San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-05-03
Written for the FaKE PRxss,
"reminiscences Of Texas Veteran-'-Ihe
Santa Fe Expedition, etc.
by O. ERHARD.
Icopyrighted.l
lcopyrighted.l
w
pY O. rRHARp
KENpALL's NARRATIVE CONTINUED.

mules short rest, and made n light meal
of our half cured meet, We resaddled ana
resumed our journey. We were going for
ward at rapid pace, the prairies before us
presenting no other appearance than a
slightly unduating but smooth surface,
when suddenly, and without previous sign
or warning, we found ourselves upon the
very brink of vast and yawning chasm, or
canon. as the Mexicans would call it, some
three hundred yards across, and probably
eight hundred feet in depth.
AS the front ranks suddenly checked their
onward course, and diverged at right angles,
the rear section were utterly at a loss to un-
derstand movement so irregular; they
could not see even the edge of the fearful
abyss at distance of fifteen yards from its
yery brink. The banks at this place were
almost perpendicular, and from the sides
projected jagged and broken rocks, with
here and there stunted scrubby cedar.
There was some appearance OF zigzag
and precipitious trail down the sides OF the
cannon at the point where we first reached
IT, and MIR. Hunt and DR.. Brenham took it
with the intention of reaching the bottom it
possible. They continued their winding
path until they seemed mere pigmies, and
only stopped when their progress was ar
rested by high perpendicular bluffs. On
their return, after an absence of half an
hour, they said they had not advanced hall
way to the bottom. and to attempt crossing
at this or any other point within sight was
useless.
We travelled mile or two along the bank
but finding it impossible to discovers eros
sing place, we finally encamped in little
hollow of the prairie near the edge OF the
ravine. Here finding that large portion
of our badly cured meat was spelling, We
cooked what still could be eaten, and threw
much of it away for the buzzards and the
wolves.
Young Frank Combs and myself sought
comfortable lodging in little sandy gully
which had been formed by previous rains
A fine bed it was, too, for about on hour
but ,ust as we commenced DOING we were
startled by tremendous thunderstorm.
In three minutes we were wet through
and in five minutes found that we were
fairly floating, our rifles and saddles, tht
latter which we used for pillows, being
completely under water.
We snatched our rifles from the swift
running stream, took up our bed. anc
walked to higher ground, amid the terrible
storm. We found means however, to SCI
fire to large dry cedar, once more rolled
up in our blankets, and after thinking Of
home and its thousands of comforts, fel
asleep. Yet never shall 1 forget the early
part of that awful night The lightning
appeared to be playing about in the chasn
far below us, bringing out in wild relief,
its bold and craggy sides. Deafening peal
of thunder seemed to be rising from the
very bowels of the earth, and then mutter
ed away in the distance, rejoicing, as i
were, at their escape from confinement
The yawning abyss apeared to be work
shop for the manufacture of the storm, ant
there we were at the very doors when th'
Ruler OF the elements sent forth specimen
of his grandest, his sublimest work.
When morning came, which was brigh
and cloudless, we crawled out from ou
blankets, and doubt whether a more mis-
erable. woe-begone set Of unfortunates, IL
appearance, have been seen since the pas
sage of the Red Sea- Not man among u
who was not as wet as though he had beef
Itowed astern of steamer from the Falls f
the Balize. and without the privilege @
going ashore at any intermediate land
ing"
Ofmy own appearance, can say moth
ing. as among our scanty stock of furnitur
there was 10 such luxury as looking glass
but the unshaven faces Of my companion
resembled. to use q threadbare expression
the title-pages Of 20 raany distress memo
rails. and cannot fatter myself into th
belief that differed from them in any ms
terial respect.
Each individual hair upon our heads va
sticking out anywhere, and to suit its owl
convenience: our broad brimned hats yer
oOckel up, IOoped down, and Knocked II
20. or rather out Of all manner Of shape an
eomeIiness; cur caps were mashed; GU
s-s,.v and racCei vestnenis. fun Of sa1i