Two Hunters Among The Sierra Nevadas

A couplo of huutors, with theier rifles ovor their shoulders, seeing tho siuoko of our camp-fire, followed it through tho wood and joinud our circlo. They wuro ypioal mountaineers, - outoasts froni society, discontented with the world, com'orting them sel ves in the solitude of na;ure by the occasional excitement of a aear-figfat. One was a halfrbreed Cheroee, rather over six l'eet high, powerfully juüt, and pictoresquely drcssed in buckskin broeche und green jacket ; a sort of frovatore hat oompleted his costumu, and jave him an animated appearance. Tlie other was unmistakably a Pike Co. mam, who had daugled into a, pair of buttemut eans. His greasy flannul shirt wa3 pinned together with thorns in lieu of buttons, and kis hat, having lost its stiffness by continual wotting, was fastened back ,n the same way. The Cherokeo had a long manly stride,-and tho Pike a rickety sort of shuttle. His anatomy was bad, tiis physical condition worse, and I think lie added to that a sort of piide in his own awkwardness. Seeming to have a principie of suspension somewhero about bis shoulders which mairitained his hcad at the right elevation above the ground, tie kept up a good gato in walking without apparently making an effort. - His body swayed with a peculiar oorkscrew motion, and his long Mississippi rifle waved to and fro through the air. We all notioed the utter contrast betwoen them, as theso two men approached our fire. The huntor's taciturnity is a well-known role, but they had evidently lived so long an isolated lite that they were too glad of any company to play it unfailingly ; so it was they who oponed the conversation. We found that they were now camped only a half-mile from us, were hunting for deer-skins, and had already accumulated a vory large number. They offered us plenty of venison, and were groatly interested in our proposed journeys into tho high mountains. From them wo learnod that they had themslves ienetrated farther than any others, and had only given up the exploration after wandering fruitlessly among the canons for a month. They told us that not even Indians had crossed the Sierras to tho east ; and that if we did succood in reaching tho summit, we would certainly be the first. We learned from them also thnt a milo to the northward was a great hord of oattle in charge of a party of Mcxicans. Fleeing before tho continued drouth of the plaius, all the cattle-raen of California drive tho remains of thoir starved herds either to the crest of tho high Sierras, and grazo upon the sumnior pasturos, descendiug in the uutumn and living upon the dry footliill grasses, until undor tho influenco of tho winter rains, the plains again elothe