Robber Bears at San Mateo.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume 4, Issue 37, 8 February 1895, Page 2

Robber Bears at San Mateo.

By Nathan D- Urner.

In the early days of tbe Colorado gold fever it would have been difficult to make the inhabitants of the little Mexican village of Puebla (now Puebla City) believe that Captain Vasco, the famous bandit chieftain of the San Mateo range, was not intelligently and effectually assisted in his successful defiance of efforts to capture him, by all the bears, black, brown, cinnamon and grizzly, of the wild, wooded region and rock-piled heights contiguous to his mountain fastness. Indeed, sharers in this seemingly absurd belief were not wanting among the soldiers and scouts at the neighboring fort; and there was. after all, some,foundation in fact for the superstition. The bears had been seen mingling freely with the desperadoes in the thick of the fight, during the last stand against the troopers, and contributing immensely to the victory. On all-fours or erect, armed with enormous knotted branches torn from trees, or with only their claws pawing amid the deep snows of the higher precipices, and Bending down avalanches upon the heads of the luckless assailants, their savage and phenomenal appearance had struck supernatural terror to the would-be bandit exterminators, and caused the attack to be relinquished in panic and dismay. At least, such was the burden of the reports, and there was enough foundation in these to afford room for any number of exaggerations, which the robbers were willing enough to turn to their account. But it was reserved for maiden purity and innocence to probe the dread mystery to the core. These qualities were combined in the perBon of Isa, or Isadora, Mahlana, an ignorant but very beautiful young blanket-weaver of Puebla, where the scrapes , or Mexican blankets, produced by her old aunt Manuela and herself were unrivalled for their durability, the brilliancy of their parti colored stripes, or their ducks’-back capacity of Bhedding water. As a matter of course, Isa had admirers in plenty, for she was as amiable as she was charming ; but her favored admirer was Jim Seannell, a brave young hunter-scout in tbe military employment. One bright winter morning, as Isa was on her way over the mountain trail on her fleet Bnow-shoes, and warmly muffled against the driving winds, she encountered her lover making bis way to the fort, and carrying on his broad shoulders the carcase of a fat, black tailed doe, which he had that morning shot at the salt-licks of the Blue Water Canyon. “ Whioh way, Isa?” he asked, his eyes dancing at the s’ght of her as he threw down his burden for a love-chat that was always in order with him. '* Not over Long Trail, surely?” “ Yes, Santiago,” responded her delicious Voice—she mostly Spanishised his given name thus—“ to ray uncle’s at San Felipe. We are out of red and grey wools, and they must be had or our loom will be idle." “ To San Felipe 1” cried the scout. "You must not go, Isa—at least, not until I can go with you.” 11 1 have no choice, Santigo.” And a melting look in her deep eyes told how gladly she would have had his escort. “ But it is madness. The trail skirts the worst fastness of Vasco and his band, and there’s a chance of a'fight to-day. A squad set out to reconnoitre before daybreak-, with half a regiment of Mexican volunteers to back them. you Some “of Vasco’s bears.” "I. ' And he'ended with a short laugh, though earnest enough in his protest. 'lsa-gave a little shudder, but she was not wholly fearful. “ I must go, Santiago, Vasco or no Vascc,” said she, smiling. “ And as for -the bears, you forget that Captain Jose was my poor father’s friend, which would stand me in good stead.” Scannell’s face grew troubled. He did not forget that Isa’s “poor father” had been a robber-captain, into whose shoes Jose Vasco had stepped at the time of the former's violent death.' Neither did he forget—still more maddening reflection I —that it bad been cut and dried between the former bravo and his lieutenant that Isadora was one day to be the latter's wife. “ Don’t cross the Long Trail to-day,” he persisted. “There is always danger when Vasco is abroad. I am on duty at the fort to-day, an ! to-morrow we make an attack on the outlaws. But after that I can accompany you to San Felipe.” “ I am not afraid. Besides, I have no choice. We have seven blankels promisad, our looms are idle for lack of the scarlet wools, and an.old Manuela would be frantic were I to return without them. Good-bye, Santiago !” She turned up the mountain, and he saw she was not to be dissuaded. “ What is the matter, dearest ? Is that the way we separate ?’’ As she paused in pretended surprise, he iprang after her for the good-bye kiss. Hardly had she struggled, laughing and blushing, out of his arms, before a dark face —a handsome face, too, but just (hen distorted with jealous hatred—peered out from an overhanging rock, and was gone in a flash. And then the young girl was springing away up the trail, kissing her hand merrily to her lover until he disappeared. The way to San Felipe was a good nine miles ever the mountains, and much of it through many of the wildest haunts of the robber-band. But the snow was well crusted, the deeper drifts could be avoided, and Tsa, ivho was well used to snow-shoe travelling, litted, glided, or bounded swiftly along the route, with which she had been more or less [amiliar from her childhood, and with only m occasional timid glance about her, as Rbe ivas passing under Los Pinos de Diablo [the Devil’s Pines], a partly-forested, snow-choked iteep, out of which the bears were said to ssue at critical moments in response to the robber-captain’s summons. She reached her destination without mis* lap, obtained her wools from the industrious Indians there, and, after enjoying a little lunch, was on her homeward road, with refreshed strength and a hopeful heart. But she had hardly repassed under the frowning brow of the Devil’s Pines, when there was alow call, in imitation of a coyote’s yelp, from the thicket to her left. She stopped in terror as a powerfullybuilt, picturesque ruffian made his appearance, with a warning gesture, and Jose Vasco, the dreaded robber-captain, was in her path. “Daughter of my old comrade and cap. tain,” said he, with a smile, “ ’tis not long lince we have met, but you hnve grown lovelier and lovelier. You are sweeter than marriage-bells unto a hope too long deferred, my flower 1” Isadora strove to appear indifferent, though too much terrified to speak. The last time she bad met this man wat nearly three years before, at her father’s 3eath-bed. Solemn words had then been said by hei father, pledging her as this man’s futurt bride. She even remembered him to have compelled her to clasp hands with Jose across his body, while he muttered a sealing benediction with his dying lips. But that was all. It was more like the recollection of’ a hideous dream than aughl else. She had hoped that Jose had either for gotten all about the miserable troth plight or would never care to demand its fulfil ment. Indeed, she never thought of him a*ll hnt with a feplincr r>f horror ; and -now—ah, weD might she turn pale and catch hei breath at the unmistakable meaning of those greeting words; at-the fervent gaze of those gloomy and remorseless eyes ! Angered at her scarcely-concealed rupnlcion, no lesp than inflamed by her beauty—-

