Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-06-02

li We for y bit of a refresher during my little
=" holiday, sir; and you're no idea how nice
~ the old place do look. Now. supposin'-
ne as we amt got NARY blessed thing to dc
Dohp for the next week, we kinder take q lool
40 around arter that stone we used ter think
20 stich a lot %of-Jest for curiosity like
la hey: The Kid used ter make n fine to-do
io about beln good when she was sick; do
~ you feel like it now my 5el:'
~ ola turned deadly pale, and was silent
va iof a moment, then lifting her eyes to
Inlne she stretched her hand out, and,
nc as | took it, said:
- II am ready"
- We made our preparations that after
noon. and tool, tie night train from San
u lJlego to Canyon River. where we put up
49, Tor the night. In the morning we took
=, the stage ID Great Canyon Citv-a de-
80 serted mining town at tho foot of the
sierra. After lunching at the only hotc,.
we tried mules, and, leaving the valley,
II assembled the mountain path.
Water strcamed freely down the noun.
| iaih PAIN upon the lower slopes: but cur
, difnsultles only commenced when we
reached the line Where the half-melted
4 now made the rocks treacherous evento
I TN = feet OF the sure mules. We had foUr
hon rs OF terribly rough and dangerous
I travA ing before we cached Pctersville
tho \ 1ost wretched collection Of rotten
aanties ever saw. >,
Not a n wing creature was 10 be seen.
th ere was n OF a toot-marlt in the slushv
s,,n Nv which still lay ankle daep mon
! ,he ground; il seemed completely aham.
| done 4. But h'e Judge lei tile way
thron oh the dies, rtcd rows Of tumble.
down nuts. and IN esently pointed to ono
from " hich a colun n of blue smoke WAS
asrendi w through n 9 clear air.
AS we came to a La It, waiting for a
response ~ Brace caL, the silence was
broken by n prolonged re- ar like that Of
distant ia, rldrr. as somc 70 TX loosened by
he frost br oke away and hlrtted down
she unfatho Ned canyon.
4 man On, ue from the buil{M ", which
still bore fain trace of the word Hotel
on its facade. uid. greeting Br:ac. with
ia air of AN q vi acuuaintance ss;>l ho
ha9,rc4 evorvt, ,ing aired. and a amer
all ready to uat .lown to the FIRE. BraA'e
had lapu the ns se.sitv of ureparirg MA,
for ca, reception Acoupieo Of rooms Lu,r
been made as Nc vhtly comfortable as
might be cxpecuedl. We len Lola thee.
and stu0lleL out >,hNa the simmer WA,
preparing.
Next. ~worning. ;r four ,js,ock vys,
started qn orr ou.t.
Ii was dark. den,it , tle sno,s that Law
upon the ground. Irtcc led the way
with a piae torch. " ,icl burned sine.
gishlv IN the mist that envelcoed n.
Lola holding nv hand tightly. we fol-
lowed close behind Era NJ. yyso k,pt the
torch low To show Tim az tha natb
nevertheless we sliprsd and tioundered
considerably in stepping from bowider To
bowlder-the halfIrpltcd snow RENDERING
il impossible to obtain n flynn f%ootiry.
Under other circumstances Lola would
have enjoyed the difficulties, and laughed
at our mishaps. but now she ne,ther
smiled nor spoke: sometimes she would
press my hand a little tighter-that was
all the sign she gave. We followed tho
course of the river. guided by the sound
of the rushing waters. A we proceeded.
the descent grew more and more rapid.
the stream forming a long succession of
falls, and, the light increasing, the rocks.
and powders about us became visible
through the gray mist. At LENGTH our
progress was stopped by a huge rock that
rose perpendicular before MS.
'I1ark.' said the Judge, as we stoned
to regain the breath that had been pump
ell out of our lungs 10y the last scramble.
listenel-we seemed ia have turned
our backs on the stream-its rushing
sounded more distant than l had vet
heard it. ] said this.
"Ifdrk ogdjn.r' said Brace. Then rs I
leaned my ear attentively, l heard beside
tne SWlrllilg ana uaShlng NOISE IN our
rear q mutfied roar. that seemed TO come
from the very bowels of the earth. / al
most fancied | felt the rock vibrating
under my feet.
You're right" said Brace. when l
gave him my impression: lend the roar
YOU hear is that stream shootin' down
thousands Of feet 10 the bottom of the
great hole. If il warn. for the burned
mist" he added. holIine M the torch.
which revealed but n few fect above orr
heads OF the granite wall by orr side.
You'd see that we're now s;andin' RIGHT
between the two sides of the divide We
looked ut last night. We air standin'
right over the CANYON, with per'aps four
on five thousand feet OF nothing under
us, on a lump Of rock that's tumbled
down from up above, and wedged itself
here, cause sornethin' stopped its goin'
fur,ler, end it do tremble. allow II
amt solid! It's moved a lump since I