Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-09-19
THE DEMON AND THE FURY.
A Terrific Thunderstorm In the Apa che
Mountains.

A Terrific Thunderstorm In the Apache
Mountains.
It is o'clock in tho afternoon of
an August day and it has been scorch.
ing hot along the edge OF the great
staked plains Of Texas and Mexico
AS my horse drinks his fiji of the
waters OF the Rio Pecos l turn my
face to the eastward. 1t is 200 miles
to the foothills of Mount Cooper
200 miles OF sand. sagebrush and cac-
tuS. Never blade of grass. tree
nor 4 drop Of water. Sand-desola-
tion-death,
To the uorth-l50 miles of dcsola-
tion
10 the east-sanh, cactus, sage
bru,h--de>rair.
1t is "A country of dangers OF terri
lie Su"cring-vainp ayers to Heaven
OF grim death, and even here,
within SIGHT and scent OF the clear,
cold waters of the Pc os point you
out tn bones OF beasts which died OF
thirst am exhaustion.
"Ah. What's that"
My horse lifts his head high in air
and utters Il snorU of alarm. To the
nothing moving. TIC the no. til
nothing 10 the south-nothing.
10 the weSt-the god of desolation
enter ny uron a march OF fury.
"Rumblc. RUMBLE"
1t isa thunderstorm sweeping up
from the Apache Mountains-born in
the valleys and ravnes. and sent
| forth on u mad race which may cover
300 miles. Here is shelter at hand.
Not to the grove, my excited and
trembling steed, but to this mass of
rock-behind this great boulder,
standing on this site since the waters
OF the food receded. There is wind
in that blue black cloud wind, rain,
fire, fury.
Waiting. The black cloud has
covered the sun, and it is almost
twilight. A terrible silence has
fallen on the earth. A hare comes
running to my shelter and l hear her
footsteps while she is yet far off. A
serpent is running to the bank of the
river for shelter, and hear the rust
ling away to my left farther than I
can make him out
Waiting. The blue black cloud
comes up majestically and tongues of
fire are darting and leaping and lick
ing up the grasses. My horse lies
down with somethingNlike a groan
and a scared hare comes running up
and nestles under the flap of the sad
die. The silence Is like great
weight holding one down. 1t is next
to the stiffness OF the grave. An
other serpent rustles--another hare
comes running. l hear the heart
beats Of my horse as II some one were
keeping time on a drum.
Merciful heavens The whole west,
from right to left, blazed up with a
fierce light, and next instant the
earth reeled and quivered with the
awful shock of 10000 pieces Of ar.
tillery fired at once. 1t was the sig.
nal for the fury to spring-for a
thousand demons to scream and
shriek-for innumerable serpents OF
fire TO writhe and light up the black
ness at fltful intervals.
Now the rain falls-now the vino
is let loose with a terrible shrek
now the lightning is SO constant tina
the eyes burn. and the thunder-cl lap:
emerge into an awful roar, as did the
$50 cannon at Gettysburg Crash
Crash! Crash! It is the cottonwood
trees falling to earth. Shrek! Shrek
Shrek! 1t is the demon racing along
the plain and uprooting even the
blades of grass. Shock! Shock
Shock! 1t is the fury flinging his
fiery bolts into the bosom of the
earth.
And so for an hour Then we stand
up to see the glory OF the sun again,
to feast our eyes on the blue skies Of
Heaven. The demon and the fury
have passed us by and are racing
madly to the east -Detroit Free
Press.