which was perhaps enhanced by her trepidation—he lost no time in letting her know that he had forgotten nothing, but regarded her as irrevocably bound to him. “ Why do you not speak to me, little one ?” he at laßt exclaimed. “ Shall you not be ready when I send to old Manuela for your hand, as I shall most assuredly, soon as I have given those troublesome blue-coats at tbe fort their final quietus? Or do you contemplate treachery—disobedience to those death-bed vows?” And his brow darkened, wnile his teeth glistened like a wolf’s between his bearded lips. Isa could still only clasp her hands and tremble. “Is it that I have a rival, girl f Speak, I Bay I” . i 11 No, no, no 1 Ah, of what are you thinking, Jose?” And she stammered forth other evasions, more or less incoherent. He interrupted her with a diabolical ■ laugh. _ ! “ What a poor little deceiver you are I , You should take pattern from your elders, j or stick to the truth. Seannell, the Ameri- : can, is your lover. I witnessed your adieus —you were in his arms at the foot of the I trail.” j In the midst of her confusion there was i a look of astonishment that he well under- j itood. _ I “And yet he died not in his tracks, with a bullet in bis heart,” he went on. *' Well, ( your surprise is natural, my dear; for my carbine covered him, my finger was on the trigger, but I spared him. Would you know the reason I spared him, little one ?” j She bowed her pale face. I “ Perhaps he has forgotten me; but he saved my life once at the risk of his own. It was in a wild brawl at El Paso. He was both generous and brave. Jose Vasco never forgets.” She breathed more freely, but hie next words chilled her afresh. “ But think not that I would resign you. I would not assassinate him from ambush ; but when the time comes he must give you up or die. Those soldiers are fools. lam impregnable here.” He made a proud and comprehensive gesture. “ Our fastness is inaccessible, and even the fierce bears, the i savage beasts of the wilds, are our auxi- j liaries.” j This was said bo simply that Isadora’s last i doubts as to the bear stories in current be- | lief were dissipated, and she viewed him : with superstitious fear. i Suddenly a bugle sounded from some- j where far up the heights, and he started. “ Ha! it is the warning blast I” he ex- j claimed. “ Can a fresh attack be medi- j tated ?” He tightened his belt, whioh j literally bristled with revolvers, and shifted the carbine that was slung behind his shoulder. “ Come, I shall claim you in good , season ; but a kiss before we part.” A kiss I and for him 1 She shrank back, | appalled. He clutched her wrist, the evil light, kindling in his dark face like an angry i meteor. j But at that instant there sounded a rattl-1 ing volley from both above and below the i height, and she was saved the threatened kiss. “ Good-bye I I shall claim you in good time." He waved his hand, springing among the slippery rocks with the celerity of a mountain goat, and disappeared among the trees. Then Isadora, shrinking a little further from the open trail, stood still in a sort of fascination, for she had never seen an armed ; struggle, and one was iu progress under her very eyes. Firing as they climbed, swarmed the boys in blue, with their Mexican contingent hurrahing enthusiastically on either wing. The robbers gallantly returned the volleys with irregular-firing- from the Umber line, even hurrving down fenrlessly to meet the charge. And the spell-bound girl could mark their leader in the van, no less bravely conspicuous than was the young West Pointer who encouraged the attack with hia waving sword. A thrill of gladness filled the girl’s veina as she saw the robbers beaten bnck, leaving more than one prostrate man in their letreat, while the disciplined soldiers and their allies slowly but surely followed them up. But at this juncture the young girl witnessed a sight almost incredible, notwithstanding that her superstition might have in some measare prepared her for it. The robbers suddenly disappeared, as if by magic, their places being apparently taken bv trrops of savage hears, which issued from the pines with ferocious snarls and cries,and at once set up such a novel'form of resistance ard counter-attack as filled the storming party with terror and dismay. Erect, with massive bludgeons in their grasp, pawing amid the white drifts on allfours, or merely showing their formidable teeth and brandishing their mighty claws, they began to loosen the clinging snowheaps and hurl them thundering down upon the assailants’heads with a force and precision truly terrific; and this was but a mask for the bullets of their human allies, which at the same time began to rain again, with more or less disastrous effect, from the cover of the copses in their rear. The soldiers had coma to a dead halt, puzzled and astounded by tbe groteßqueness of it all, and this hesitation was fatal to their enterprise. The next moment t! e entire volunteer contingent, which constituted more than four-fifths of the attacking force, broke and fled dow-n tbe mountain in an agony of panic, throwing away their guns, and giving utterance to frightened screams and yells. The cowardly example was too much for the discipline of the regulars—a mere handtul, at the m"- 1 .

