CAMP AND CAMERA. 



W. B. C 



When I got back to Denver after a trip 

 to the Puget Sound country, the memories 

 of Skookum Camp were so fresh in my 

 mind that wife and I decided to duplicate 

 those experiences in some measure by a 

 hunting and fishing trip to Northern Colo- 

 rado. 



After various inquiries we decided to go 

 to the fishermen's resort in North Park. 

 Colo., known as King's Ranch, where was 

 said to be the best of trout fishing in the 

 North Platte river. 



A Mr. Kittrell from South Carolina 

 joined us, and we 3 started from Den- 

 ver on the Union Pacific train, September 

 8. Our outfit was a .22 R. F. Winchester 

 repeating rirle for my wife : a .30-30 and a 

 Winchester brush gun. 12 caliber, for my- 

 self, and a .38-55 Marlin. carried by Mr. 

 Kittrell. He and I carried .38 revolvers 

 and formidable looking hunting knives, but 

 these were largely for show, and. after be- 

 ing encumbered with them a few days, we 

 discarded them. 



We all carried fishing tackle, and a good 

 assortment of flies : also an 8x8 tent, and 

 a camp cooking outfit. I carried my No. 4 

 Cartridge Kodak, which has been my in- 

 separable companion for the past 2 years. 



On our way from Denver to Laramie 

 we regaled each other with stories of hair- 

 breadth escapes, and Mr. Kittrell told one 

 amusing anecdote of a South Carolina 

 hunter who ran across a small brown bear. 

 He was armed with a shotgun, and hastily 

 discharged both barrels loaded with buck- 

 shot at bruin, and without waiting to see 

 the result started up the nearest tree; that 

 is. he imagined he was climbing the tree, 

 but when his friend- discovered him he 

 was sitting on the ground with arms and 

 legs clasped tightly around the tree, but in 

 a dead faint! A short distance away lay 

 the bear. <tone dead. 



We arrived at Laramie at midnight, and 

 the following morning took the stage for 

 Pinkhampton, 55 miles Southwest. Pink- 

 hampton is nothing but a stage station and 

 post office, but contains one building of in- 

 terest, as it was from this building that the 

 Indian- were fought in one of their up 

 risings. The second story is built like a 

 Cuban block house, being devoid of win 

 dows, and especially built for defense. 



Three miles from Pinkhampton w( 

 reached our destination. King's Ranch 

 We found, it excellent in all the appoint- 

 ments that go to make up a successful fish 

 ing resort, and were particularly pleased 

 with the large detached sitting and loafing 



room, called ' The Lodge." Here we 

 would gather after a day's sport, and re- 

 count prodigious stories of the fish we 

 didn't catch. 



At the ranch we made the acquaintance 



of a Mr. C . of Denver. He proved to 



be a capital talker, entertaining us with 

 reminiscences of his early life on the bor- 

 der between New and Old Mexico. At 

 that time he had charge of a large land and 

 cattle company, and. of course, came into 

 direct antagonism with a lawless element, 

 especially the horse and cattle thieves. 

 With charming modesty he related tales 

 of the most thrilling nature in which he 

 was a participant. Among these was one 

 of 2 young men. Lee and Clark, who start- 

 ed a horse ranch, about 60 miles over the 

 line in Old Mexico. Lee fell in love with 

 the daughter of a wealthy Mexican planter, 

 and his affection was reciprocated by the 

 fair senorita. Her father, however, had 

 other plans for her future, and. as there 

 seemed to be no prospect of breaking up 

 the attachment, he hired 6 Mexican cut- 

 throats to assassinate Lee. Lee came in 

 one evening at sundown, and was sitting 

 with his back to the wall, not yet having 

 removed his belt and revolver, when the 

 door opened and in came came the as 

 -ins each with a murderous knife in his 

 hand. Before the sixth man could get out 

 of the room. 5 of his companions lay dead 

 on the floor. 



Lee knew that, after tin-, his life would 

 be forfeited if captured. He saddled his 

 fastest horse, and started for the river. 

 Clark came in from the range <ome time 

 later, and discovering the dead Mexicans 

 on the floor, and the horse, saddle and Lee 

 missing, suspected the cause o\ the trouble, 

 hastily gathered a few things and hit the 

 trail in pursuit. The surviving would-be 

 murderer, on his escape from the cabin. 

 gave the alarm, and the rurales. as the 

 local Mexican troops are called, started in 

 pursuit. Lee had a long start, gained the 

 river, found a Mexican boatman, was 

 .rowed aero--, and Sent the boatman back 

 for Clark, whom he suspected would not be 

 far behind. Clark did not have much of a 

 <tart over the rurales, but under such cir- 

 cumstances the man in front usually makes 

 the best time, and he gained the river bank 

 slightly in advance of his pursuers, found 

 the b( at. sprang in. and the boatman 

 pushed off. When about lOO yard- from 

 the shore the rurales drew up at the bank. 

 and their captain ordered the boatman to 

 -top. Clark drew hi- revolver, and told 



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