and as for the rlfle well, his equal was not known In the army. A paok horse was led along and the Major noticed, with some curiosity, that tho principal burden upon Its back consisted con-sisted of six pairs of enormous horns. As they wcro neither steers' horns nor powder horns he was nonplused. But ho dared not show his Ignorance by inquiring in-quiring what they were meant for on this hunt. He knew enough of Indian character to restrain his curiosity. It was seven days before Watls-kow-kow called a halt in what was about tho wildest country the Major had ever seen. Tho mountains wcro 10,000 feet high. Their sides in places were precipitous. precip-itous. Rivers at their bases looked like rivulets. "Sheep!" whispered tho old chief. "Where?" said Cole, looking around. Tho chief pointed to a crag two miles away. The Major expected to see a flock of sheep browsing In a meadow. What ho did see was a small group of big horns on the crag, cautiously watching the hunters. At tho first movement all disappeared except one enormous fellow, who stood guard. Ho stamped his foot angrily and from the way ho tossed hia head all knew that he was snorting with rage. "Hi yu big horn," grunted Watls-kow-kow, who began to make preparations prepara-tions for a go at the flock. "HI yu" means "many" It is good Chinook. The chief and his five young men, Including, of course, Little Chlnquln, Chln-quln, ono of the Nez Perces, after looking look-ing carefully to their guns and ammunition ammuni-tion proceeded to fasten upon their heads the horns that had been brought along on the pack horse. Some of these wero forty inches in length, measured along the curve. "Sheep horns?" said the Major, interrogatively. inter-rogatively. It was his first bad break. Watls-kow-kow looked disgusted. His pair of horns, tho largest in tho lot, were fastened securely to the top of his head by thongs of rawhide, giving him the appearance of an old buck Satan. Colo could not help laughing at the ridiculous ri-diculous object, and even the Indian grinned when he Raw his reflection In a pool of water. But ho made a pretty good sheep when down on all fours. Tho Major's quick wit told him that the big horns wcro to be stalked, each hunter wearing a pair of horns for exhibition ex-hibition purposes only, while the body was to bo kopt under cover. His heart nearly failed him, when ho was Informed In-formed that all were to ascend the precipices prec-ipices to round up the sheep. "I'd prefer tho Matterhorn," he said to himself. A splendid pair of horns were given to him, measuring thirty-nine inches along the curve. They weighed at least sixteen six-teen pounds, and he knew he never would be able to carry them on his head. However, he made pretense of trying, just to please the Indians. They felt like a ton of lead. He adjusted them to his shoulders, ducked his head until his chin rested on his sternum, got on, his hands and knees, and asked Watls-kow-kow how he looked. A grunt of satisfaction indicated that he had shown the Indians a new wrinkle. wrin-kle. The group separated and tho hunt began. The Major and tho Umatilla chieftain kept together. The round-up was to take place late In the afternoon. Rocky mountain sheep arc the wildest and most wary of all the large mammals mam-mals of North America, and their pursuit pur-suit requires the greatest skill of tho hunter. An Indian Is not over enthusiastic about a white man who kills a grizzly, an elk or an antelope, but when the paleface brings down a big horn ho could be elected honorary chief of tho tribe by a unanimous vole. To kill a grizzly requires cool courage; to kill an elk, some skill and a good deal of luck; to kill an antelope, much patience and a thorough knowledge of tho animal's habits. But to bring into camp a big hornl Ah! It wns a terrible climb. Even Watls-kow-kow had a struggle with the steep walls of blank rock. For three hours they tolled onward and upward. Tho big pair of horns on his shoulders and his arms and ammunition weighted tho Major down so that he was on the point of collapse when they reached a narrow ledge where It was safe to sit down and rest. Following tho example of Watis-kow-kow, ho lay flat upon his stomach, when a peculiar but very faint sound was heard. "Sheep," whispered tho Indian. "Very close." Ho got his gun ready and cautiously cau-tiously elevated his head, moving it so as tp swing the horns back and forth. Presently he reached out his foot and touched the Major. "Look!" The Major saw among the castle-llko crags about a quarter of a mile away somo forty or fifty noble animals. They had on their light brown summer coats, with a reddish tingo hero and thero. Their underbodles were white, as were parts of their legs. On their rump was a large and conspicuous white patch, extending upward on each side of the tall, which was short and black. There was a distinct dark stripe down tho back, and tho muzzle was nearly white. Colo thought he had never seen a more stunning sight. His blood.leaped. His finger Itched off tho trigger. Ho was amazed at the size of tho sheep, some of the