The panic oecame a contagion, and, though retiring with some ahow of order, they also gave up the fight, the rout becoming general. Isadora, who had witnessed everything from her little nook of co&jaalment, buried her face in her bands. But when she looked again it rnsato witness another spectacle, which served to alter the entire tenor of her mortification and fearß.

One of the bears,having missed its footing on the icy steep, came tumbling, plunging, and rolling head over heels past her retreat, betraying much of the secret of his soldierly intelligence in his unstudied sprawls, and at the same time uttering the strangest expressions of rage and disgust that had ever yet proceeded from a real bear. It was a revelation; and, with her superstitious terrors no longer an incentive, the young girl darted out upon the trail and fled away with all the swiftness that her supple nimblenegs could evoke from her snow-shoe expertness. Out of breath, but still joyous over her treasured discovery, she arrived at o’d Manuela’s adobe hut before sundown, and then lost no time in hurrying to the fort. “ Where is Santiago Seannell ?” she demanded of one of the sentries. “ I have a secret for him. I must see him right away.” All the garrison were in a surly mood, foi the defeat of the reconnoitring party had just been made known. But the man whom she addressed, and who was well aware of the scout's love-affair, laughed as he informed her that Jim was off on a hunting expedition, and would hardly return before daybreak. when he was to guide a general at tack upon the robbers, then to be made ii considerable force.

