The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-06
Dead Mans Canyon.

| When the alarm was given at l o'clock in
the afternoon. the deserter was three miles
| away and riding at full speed. No. not OK
| actly deserter. 1t was Corporal Swift and
| for some time he had acted so queerly that We
| believed he was losing his mind. He had been
moody and taciturn all day. speaking to no
one and answering no questions. At IL 30 he
walked out to his plcketed horse. mounted
him without saddle or bride. and with never
a look behind rode away to the north. We
must capture him to save his life We began
to gain on him almost from the start. but 1t
was o'clock before the sound OF our horses
feet reached his ears.
Straight up the valley. level as floor. mile
after mile and hour after hour and he had not
turned his head. We were. now in the shadow
| Of Fremont's Peak. that great, grim mountain
whose ir-clad apex Ia lost In the clouds when
one stands at its base. 1t Is the end Of the val
Icy up which We have come The end OF the
valley is the beginning Of mighty canon.
which penetrates the great mountain for two
miles. The Corporal turns and sees us and
rides straight for the rift. mile more OF level
ground and we should have had him. He
urges his horse with shouts and blows over
the bushes and powders where We dare not
follow. We wait to dsmount, and his horse
comes back to us. The man thinks to escape
us by penetrating the canon on foot In ten
minutes we are ready to move forw ard.
1t Is summers day, and hot one Our
horses are reeking wet, and every man presses
eagerly forward in search OF water and shade
Here is water in the bed of the cano n-a tiny
rivulet. flowing from the darkness beyond.
We touch the water with our parched lips and
cry out. 1t seems to blister with its GOODNESS.
We are hardly in the mouth OF the cailon be-
fore every one shivers. 1t is like stepping
into an icehousc. At the end Of fifteen
steps twilight has come: at thirty 1t is night:
al forty we have the black wall OF black mid
night before us We stop to listen. Tho canon
Corporal swift! Hello! CORPORAL, shouts
the Sergeant. rs we stand staring into the
darkness. but thorr is no response
We must return for, torches he finally
ness We looked over our shoulders as il ex-
pect to be struck in Tho back by assassins
1t was alter 3 o'clock whom we had armed
ourselves with blazing torches and were ready
to advance again The flaming knots could
tile bottom Of the rlft were scattered stones
and honldcrs fallen from above. and under
We advanced loot by foot, searching the Great
man couli draw himself up n TOW feet Iu, W"
~. s Gmy @ afra ws
made its lair am nc tho lasures. No serpsnt
Turk cd among the dead and rotting trees and
DuShes iallen from above.
IT ala not seem as II Wolf or panther could
horrible darkness hut Corporal Swift must he
beyond us. The fires of insanity must have
blazed up in his eyes to light his way. We
Tero fearful. but we slowly pressed forward.
there it brundened to Nifty Here the black
walls were as plumb as II laid by the hands Of
men there they wore broken and Jagged and
but could see not the faintest 81 immer OF day
light. although IN the great glad world outside
the sun was still shining, Upward-ahead-
behind rs was that wall of midnight 1t
earth or force US against the sides OF the canon.
There WAS curve to the right. u curve to tho
lett, an ascent, and u descent, Whom we had
penetrated Tor hall mile into the howels OF
the mountain tho feeling o, horror became 80
great that wo stopped and looked at each othe-
with pale faces and quivering chins The SER
grGnts lips moved hut uttered no sound. by II
Gss1nss ne to s to HdvSGsc isw
advanced fly" yards when ho thrust his torch
forward and cried out:
We ha,o found him There he is! Corporal
Swift, We are your friends don't run Hwnym
wal! and his lace toward MS. Ho made no
move We crept closer and closer, fearful that
no would spring up and dash away. Tho SER
hs noay Sns
dead stone dead Like some wild animal
which feels that death Is not far away. he had
crent into th4t horrible blackness to yield up
there with his whito cold face looking after US
as we hurried away We could not dig grave
In the Wiley, ana tho command WAS thirty
miles away. Nothing has disturbed him The
CONN. uoI will lind him at the last great day
In Dead Mans ealon as swiftly as In grave |
on the sunny hillside. A. |