The sun., 1893-08-13
MIKE, JACK, AND 7HE TURTLES.
An Awful Night OF 1t in nm Arizonn Wiidsr-
ne.s-Bcilvered by u Cioudburst.


From ue san Irancisco C,n.
Rillits mines blackboard stage was coming
over Needle Pass in Arizona a couple OF weeks
ago. and there were only two people on board.
One was Mike. tho driver. and the other was
man going to work at the mine. He may have
had moro than one name. but he told tho
driver that he was known as Jack. and that
seemed to satisfy the man who handled the
limos. They were delayed BY an accident until
darkness came on. and then they decided to
camp until morning In tho pine woods.
The horses were unhitched and the two mon
sprcad their blankets and lay down.
1t was their intention to sleep. but somehow
their eyes were wide open. and the drowsy god
refused to come their way. Tho strain had
been very great on both. and nervous condi-
tion was tho result. And AS they lay there
looking UP at tho branches OF the pines that
glowed red from the hrelght against n sky "
inky tlackness. there was not much wind. but
it was enough to cause the prickly needles TO
move against one ap other and produce sound
like the distant moaning Of the ocean. Mike
heard the sound. and listen ed to il In the hore
that it would soothe his mind and cause al seen,
produced by every hreat h OF air. anu gradually
became conscious OF an Increase 10 the volume
OF sound. 1t seemed to rise from the lltts
breaker falling on the shinale to the giant
wave dashinG against cliI before the fury Of
sleep was coming and tried to help it alon:; by
continuing the thought but as the sound in-
creased he SIT up Ind iookeT b INTO anr dark
louder. and lie could hear the crarklinE OF
breaking branches Jack also heard the
The horses we're shaking like leaves, showing
plainly that they were, listening to a sound
they did not understand.
Louder and louder. until it had bccome
ronr that was all around him ard gradually
coming nearsr At fret Nike th0GS3t H. i dE,, miE4t
whstlinG sound always an Accompaniment to
storm IN the pines. Nut what IT w.s .oHlh
came moro terrible.
That's good advice" replied Mike; but
This was the worst Of the mysterious sound:
i seemed to be al around them @ & at ths :, same same
from. One moment it came from the clouds
the next. 1t was near their feet. and by
thSuEnt it came from IL sihes ihes il Dora
wild bensts Of some kind. but thought it
strange that there was no barking or Growls-
ling. The strain was becoming too intense
and Mike concluded to hitch up and be ready
s2 the Vile
=, The animals were anxious to GO, hpr tetor?
branch crack lust behind him. Hep pulled
his revolver and red where tho sound came
until It was deafening. and an occasional hiss
Let us harry and get out of this" was all
backed the horses into position. But it was
~ Before Store they could realize what had happened
the cracking and roaring WAS Just beside
them; Mike looked all around and on every
close look convinced him IL that they wsr" noun.
tain terrapins. He had seen them before. hut
singly, and looked upon them as harmless.
ture. for these were ferocious and Of eNtra9r-
dinary size. Those generally seen on the
long. but many OF these would measure four.
The creatures come up from the Gulf Of Cal.
fornia. and often spend years in the desert
after 1t Is gone they seem to be abb" to get
along without I; They have bsen seen 5@g
be years away from their element.
!, These were the animals that now thr eaten"d
the two men, and in an instant itwent through
those he had generally seen. They were surely
older and had very likely come from, the snlt
hunting and were angry and hungry.
At any rate. 1t was serious fix. The horses
r sta1e ana @ away T"m @
OF the, circle Of ugly heads. and then ran
sponnd ios way bsr out while the turtles
and at last both horses made bold dash Owe,
the creatures. their hard hoofs crashing over
suddenly. showing that they had reached the
other side and very likely were safe.
Me- Nearer and y, nearer the turtles W sc, came ne ana
wagon to keep out of their way. The turtles
crowded around the wagon. and the wagon
the he turtles might move on. and did al he
gould to brighten them by shooting ut them.
nE low G and as Mike S could not " aim none Of
the bullets took effect on the turtles backs.
They soon began climbing over one nnotherin
was such number all around that the wag' II
commeneed to move and was forced 70 ono
was no hope o. escape, except to do ~ tho
horses had done; and the chances were very
slim. But they had TO do it. and started as
Jack landed squarely on n turtles back. hut
Mike slipped In between two Of them; and was
Then they Jumped from one, turtle to another
i2r some time; and It seemed TO the mcn "a
Enew Sness s they fell tn they ss en- anu
Soon there began to be little spaccc be.
tween tho turtles. and 1t appeared as II they
discovered that the turtles were also, going IN
the ,i. same direction they wore. SIN there WAS
1t was hardly possible to sce. but the two
men were both aware that they were getting
out out Of tho pine forest. though the dir.rll"n
Suddenly Mike. who was in thc Ic4d ~tepre,i
on rock that he mistook fora turtle and III FL
odGe of the canon. and. as there were not 20
many man turtles. had chance ~ rLImb OH large
Here they had u chance 81 to look around. and
saw that the sky was overcast with clouds. and
that they were safe unless the turtles stayed
around until they wero starved.
the canon and down tho turtles tumblel as
fast as they could appearing 10 have forgotten
all about their possible victims. Most Oi them
had reached tho bottom, hut not before rain
storm came up. and as Mike and Jack were
still unable to leave their place on the rock
they were drenchei to the skin. But that was
a good deal better than being eaten by turtles.
And. as they sat for nm hour watching the
turtles pass them on the way to the bottom ot
the canon. the rain poured down and daylight
had made Its appearance.
After tho last turtle had passed they were
compelled to sit there whore they We're for
some time to allow the storm 10 abate n little.
They put In their time watching the turtles
rolling over one another in tho pools at tho
bottom OF the "alon.
Suddcnly there WAS roar like cyclone
tearing through n forest. and looking up the
TWO men saw u wall OF water several feet high
tumbling over tho bOuldcrs.
II was u cloudburst that had caused freshet.
and II was all tumhling on top uf the turtles.
1t passed over the tdrtlcs like a Niagara, and in
u moment they were all being churned like
chips Their shells were cracked and broken.
and they rolled over In tho widest confusion.
But 1t only lasted moment. and then the