West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-10-23
COLORADO.
Girls Caught on the Plains by an
Approaching Tornado.
Escaping the Lightning and tho Tempest
-ESperienco In "A GuIch-How IL
Appeared When the storm
Was over.

We had been nearly two months ut the
ranch, ard the weeks had been an al
most unvarying round of delight for us
both. Nearly all the daylight hours we
were out of doors, watching the phases
OF n life so new to us. Often at NIGHT
we went out to n little enlinence where
we could see the sheep come home to
their corral. What a solid phalanx of
wool they looked, and what twinkling
little sticks their legs were. Poncho had
recovered, and was gravely at work
every day. i used to think the doo's
face wore an air of tenderness as well
as anxiety when he was CONDUCTING n
detachment of sheep with lambs. OF
course, that was a mere fancy, but Val
verde bore me out in the notion. To
ms Mn PonchO was capable of anv-
thing. He would not be surprised if
some day the dog had suddenly adj
dressed him in the English of the plains.
1T was a quarter to three o'clock of n
mild, cloudless afternoon when nv sis
ter, Nan, and myself started to return
from a ranch six miles away. We had
ode over there to dinner, and came
gayly cantering homeward. the sun
bright, and for once but very little
wind blowing. According TO nv ex-
perience, the West, with its GREAT
plains, is the place to become acmaint-
ed with wind. Hardly a day passes but
the air sweeps over the vast stretches
IN a way that is annoying until one
gets accustomed TO it. IL roars through
the canyons, sucking hoarsely along the
gorges. Ii is one of the mighty as.
poets OF the country, and to me the
least pleasant of anything I had known
thus far. But this day, as l have said.
II was calm. The sage only moved
gently rs we rode toward it.. and we
seemed TO hear the notes Of birds borne
70 Us from an immense distance. A
great many curlews were c|ircling about
and the prairie dogs sat up in front of
their houses, looking at us with pert
and inquiring gaze.
There something in the CRY of the
birds that / do not like" said Nan
There a tone of foreboding in II. and
IT Is not an appropriate tone for so
magnificent a dav. - But she LAUGHED
at her W words as she spoke them.
a gray wolf leapcd across our path AT
some distance, stopped an instant and
eyed us, then fled away rapidly. Again
Nan turned %uneasily in her saddle and
looked about her. As she shook the
lines on her pony's neck she exclaimed
81 am certainly under a spell. DO Won
know, girls, that ] actually thought
that gray wolf had something to tell us.
II we could only underestimate
After these remarks, Nan seemed To
forget her fears. and we AN became
cheerful. as was fitting for horsewomen
IN Colorado. As look back upon that
afternoon. the ride. the bright SUNLIGHT
and the experience which followed. ali
seem, although painfully vivid. a. II
they bad happened in life OF mine i'm
some other world; ] can never associate
them with myself in this existence
We were riding toward the northeast
having been ~ 70 ranch living toward
the Vega Pass. though q number of
miles this side Of 10. That feeling which
the birds had awakened bad proved
very transient Ny sister suddanl,
asked lu % tone Of interest. untnyod bv
fear. If we bad noticed the cloud in tho
southwest, and was it customary TO,
Colorado skies To- exhibit suoh
freaks Upon hat we all turned
us about and as Nan. with "a
quick cry, pulled up her horse. we
hi7p stopped our ponies and v4IDI.
Speaking Tor myself. only IeIt tbep a
keen interest without alarm a. tba
sight before me-. Until ! looked af my
cousin face diI not think of fear 4
great way oil, 10 appeared e. joe. + wa.
told Hlfer"Irl it must have boon about
ten miles distant when wo Gr.t saw i.
was % cloud a]1-O.u..I. black. For tho
ifsi iI'na knew what the phrase ink.
h~Ia"kne-- meant Neither before NOR
since have ! ever Sal 20 cloud Yf t.af
co or 10 was roughly cone 1aned. M
point toward the earth. But oven n.
shap. and color were not the most Ter.
rne things about &c. Tho mass wa.
''.oI me- SO other word auuI as fo
tho Inca aut rapid changes iu. In. Text
uro which alI .ha time preserved II.
bI1oEuc- and through 30 there were
constant flashes of lightning But wf
heaII 40 thunder then Small never
forget The % fencss chat came 90 Nan \
lace Without knowug that saw
''.1i yet remembered 0sruasd that