Evening journal., 1892-10-03

cred that he could see a portion of the
valley up which the train had come.
This gave him the general direction ana
he set off with feelings much relieved.
Taylor had no doubt started for camp
at once, and as he would have to ac-
count for his appearing alone he would
tell % story which would bring grief and
distraction to at least one heart.
Poor Bessiel What would she do"
the father kept saying as he hurried
along, and the thought Of her wild grief
at learning of his death made him hurry
the faster.
He was compelled to bear TO the left
to avoid distractions, and when he had
covered half the distance he suddenly
found himself on the brink Of canyon.
It was a wild, gloomy chasm in the
hills, and so dark at the bottom that he
could make ont nothing lie kicked
loose stone mt his feet into the gulf, and
it went sheer down seventy-hye feet be-
fore it struck with a dull thud
The lakes and rivers and mountains
and valleys are wonderful things in na-
ture's handiwork, but the canyons are
more wonderful still. Think of the
mighty power required to split a great
mountain in twain for miles and miles,
beginning where it rises from the plain
and continuing back until the walls Of
the chasm are a thousand feet high!
Think of the mighty wrath let loose
upon the earth that day-the sun hang
ing blood red in the murl,y heavens. the
awful roar of the hurricane sweeping 8
continent, the crash and explosion, the
trembling Of q worldl
And deep down in these awful riffs
there is ever darkness-evel midnight.
The water drips and drips and driIs
with sound so monotonous that human
being would be driven insane in a day.
No serpents crawl there-nO livil3
thing can endure that grimness and sol
itude The grizzly bear-the king @.
terrors-shunned and dreaded by al
and hating all. makes his lair in thss
drifts, but goes back only TO the edge o.
the shadow cast by the sun. He fear
nothing living. but he fears that dark
ness and silence.
Harkins followed down to the edge O.
the canyon, and after half an hour
walk he came to the spot where it began
and this permitted him to make q Dc
scent to the more level ground AS b
stood for a moment looking up the rit
it seemed TO him as if he had seen til
place before. This was, as he reelected
impossible, but a sudden idea made hi-
| almost Qusp for breath.
81 am about five miles TO the right o
! Clusters peak" hewhispsrad to himsol.
"and this must be the canyon the Oh
hunter told us Of in his dying hour"
Had it been earlier in the day }
would have investigated, for he had 10
the least fear Of Indians, but the gapidi
declining sun warned him that he mus
be on the move if he would reach IN
WAGONS before dark. His way TO Oh
south was almost blocked bv a hug
mass Of rock, and he was about to fan
this when he heard the sound Of huma
voices. Some one was speaking on Il
other side of the rock.
For a moment dlarkins was filled wit
such alarm that Ea was ready TO bolt q
the rayine. Then came the thought th
he had been standing very quiet for son
8 time past, and that had his movemen
) been heard theS owners of the vOic
would have attacked him. if enSnies,
5 hailed him, if friends. lie argued III
his presence was entirely unsuspecte
] and this being the case his curiosi
was aroused to know who was so ne
him. He crept forward on hands an
2 knees, hearing the voices more distinct
r each moment, and at length he reach
o a spot from which he could see VIII
q was going on on the south side Of t
c rock.
o There was q campfire burning We
/, low, and on either side Of it sat q whi
b man-two of the wickedest looking f
q lows he had ever put ewes on ON he
p Of brush near at hand lay two mo-
seemingly fast asleep.
n "Outlaws and renegadesw whisDer
j. Harkins as he drew back q little.
= So they were-nen more to be dread
II than the duslly savages. because havi
is more reckless bravery and being
a dowed with keener intelligence.