The Red Cloud chief., 1885-10-09
COLORADO.
Girls Caught on the Plains by an
Approaching Tornado.
Escaping the Lightning and ths Tempest
-Espcriencc In "a GuIch-How 1t
Appeared When the Storm
Was Over.

we niu fccH nearly Two months NJ inc
ranch, ard the weeks had been an al
most unvarying round Of delight for us
both. Nearly all the dayli, ht hours we
were out of doors. watching the phases
OF a life so new to us. Often at NIGHT
we went out to a little cmincnce 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. I'OnchO had
recovered. and was gravcly at work
every day. used to think the dogs
fac wore an air of tenderness ~ well
rs ANXIETY when he was conducting a
detachment of sheep with lambs. OF
course. that was a mere fancy, but Val
verde bore me Tut in the notion. TO
his mind Ioncho Was capable Of any
thing. lie would not b. 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 4
mild, cloudlcSs afternoon when nv sis
ter, Nan. and myself started TO return
from a ranch SIX miles away. We had
tiIttli oNtt tll'lc ~ luHtl ana tsi!ltt
gayly cantcring homewarl. the sun
bright. and for once but very little
wind blowing. According TO my cx-
percnce. the West. with its great
plains, is the place to become acquaint-
ed with wind. Hardly a day passes but
the air sweeps over the vast sire: hes
in a WAY that is annoying until one
gets accustomed 10 il. IL roarS through
tire canyons. sucking hoarscly along the
georges. Ii is one of the mighty as
re Is OF the country. and TO me the
least pleasant of anything 1 had known
thus far. fiut this day. rs | haze said.
IL was calm. The sage only moved
gently rs we TO e toward it. an | we
seemed 10 hear the notes of birds borne
To II from m immense distance. 4
Grrat many cur.cwS were circlinT about,
an! tn prairc dos sat up i'm front of
the r houses. looking ut us with pert
and inluiring gaze.
There's something i'm the cry of the
birds that | do not like" said Nan.
There's a one q: forcboding i'm it. and
II l. net IN appropr.a ate q n for SD
magnificent II day" But she laughed
ut her W words As she spoke them.
a gray wolf lcapcd across our path at
some distance. stopped an instant and
eyed us. then fled away rapidly. Again
Nan turned uncasly in her sad lie and
looked about her. AS she shook the
lines on her pony's neck she exclaimed:
Il am certainly under = spell. DO you
know. girls. that | actually thought
that gray wolf had something To tell us,
If We could only UNDERESTIMATE"
After these remarks. Nan seemed to
forget her fears. and we all became
cheerful. rs was fitting for hOcsewomcn
in Colorado. AS look back upon that
afternoon. the ride. the bright sunlight.
and the experience which followed. all
seem. althou yh painfully vivid. ~ if
they had happened in = life OF mine in
some other world; | can neverAssocia,e
them with myself in this existence.
We were riding toward the northeast.
having been to Il ranch lying toward
the Vega Pass. though \ number OF
miles this side of it. That feeling which
the BIRDS had awakened had proved
very transient My sister suddenly
asked in . tone of interest. untnged by
fear. if We had noticed the cloud in the
southwest, aud was it customary 70.
Colorado skies to exhibit such
freaks? Upon that We all turned
us about. and rs Nan. with a
gu OK cry. pulled up her horse. we
also stopped our ponies and gazed.
Speaking for myself. l only felt then a
keen interest, without alarm. N the
sight before me. Until l looked at nv
cousin face l did not think of Gear. 4
great way oh. it appeared to M. l was
told afterward it must have been about
ten miles distant when we first SAW it,
was 3 cloud absolutely black. For :hs
first time | knew what the phrase ..inky
blackness" meant. Neither before nor
since have | ever seen q cloud of tina,
.cosor. 1t was roughly cone shaped. the
po;nt toward the earth. But even its
shape aad color were not the most ter.
ribe things about it The mass was
-..boiIing." No other word :pplies to
the incessant rapid changes in its text.
.ure, which all the time preserved its
1blackness: and through 1t there were
constant flashes of lightning. But We
heard no thunder then. 1 shall never
forget the win tsncss that came 70 Nam
~. Without knowing that saw
Them. l yet remembered afteswsEa Aa'