San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-02-21

oar ON deck, was echoed from the noun
tain sido and reverbernted along the
shores and If by chance the captain gave
a shout Of command, thero werc airy
tongues that moclsod II from every cliff.
Dolph gazed about him In mute delight
and wonder at these scenes of natures
magniiiccnce. To tho left tho Dunder-
berg reared its woody precipices, height
over height, forest over forest, away into
tho deep summer sky. To the right strut-
ted forth the bold promontory Of An.
thongs Nose, with q solitary eagle wheel
ing tabout It; while beyond, mountain
succeeded to mountain, until they seemed
to lock their arms together, and confine
this mighty river in their embraces,
There was feeling Of quiet luxury in
gazing Mt the broad, green bosoms here
and there scooped out among the preci-
pices; or Mt woodlands high In mir, nod
ding over the edge of some beetling bluff,
and their foliage all transparent In tho
yellow sunshine.
In the midst of his admiration Dolph
remarked pile Of bright, snowy clouds
peering above tho western heights. 1t
was succeeded by another, and another,
each seemingly pushing onwards its pre-
decessor, and towering, with dazzling
brilliancy, in the deep blue atmosphere;
and now muttering peals of thunder were
family heard rolling behind the noun
tains. The river, hitherto still and CLASSY,
rejecting pictures Of tho sky and land,
now showed dark ripple at n distance,
as the breeze came creeping up it. The
fish hawks wheeled and screamed, and
sought their nests on the high dry trees;
the crows flew clamorously to tho crew
ices Of the rocks, and all nature seemed
conscious of tho approaching thunder
gust.
The clouds now rolled In volumes over
the mountain tops; their SUBMITS still
bright and snowy, but the lower parts Of
an inky blackness. Tho rain began to
patter down in broad and scattered drops;
the wind freshened and curled up the
waves; at length 1t seemed as If the bel
lying clouds were torn open by tho noun
tain tops, and complete torrents of rain
came rattling down. The lightning
leaped from cloud to cloud, and streamed
qufvering against the rocks, splitting and
rending the stoutest forest trees. The
thunder burst in tremendous explosions;
the peals were echoed from mountain to
mountain; they crashed upon Dunder-
berg, and rolled up the long delile of the
highlands, each headland making new
echo, until old Bull hill seemed to below
back the storm.
For time the scudding rack and mist,
and tho sheeted rain, almost hid the
landscape from the sight. There was a
fearful gloom, illumined still moro fear
fully by the streams of lightning which
glittered among the rain drops. Never
t. n,l,D1, l,ol,oJ1 e,,a1, ,hpp1,,fo
ring Of the clements; it seemed as If the
storm was tearing and rending its way
through this mountain detile, and had
brought all the artillery Of heaven into
action.
Tho vessel was hurried on by tho in
creasing wind, until she came to where
the river makes q sudden bend, the only
one in the whole course of its majestic
career. Just as they turned the point, a
violent flaw Of wind came sweeping down
q mountain gully, bending the forest be-
fore it, and, In moment, lashing up the
river into white froth and foam. The
captain saw the danger and cried out to
lower tho sail. Before the order could be
obeyed, tho flaw struck the sloop, and
threw her on her beam ends. Everything
was now fright and confusion; tho flap
ping Of the sails, the whistling and rush
ing Of tho wind, tho bawling OF the cap
tain and crow, the shrieEing Of the pas.
senge,H, all mingled with tho rolling and
believing of the thunder. In the midst
of the tiproar, the sloop righted; at
the same time the main sail shifted, the
boom came sweeping the quarter deck,
and Dolph, who was gazing unguardedly
at the clouds, found himself, in mo-
ment, houndering in the river.
For once In his life, one Of his idle &C
complishments was of use to him. The
many truant hours which he had de-
voted to Sporting in the Hudson, had
made him an expert swimmer; yet.
all his strength and skill, he found great
difficulty in reaching the shore. His
disappearance from the deck had not
been noticed by the crew, who were oil
occupied by their own danger. The
sloop was driven along with inconcei~a-