Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-08-24

10 IL 3 o'clock n the afternoon Of
IN August day and IL has been scofch-
Ing hot along the edg0 Of tho great
stAked plains OF Texas and Mexico
Az my horse drinks his oil OF the
waters Of the Rio Pecos / turn my
face to tho eastward. Ii Ii 200 miles
to the foothills OF Mount Cooper
200 miles Of sand. sagcbrush and cac-
tuS. Never q blade Of grass, = tree
nor . drop OF water. Sand-desola-
tion--deatb.
To the north-15O miles Of desoia-
tion.
10 the east-sand, cactus sage
brush-desrair
IT IL q country of dangers OF terri
Bile suffering-yain prayers to Heaven
-nf grim death, and even here,
within sight and scent OF the clear,
cold waters OF the Pecos l point you
out the bones OF beasts which died Of
thirst and exhaustion.
"Ah! What's that:?"
Ny horse lifts his head high in air
and utters a snorU Of alarm. To the
east-nothing moving. TIC the north
nothing. TO the south-nothing.
To the west-the god of desolation
entering upon a march Of fury.
'sRumble! RuEble!"
1t Is thunderstorm sweeping up
from the Apache Mountains-born In
the valleys and rayines. and sent
forth on q mad race which may cover
800 miles. Here Is shelter at hand.
Not to the grove, my excited and
trembling st2cd. 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 1t is almost
twilight. A terrible silence has
fallen or the earth. A hare comes
running to my shelter and | hear her
footsteps while she is yet far of. A
serpent is running to the bank of the
river for shelter, and l hear the rust
ling away to my left farther than I
a 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 something like u groan
and q scared hare comes running up
and nestles under the flap Of the sad
die. The silence Is like a great
weight holding one down. 1t is next
to the stiffness OF the grave. An
other serpent rustles--another hare
comes running. / hear the heart
beats Of my horse as IL some n 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 10, 900 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
tire to writhe and light up the black.
ness at fitsul intervals.
Now the rain falls-now the wind
is let loose with q terrible Shrek
nov the lightning Is SO constant thai
the eyes burn. and the thunder-clap>
emerge into an awful roar, as did the
$50 mo at Gettysburg. Crash
Crash! Crash! 1t Is the cottonwood
trees falling toearth. Shrek! Shrek
Shrek. 1t Is the demon racing along
the plain and %uprooting rel the
blades OF grass. Shock! Shock
shock! 1t is the fury fiinging 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 fur
have passed US by and are racing
madly to the east Detroit Free
Press.