Western Forest Fires

'¦That sniil of buruing pines that we got bero last night is the lirst tbing that reminded me of home since I left Leadvillo," said Captain William Kavanagh, in oíd fronticrsman, scout, trapper and miner, in tlio rotunda of Uu; l.alayelte Hotel yesterday. "Of oonne tui.s lire we haii iip in the State waan't a marker in extent to the lire-s we have up in the Rookies and Sierras, but it's more seriofaa in its roiisequences. Isee bytbe papers that tbere was some loss of ufe and considerable loss of property, whilo out West the only damage done is the det-truction of a few tous of f(ame." Do the Indiaus ever get caught?" agked. "Yes, now and then. I remeruber in '69, when twenty-six ütes were caught in a üury trap in the Red Kiver counlry and only one eseaped to teil the story, and he diedforty-eighthours afterwards rom the burns iie hadreceived. About two yeara later twelre red ders were burned to death in the Black Móuntains, oear Santa Fe, X. M. ïhey belonged to the New Mexico tribe of Apaches and met their fate while being pursned by a party of ' 'Regulators. ' ' It was said that the pines wero lired by Vigilants, but out West we don't investígate those points very closely, when a redskin is T5e torest nres in Colorado," continuod the Captain, "and throughout the mountain rangos occur twice a year - in the fall and spring. They origínate from various causes - sonietirnes from a prtspector's or a hunter's canipfire, but more freqtientïy they aro tired by the redskins, who use the foiest for a dual purpose. When at war with the whites the forests are iired to cut off tho approach of the soldiers, and in peaee the forests and prairie grass are often set on fire for the purpose of running out the game. "In 1868 a half-breed Indiau scout invited meto join a party of L'te hunters in a hunt down the White Rivor. 1 accepted the Invitation. Our partj consisted of l'ourteen bucks, two half-ureeds