Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-01
IN AN ICY DOWNPOUR.
AFIeRce nAlLsToRM OUT oFAcLEAR
 SKY IN AUGUST.

dred Sheep Killed in a Few Minutes.
 "Trayeling last summer by blackboard eastward over the plains that skirt the Penasco valley in Now Mexico" said an amateur ranohman, "our trail for long distance lay through a sheep grazing country. It was a still, bright day, in which, owing to the rarefed air due to the high altitude, tho August heat was not op- pressive Early in the afternoon we pass cd flock of about 9, 900 sheep pasturing so near the trail that we exchanged buenos dias with tho Mexican shepherd. We gave tho shepherd a handful of tobac- co and light for the cigarette which he proceeded to roll from Q little square of cornhusk that he took from a pouch in his ragged coat He thanked us, and as we started to drive on remarked, with an expressive gesture toward tho western mountains dimmed by pearly clouds like a mist:
 "'Va Hover, senorcs. tIt is going to rain.)
 "Threo miles ahead of us was m adobe hut and corral which might afford us shell ter should it rain, which from all appear ances we thought unlikely. But the rain came and quickly. When we loft tho shop herd, tho sun was shining in undiminish- ed splendor, and tho whole sky, except that behind the mountains, was clear. Be- fore we had got >alf way to tho hut rain- drops were fa .dne thickly as our first warning that the sky above had become overcast, and that from the direction of the western mountains dense cloud like a black mist, rent by lightning flashes, was advancing toward us with tho speed of whirlwind My companion, Lon OII 6riyi he gathered up tho roins and put the whip to the horses
 "Wo'll make the best run we can for that 'dobc, he said, but tho rain will catch us with all wo can do.
 "In a minute more it was raining hard with dense downpour that hid alike the adobe house and corral ahead and tho shepherd and his flock behind. Then came 0 brisk rattling upon the blackboard, O pelting of our hands and faces ns If by bird shot, and hard white drops like pearls were rebounding from the backs of the horses, stinging and driving them forward like blows of whip. It was tho cutting of hail.
 "'Now it's neck or nothing, said Tompkins as ho graspcd tho reins more tightly and braced his feet against the dashboard. No need to urge forward the horses. All effort was directed to keep them under control ns they gathered and sprang forward with increasing speed un- der the sharp blows of hailstoncs that now were driving down as large as chestnuts and all tho time coming thicker and lar ger.
 Another minute and the horses wore crouching and quivering and leaping from side to side under the rain of ice Jumps ;ea1 l,an de md ta bo striking of pebbles It was appalling, the weight and force with which they fell. The horses were getting beyond control just when ahead and to tho left, we saw looming through the ice torrent tho tow ering shape of trees. They were nearer than we thought. Tompkips roined tho horses sharply to tho left. A dozen mad plunges onward, a thump, and tho sharp grinding of a wheel hub against a tree trunk, as tho blackboard careoned and nearly throw us out, and, 10, we were in an oasis of safety, out of the fury of tho white downpour, beneath tho broad spread ing branches of the grove of great cotton woods that tower about tho muddy water hole at Las Alamosas.
 ''The horses quieted down the instant they passed Leneath tho sheltering branch cs, and stood panting and steaming, their eyes swollen and bloodshot from the cruel pelting of ice. Our broad sombrero brims had somewhat shielded our faces, which. nevertheless, like our bands, were bruised and swollen. Tompkins' hands had suf- fered most, as he had boen compelled to expose them in handling the reins. But, drenched and sore as we were, it was with content and thankfulness that WIG leaned against tho treo trunks with leaves and hailc ell thickly down upon us, while from the up per branches showers of broken foliage and glnncing hail were flying outward to minglo with the icy downpour. All tho whilo there was tho almost ceaseloss crash and roll of thunder and flashing of light ming
 Tn our haven of safety we remained until the thunder diod away and tho hail stones ceased to fall Tho rain, subsiding into gentle batter, stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and the coinmotion of the elements rcccded to tho west, where flashes of lightning broke from rain cloud which still yelled tho distant mourn tains.
 "A glorious burst of sunlight broke through clouds at tho zcnth sending them flying all ways and revealing sky as blue as turquoise,
 '' The river will Do too high to ford be- fore tomorrow, said Tompkins. Shall we go on and camp on it's bank or go back to Penascof
 We decided to go to Penasoo, where there was Il hotel, and turning round took the back trail Tho Mexican shep- herd who had warned us of the shower was moving about with his dog, and we could sec as we approached that some of ha c1,a wi nfb maiDed still on tho spot where they had huddlcd at the beginning of the storm. When quite near WIG saw why these sheep were not feeding. They lay upon the ground, fully 900 in number, killed by hail Of the sheep that had gono to feed ing many werc bleeding at the nose and fhDir svnllnn nves horn sions of tho crnnl