Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-09-25
STORM IN A CANON.
One of the Remarkable and
Wonderful Sights in the
Rocky Mountains.
Written for the SUNDAY Post -Dispateh


One summer afternoon I found
myself lettering through one of
those high mesa.like parks so COM
mon in the Rocky Mountains. The
air was soft and balmy, and the
heavy-topped pines soughed SO
musically and cast their dense
shades and exhalted their resinous
ordors so delightfully."- that | was
in no hurry to go on. Southwark
was graded ascent for some dis
tance, then the ground swept sud-
denly upward into high crest, till
against the unusually blue sky it
was turreted with tremendous cas-
tie shaped rocks-clear cut and
MISUNDERSTANDING how much high
er all this had once been. Between
these rocks were wide open spaces,
as though another mesa might be
there, or a long slope of descent
beyond might here have its begin.
ming.
Suddenly I hear the low mutter
of a gathering storm in the distance
before me. Nearer and nearer it
seemed to come, but the air around
me gave no indications of change,
save a peculiar softness. A storm
anywhere is e grand sight, but a
storm in the mountains is always
worth observing. So upward L
struggled toward the castellated
rocks, judging that from them II
would have a splendid view of the
commotlon. Louder roared the
thunder, sleeper grew the gra. Q
and more rapid my steps and
breathing. The storm was evident
ly coming towards me and 1 knew
that If it reached the crest befnre l
did my view would be spoiled and
should only get a wetting. From
the last the rocks were my only
shelter. At last I stood in the
shadow of an immense rock as
large as two or three city court
houses. l walked cautiously
around its western side, well on
the watch for wild animals for l
had heard many tales of hunters
stumbling, with serious results,
unexpectedly,
UPON BEARS
in such places. When l looked in
front of me, expecting to see as lope
similar to the one 1 had just climb
ed go off gradually beyond, you
can imagine my surprise at finding
myself shuddering on the verge of
canon SO deep that | could aot
see its bottom. Having just left my
camp on large fork of the South
Platte, did not suspect the pres
ence of another in this region.
But where was the storm? Some
where in that great beyond of crag
and chasm it was crashing omin-
ously. But not trace of it could
my eyes detect. Above, the sun
shone, the sky was clear; below
the canon yawned, and beyond
there stretched away a reach of
hazy billows of cone and forest and
valley. From where l stood the
canon ran westward, apparently
half mile & suspect it was much
more), then curving gracefully but
rather suddenly southwark, disap-
peared behind cliff so high that
it seemed to tower over me. II
was a grand view, unenhancel, but
such as anyone may often see in the
mountains. All at once, after peal
on peal had sounded, there crep
over this butting cliff, as gracefully
as serpent, bit of blue mist that
dropped into and climbed out OF
crevice after crevice, and then
down the bluffs walls into the
chasm, long, elinging, f1eecy
fragments. But the larger por-
ton came floating across the canon
as gracefully as a gossamer, direct
lily toward me. l knew this was
the storm kings herald. Crashed
again the thunder 1.-THE rafting
crags among" till the very rocks
trembled, and turning my eyes a
little westward l saw, sweeping
with a grace and majesty | canno,
attempt To picture, around the can
on's curve the full front, perhaps
nearly half mile in height, of a
great storm-cloud billow. 1t filled
: the chasm's fearful depth and float.
ed half al high above 1t.
STOOD ENHANCED
: as it bore down upon me-a surg.
+, ing, boiling wave of vapor. Time
j and again 1 saw the lightning
zigzag fash cleave the frownlns
! front from top to bottom. Across
its perpendicular face the dazzling
e streaks seemed, in twos and threes
J. to chase each other. The booming
8 thunders never ceased, and grea
;. whirls of air-not tornado-llke, pu
r rather gentle-seemed to waltz in
@ sort of mazy involution - graceful
= and bewildering all through thu
d seething mass.
D. Nearer it came with a peculia
stesath, sort Of rolling motion
"