The Arizona sentinel., 1894-02-03

crawling into oac of the sluicc5, vhc:o
it was only about half IS bot oS it was
outside.
''1Ic told nc aftcrvGrd that he had
seen it getting dark as the storm ca.ao
Up, and looking up toward the noun
tains saw the upper edges getting an
indigo blue and melting up into the
black part of the sky. lie knew IL
cloudburst was likely and was jlst
thinking OF crawling out and lool. ing
after corralling the water when it canc
down, and all of q srddcl he heard the
windlass rattling upon the dam and the
valves came down with bang caGilg
him up inside the dam.
1T flashed upon him in y minute
what the Mcxicans bad donc-trarpc,l
him in the dam Gnd were going to let
the water back up and then flush hicl
out down stream.
lie thought 2 minute, a1d then got
up and stepped into the lateral passage,
closing the sluicc door after hi1a. lie
went along the passage till he canc to
the we'll at the end, climbed up the lad
der to the rlanholc, a1;l heard the Mex
leans in the Office talking. lie cascd up
| the cover 4 little crack ant saw them,
much to his disgust, drin'-ing ont of his
private whisky bottle, rolling cigarettes
ont Of his Turkish tobacco and conGrat-
ulating them selves on the good job they
had done. lie had no gun on him, so
he waited. and pretty soon the storm
broke. It struck the hills first, shut
ting them in with veil of mist. Then
the torrent came roaring down tho can
you four or five feet high, tearing TIP
sticks and legs in front of it.
''It backed Up at the foot of the da;1
and commenced tapping mp the wall,
creeping higher and higher. After
awhile. when it had covered in tho top
of the sluicc doors. the McxiCans rolled
themselves scnc fresh cigarettes and
went over for the grand finale. They
got 4 combined pull en- the wind
lasScs and threw the gates all wide
open. The water went bowling cut
down the valley below. with sticks and
rubbish tossing about. The fellows
caught the sight of Nick's blanket in
the water and took few shots, at it for
luck. surposing he was under it.
''Ey that time night had como down,
and they went into the Office ont of the
rain and .at down for an Gll-night
orgie. Nick heard them coaching each
other as to the GtCry they were TO tell,
how the Hc1Or was crossing the river
at the tirie the water came down
aad how they shouted 10 warn hira.
but he WIS Canght bv the flood and car
ricl below beyond their help. the EaicG
being open and mono of tbcy:l knowing
how tn close them. They would CricvC.
because he Was Il good young man.
though he was Il hereto. but 1t was t''c
will of tod. and perhaps II y might re-
cover tho body for his friends when the
water went down. OF ccC:jc there
would iT u reward in that.
Then they returned to Tie whisky
and The cirarcttca just about this
time it hal got as dark US pitch except
fn The la.Hp lic EVXicanr had inside
The oi.irc. and Nick crawlcl very qIiss-
~ ont of he hole and let the lid down
again. All Gf ri. cIrIE were inside tho
'''.c. bnt he shipped a-nrInd to the tocl-
house anu got l;aIf stlcl; ot dynamite.
ramr,rtl Il cap into the end Of it end
coupled it up Ia tho lever box with =
couple of long wires. lie laid 1t out be-
hind the Office. where it wouldn't do
any damage. Then hr touched his face
up with little chalk and vcrInilioI
out of the paint supplies till he rHade 4
tirst.ratc blood-s:aingd corpse of him
self ana slipped around to the front
door of the Office. The Me3ic2ns wcro
playing monte.
''llc gave Il lonc-tlrawn blood-curd-
ling Croan to attract their attention
and then pulled the lever and let the
dynamite 60 behind the house. There
is no telling just what the Mexicana
thought. but probably il was that Nick
had come back. with the help of his
elder nanlesalse. to Gy away with them
all. The way they went ont of the win
dows. taking the glass with them, was
n caution.
Nick never attempted to take any
legal action over the affair. hut he con.
tinued to hold down the job at the dana
for Il couple of years after that. and the
MeXicans never did get it settled to
their own y tisfaction as to whether
Nick was really Nick Ucnncssy or IA
advance agent of the devil come to
keep an eye on them for fear they
would repent and get away from him
even :ually "-Washington Post.