The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1892-02-11

shelter Of the bluff? Helen bent her
gaze inquiringly upon tho Colonel's
lace.
Ibid you hear the low, distant roar2''
she asked.
Eyes, (" replied Barstow, land should
say that a wind or rain storm Is about
TO burst upon us, for every instant IL
grows louder and louder"
"ft sounds more like the roar Of
breakers on q rugged shore, !" remarked
Helen, raising her glass and sweeping
the northern sky, which, In spite OF the
Colonel's prediction, still remained to
glows, clear and untroubled, with that
metallic glare so common TO IT, As Capt.
Jim was now urging his men TO hasten
and complete their preparations and all
the while the distant rumble con-
tinued TO swell In volume of
sound as il giant hands were press
ing with greater and greater force
upon the keys of some gigantic organ,
Barstow's fears took definite form and
his mind was seized with Q dread that
their lives were about to be jeopardised
by some terrible cloud-burst which,
driven by the rising wind, might deluge
these plains and sweep every living
creature before IL like dry fsgots on the
turbulent bosom of spring freshet.
And yet 80 perfect was his confidence
in the scouts skill 10 protect them
against any such imminent danger that
he quietly dismounted, and having
lifted Helen from her horse gently but
quickly, at TerriIl's bidding, con-
Strained the two horses to drop upon
their Launches and then lie completely
down, but not until the saddles had BEEN
uncinched and placed arcwise over the
animals heads, now extended on the
ground, 30 as 10 protect their eyes,
When the scout saw thSt every horse
was thus protected, and that the heads
Of the cxttls were thrust under the
pack wagon, hs ordered Barstow to
draw Helen a. closely as possible under
the slightly projecting edge Of the low
bluff sheltering them, and then with .
sudden spring he leaped upon the par
pet and stood bolt upright, q single
sentinel watching over that little cara
van crouchipg at his feet. Helen could
not refrain from taking q second look
at the handsome scout as he stood there
30 clearly outlined, with his gray eyes
full of that calm and steady glow
which bespeaks the inward strength
and confidence, the glorious self-reh-
ance of the brave man always 50 fascinat-
ing to a woman.
The distant hills were still wrapped
In their purple nantes of summer
haze, but on the plain there was now
visible dark cloud, vast as the horizon
itself, rising in fantastic forms and
growing darker and darker until now IL
rolled up in round and twisted shapes
of inky blackness- One could see At .
glance that these clouds were not the
layers of vapor drawn from the earth by
o tropical sun and blown hither and
thither by the rising gale. They took
on more the look of the vast puffs Of
smoke belched from an encircling bat
terry on a field of battle and whirled
into fantastic forms with clearly defined
outlines
From underneath these vast clouds Of
dust-for such they proved to became
forth the roar of countless thousands OF
feet, which, rs they drew near, falling
In regular and rhythmic beat upon
these arid plains, sent forth louder
and louder rumble. The ground trem-
bled beneath them. It was living
avalanche sweeping over the plain with
force, and although made
up of nothing but herds Of sheep, yet
such was the strange violence Of their
the remarkable strength OF
their Roadway, the fury of their on
slaught that nothing could have
stemmed their advance.
No satisfactory explanation has ever
been given of these Wild flights from
unseen enemies Herd stampedes herd
until hundred times Q thousand af-
frighted animals rush in unrsasoning
dread across these vast plains- Il 10
more than an exemplifcation Of the old
adage, that flock Of sheep viii stop
the Kings carriage, for no slaughter OF
their leaders ever stays their mad
flight They take no note of death.
They stamp down every being rash |
enough to attempt to stay their We
hement progress and pass over him,
often treading him to death with their |
pointed hoofs With Q dsafe0ine roas |
these living avalanches sweep from
North 70 South, coming TO halt only
when strength Ii exhausted. Then !
comes q weird conclusion 70 these
strange occurrences The weaker fall
and the stronger pass on over their
proetrste bodies until the panic-stricken |
creatures lie In huge swaths, stretched
IN rings across the plain a far - the I;
Eye can reach.
They're upon u.s." cried the scout
!espina 70 . place Of safety. with . !
wild roar of the countless Thousands Of (:
feet, Alling the air with srffocating I;
clouds Of dust, but without uttering I /
Jingle bleat Of pin or cry Of terror,
he living avalanche poured over The
bluf1 filing the gorge with tk0usand
.rushed and trpmrled member Of the
herds, over whose bodies the advancin4
thousands passed crowdin6, leaping,
struggling, painting, with eyes rolling