“ Ah, I shall have to wait," said Isa, dis appointedly; but do tell him for me not t> go away again wtfchout seeing me.*' “It ain’t likely that he would m »n; case, Isa,” replied the sentry, with anothe good-natured laugh; for the beautifu blanket-maker was a favorite everywhere and there wasn’t a member of the garnsoi that didn’t wish Scout Jim joy of his woomg " Bat I shall see your message delivered all the same." . Bright and early, indeed, before sun-up, the next, morning, Jim was at the old Manuela’s cottage, and it took bgt a

moment for the girl to place him in possession of her discovery. The scout’s blue eyes opened to their l widest capacity, and then, catching Isa in his Rrras, be shouted a wild hurrah, while raining his kisses upon her blushing face. “ Yon don’t say so I” he exclaimed. “ What I the great bear trick nothing more than a dodge—a masquerade of robbers in bear skins ?” She nodded. “ Hurrah I tbe superstition is nipped in the bud 1 Even the greasers won’t' run away again. We’ll lick them out. of their boots, wad the giving away of this secret on my part will gain me promotion as chief scout of the department, with double my present pay 1” “ Oh, Santiago, I am so glad 1” And Isa clasped her hands, the happy tears glistening in her dark eyes. “ Listen, dear. You know that snug little ranch of mine on the San Juan?” Another nod. “ Would you like to be there —as my wife, of course ?” “ Oh, Santiago 1” And the happy tears made way for happy blushes now. “Good ! Have the old woman make you ready forthwith, for we shall be married next Sunday. That is the day after tomorrow, which will be two days after to-' day’s scrimmage, which is destined to wipe out Yasco and his entire band, big and little bears included I” “ Oh, Santiago I You forget I” and the brightness began to fade Out of the sweet face. “My father himself was a robbercaptain ; and ” “No matter 1” cried Seannell, once more catching her to his breast, “Is it your father’s ghost or your precious, darling self that I would take to my home and hearc? Good-bye, and God keep you till my return I But a last kiss first 1” and he was gone. That was a fluttering day for the pretty little blanket-weaver, rr-ek as she had not known, or perhaps dreamed of, in the whole course of her existence. A day of days, a day of love, suspense and hope, such as, once at least in a lifetime, is the rich-set jewel of every budding maiden heart, be it high or low, opulent or poor, refined or coarse, tutored or ignorant—a priceless day, henceforward to be treasured in unfailing memory.

But it passed, as other days must pasH, as dreams must pass; and soon after the first news came in that tbe robbers had been completely whipped out of their boasted fasturss, resulting in the extermination of a majority of the band, including Vasco, their chief, and the capture of the rust, Isa was sobbing for joy on her lover’s breast. “Ah, dearest, it was almost a picnic for us this time I” he exclaimed, when recounting the events of the light. 11 The secret of the bear-skins was not generally made known amongst us until just, before the storming of the steep, and its effect upon the men was magical. Why, even the greasers, as if shamefaced and maddened at the recollection of their superstitious fears, charged up among the rocks with the best of us, and when the rascals ran out their bears it was for the last time, I can tell you. We rushed rig among them before they could set their avalanches moving, shooting ’em down right ind left, and as the bear-skins were intended to frighten rather than to hurt—were, in fact, more of an incumbrance to their wearers than anything else—they were taken completely by surprise, and made scarcely any resistance. By Jupiter 1 those bear-skins must have been saved up from the hunts of half a dozen generations, and I’m betting high there’s not one of ’em left but what is too riddled for future service of any Bort. Then, having disposed of the bears, we rushed through the pines, driving out the rest of the robbers, who didn’t stop running till the last ridge of San Mateo range was reached, where they, made their last stand, the bigger part of ’em dying in their tracks.” “ And Jose—Vaseo himself 1 He also was Blain, they say." “ Yes ; he fought like the game bravo he was. But, before he died, 1 recognised him as a chap whose life I saved in El Paso some some years ago, and who sort of chummed with me for a short time afterwards. Perhaps he recognised me, too. Anyway, as he Bank back he fixed his eyes upon me,gasping out in Spanish, ‘ It’s as well as it is, old comrade, since the same trail could no longer have carried the pair of us 1’ and then he was gone. Of course, I couldn’t imagine what he meant, but it matters little one way or the other.” Isadora, who understood better than he, and who had told nothing of her encounter with Vasco on the preceding day, merely buried her face on her lover’s Rhoulder, shudderingly thankful that the fierce eyes of the bandit chief could come no more between her and her heart’s love. “Ah, thank Heaven you are safe returned!” was all she could murmur; “and thank Heaven that you love me I” They were married on the following Sundae, as the scout had declared they should be, and soon after went to live on Seannell’s snug ranch, where it may be that they are living in happiness at the present day.