Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-03-26
ONLY A CLOUD.
But Death AMI Destruction are HlddeD
Therein.

But Death AMI Destruction are hsddep
Therein.
As you stand here on this hill and
look down into the valley. your eyes
never rested on a more peaceful scene
It is five miles down TO where you ser
the simmer Of the waters OF the lake
under this afternoon sun. 1t is milo
from this hill across to the side Of the
wooded mountain.
How quiet everything is! The smoPe
curls lazily up from half dozen farm
house chimneys; you see cattle and
horses grazing in the fields; now and
then you catch sight Of farmer moy-
ing about Down there 10 that grove
is school house. and dozen or more
children have just been called in from
recess. Heaven never created a more
perfect June day. II would be hard
TO find in all the world more beauti-
full spot Every tree in that valley is
in full leaf; every rose bush is in full
bloom There is just faint stir OF
AIR now and then: it brings up to us
the odor OF flowers and blossoms
What's that! We face down the val
ley with start OF surprise. No one
has shouted No one is near. There
was no sound. And yet there is some
thing to alarm The bluebird has
ceased her song. the chipping OF the
cricket beside the great rock is heard
no more. You can almost feel some
thing like shudder in these trees. up
which the wild grape vines are climb
ing in such profusion. There is no
change down in the valley No shadow
OF danger has crept into the open door
OF the school house 10 give warning
Down beyond the lake a cloud sud
denly appears in the blue afternoon
sky. IL seems at first as il one of the
treetop had suddenly been thrust up
ward. but it rapidly enlarges. Once
before you saw similar cloud, and
the recollection makes yoI chill Its
center is blue black. its edges are
frayed and ragged and tangled. As
you gaze at it. your breath coming
faster and your pulses throbbing, il
seems as II giant hand. holding a
giant pen. was thrust forward TO write
the word DEATH in letters OF fire
across the iase OF the cloud.
Beware! Beware!"
You look down into the valley aud
cry out but in vain; your voice is
lost before 1t reaches the fields and
farm houses. Old men sleep on;
young men whistle as they work.
With that blue sky overhead and that
glad sunshine bathing the earth, even
the boom OF a great cannon would MOI
startle man or beast
II Is coming! Scarcely a minute ha:
passed since you saw the cloud. i
seemed hanging like balloon in a still
sky at first Now II is moving -whirl
ing about like a great wheel-advanc
ing up the valley. There is distan
moaning nearer nearer-aud nov
Death himself bounds over the tree
tops hiding the lake and strikes int
the valley with mad shrek to SOUND
the alarm.
II is over before you could coun
twenty. A cannon ball could scarce
~ have kept pace with it. And nov
you look down into the valley again
II is still valley, shut in by the rug
ged ranges which have defed tn
wrath OF heaven for centuries; bu
what OF the houses, trees those VIII
slept and those who worked? Wrec
II ruin death There are fe,
wounded there are many dead. No
a house tree nor fence is left stand
Ing. Even the headboards markin
the graves in the little cemetery hay
been rent and riven and carried alar
The plague or fire or sword woul
have wrought less destruction. de
cares the New York World, TIL
wrath OF the cyclone is the wrath {