The Press., 1888-04-19

a Iovable rnan-in fact, I never was much used to womankind, having neither mother nor sisters. We'll, well---Olsen will look after you if I'm not back tonight. Good-by"
 He went out quickly and jumped into the wagon. I watched him out of sight then I went into the bedroom. I put on a stout dress and shoes, packed a few little things I cared for, and flung on nay sun bonnet. told Olsen was going over to Mrs Bohms and might stay all night, and started for her house When thought he could no longer see me I left the path and struck across the country to trail that led to the public road some miles beyond Mrs. Frances ranch. Clem often went by this trail nearly to town when he was on horseback.
 I kept steadily on, over level land, through cactus and sage brush, then further ahead I went over rolling ground, hill like mounds, and then descended into a yalley-Dry Creek canyon. I did not stop to eat or drink; in fact, there was no water for miles. It was terribly hot, the air close and stifling, and the few scorched willows along the sandy creek bed afforded no shelter at all 1 noticed early in the afternoon wagon tracks where a team had come down the low banks into the creek bed. I saw that some one was ahead of me. There was, l knew, farther on an old abandoned ranch, where emi- grants often stopped. I began to feel fear now, I remembered I was 6 woman and alone, but I hoped they would have crossed the canyon and gone over the hills to this place. l kept on, determined not to give up so soon. Once when looked back timor- ously, frightened by the awful stiffness of the canvOn, I saw the heavens were dark and angry.
 Soon dull thunder peals echoed from the hills and sharp flash of lightning dazzled me for a moment. knew one of those sudden and terrible thundel'stoiTns peculiar to a mQuntainous country was upon me. believe half my unhappiness at the ranch was caused by the fact that I had to stay alone in thunder showers. and the terror they inspired then will never leave me. As the roar grew louder, the lightning more vivid, began to long for human companiOnship. prayed might find the wagon and a woman in it, and Iplanned a story to tell the people that would explain my strange appearance. ran faster all the while with the energy of despair.
 The air grew close and murky, the sky over- cast, the clouds low hanging, and strange, moaning wind swept down the canyon, rlstling the scattered willows. A few rain drops battered on my shoulders, and wished for my shawl that in my excitement had forgotten to take. I heard the rattle of wheels, and just ahead as turned a bend in the creek, saw wagon going rapidly down l1l0 Ou. 4uS uFlNeT-d Ina0-WaS SlLGlnR with bowed head and did not heed my frantic calls till was close to him. He refined in his horses and looked back. Molly" he cried:
 Ill my fright and haste had recognized neither team nor driver. 1 stood and looked at him i'll miserable dismay, yet I was glad, tOO for the thunder storm was very present and real, and my running away was all in miserable future. At least Glenn would be with me now, if we never saw each otber again. Where were you goingr' be said "oldly. A nasty answer rose to my lips, dr. rested at the instant by the strange expres- sion on Clem's face. He was looking up the canyon; turned and saw far above dark line, like a number of cattle crossing the creek bed. The rain was coming now in great swift sheets, while the thunder reverberated over the far away hills and the lightning flung its red glare across our white faces.
 Glenn ran to the horses, cut their harness and struck them with the whip. '''Ill give the poor beasts chance, he said, as they galloped across the sand.s Then he caught me by the arm. ''Run for your life,n he cried hoarsely, dragging me along.
 Above the roar of the tempest there was another sound, steady and coming nearer. A fearful crashing of waters, like Niagara, dropped suddenly down in quiet landscape. 1 looked up the creek and saw a dark moving IudSS "IIu d CuE1OuS lu(UlOu uO Ou6 Cdn u6- scribe. It had not the smooth fulness and onward rush of an ocean wave, but rather a mad dance. It had no white crest or shining surface; it was black and oily, like mud in waves, and came with tremendous velocity Ahead of us, mid stream, was little mound that had been part of the eastern shore, probably separated by such a flood, and thither we ran. On the island were a num- Der of cottonwoods, and one giant that must have penetrated to some hidden spring, for its foliage was green and bright. The ground about it's roots had been washed away, leaving some Of them exposed, while the bank we climbed was so spongy and yielding that great mass of the sandy earth fell after as we struggled up. The island was four or five feet higher than the creek bed, and we reached its shore just in time, for already there was dirty scum, presage of the torrent, hissing over the dry, hot sand.
 Glenn pulled me up into the big tree, and just as he did so a wave, all of ten feet high, leaped upon us. It reared straight up in the air, hurling timber, trees, dead COWS, pail from some rancher's door, a woman's hat and a chair. 1 thought, as these things whirled by, had any one else been surprised, too, and would we go floating in ghastly gay ety down that black river! Close behind this wave came second one, and the two chased eacn OGnef Tn OlaDollcal merr1ment. They churned up the sand, dug great black hollows between each other, and went tum- bling along, followed by foaming stretch of water, too swift for waves in its pell mell haste. As the water rose Clem dragged me further up the tree, both of us wet and shiv- ering.
 Around us as far as we could see was a wide world of dark waves, boiling, rolling, hurrying on. There was a strange fascina- tion in it, too. knew no swimmer could breast that awful current; that the treacher- ous sand would drag him down like giant armed octopus; yet there was such a swift motion of water, such rollicking, dancing glee, such whirling of air and shore, that one wanted to join the procession and hurry along, too. The waves were full of rotten tree trunks and debris of a wooded hillside, showing the cloud had come down some mountain side miles away; and with the trees were homely household utensils and furni- ture, a calf, and washtub that sailed jovi- ally along until it struck timber and suc- cumbed. I had seen our wagon disappear on the crest of the first wave, but was sure the horses were safe. Then began to think of ourselves. The tree was swaying perilously, the water seething about it's roots
 ''Is it still rising?" said to Glenn, who an- swered ''Yes," quietly holding me tight all the while