flock appearing as big as Jersey cows. The horns of some old males looked as if they might be forty-five forty-five or fifty Inches in length. Ab quickly as If thoy hod melted into thin air tho big horns disappeared. They did not seem to run or Jump. Colo swore that he saw no movement. If tho earth had opened and swallowed them they could not havo vanished more suddenly. "Chlnquln," whispered Watls-kow-kow. In a fow minutes, in the very spot whero tho sheep had been, they caught a glimpse of the Nez Perce crawling along on all-fours, his horns waving. "He'll shoot us," said the Major, feol-lng feol-lng cold chills running over him. Ho was about to givo some sign when Watls-kow-kow stopped him. "No Bhoot. Seel I have given signal with horns." Ho had mado a peculiar and unsheep-llko unsheep-llko movement of the horns upon his head, which Chlnquln knew Indicated a man, but wlUch would! not frighten a sheep. An hour passed. The Major began be-gan to feel that hunting the big horn was slow work and tho severest undertaking under-taking of his life. "Get ready. Soon shoot," sold Watls-kow-kow. "I go up." He had not been out of sight ten minutes min-utes before the Major, hearing something some-thing above, looked toward tho summit sum-mit of the cliff. An enormous sheep stood poised there, outlined between him and tho bluo sky. "A gift of the gods," thought the soldier, sol-dier, who had been taught to believe a bird In tho hand worth two in the bush. The sheep was almost directly over him, distant about 350 feet. It wns alarmed, and seemed hesitating whether to leap from the summit or run back. Evidently some of the Indians had chased It to the top and were closing in on it. Suddenly lt turned slightly and squatted, as If on tho point of making ma-king a plunge downward. Colo whoeled over and brought hlB rlflo to bear on the spot whero neck and Jaw bones i. meet. It was an almost vertical shot. He fired. Simultaneously another shot rang out, followed by a second, third, fourth; then a whole volley. A splendid sheep fell upon the ledgo beside blm, struggled there for a moment, mo-ment, then kicked Itself over the precipice preci-pice and went on down the mountain. Watls-kow-kow came back empty handed and looking quizzically at tho Major. "No sheep?" he said. "Not a sheep, Waty." "No shoot?" "Yes, one shot. Up there. High. Heap big sheep. Down there," pointing point-ing below. "Kill?" "Don't know. Guess so. Pasqulta (namo of his rifle) never miss." The Indian grunted derisively and led tho way. They "found an easier descent and were soon at the bottom of the cliff. They had picked up Chlnquln and another an-other redman, both Bullcnly growling their disappointment. In a clump of bushes they found a giant male big horn Btone dead. Chlnquln Chln-quln claimed him. It was the very sheep he had driven to tho summit of the crag and fired at "Where did you aim?" asked the Major. Ma-jor. "In flank," said Chlnquln, looking for a bullet hole. There was none. Not a mark was to bo found on the body. "Much long fall," said the young Indian. In-dian. "Heap hard rock; kill sheep." Watls-kow-kow looked wise. "No," he said, judicially. "No fall ever kill big born. Leap 300, 500, 1000 feet and no hurt." "I think this Is the sheep that fell on the ledge where I was waiting, and from there tumbled down here," the Major put in. "You shoot?" "Yes; I aimed between his jaws as he stood on the crag abovo me," Watls-kow-kow turned over th head and saw a hole in the throat. "Whlto man's sheep; Indian no good today," he muttered. Then for tho first time he examined Cole's rlflo and patted it affectionately, after which he condescended to shake hands with the soldier. That was a high mark of admiration. ad-miration. The' young Indians followed suit. That night thero was a feast in the woods. The Major found the flosh of tho big horn to be as good as the finest fin-est of venison. His quarry weighed S60 pounds. It was three feet and a half high at the withers and the horns were forty-one and one-half inches long. Maj. Cole was seen In Wall street last weok, where ho was in consultation with bankors concerning rich mining interests. He said: "That was my most successful hunting hunt-ing expedition. Whilo my Indian friends wero trying to settle lt botwecn themselves as to who had killod the sheep, I noticed something shining on the ground, where the animal, In Its death struggle, had torn it up with its horns. I knew there was gold in that region, and fanolcd I had found a nugget, nug-get, so I quietly put lt In my pocket. "Next day I looked around and picked up a few moro specimens; and all these I took to San Francisco when I returned re-turned from our sheep hunt. Tho assay amazed everybody. Nothing eo rich had been seen In many years. I went back to the spot In the following spring and staked out claims, and I now feel sure I've a bigger thing than Thunder mountain. Wo think wo have found the mother lode. Over 5200,000 has been Invested In-vested in machinery and the output Is already over $3000 a day. "So much for hunting the big horn." -Ncw York Press. |