Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-04-12
IN AN ICY DUMATUUR.
A FIERCE HAILSToRM OUT oFACLEAR
SKY IN AUGUST.


Cut Like Flint-Tore Than Two Hun
bred Sheep Killed In a Few Minutes.
Travelling last summer by blackboard
eastward over the plains that skirt the
Penasco valley in New Mexico" said an
amateur ranchman, "our trail for long
distance lay through a sheep grazing
country. 1t was a STILL bright day, in
which, owing to the rarefied air due to the
high altitude, the August heat was not OPP
pressive Early in the afternoon we pass
ed flock of about 1000 sheep pasturing
so near the trail that we exchanged
buenos dias with the Mexican shepherd.
We gave the shepherd handful of tobac-
co and q light for the cigarette which he
proceeded to roll from little square of
cornhusk that he took from pouch in
his ragged coat. He thanked us, and, as
we started to drive on remarked, with an
expressive gesture toward the western
mountains dimmed by pearly clouds like
n mist:
eva Hover senores.' ct is going to
rain.)
Three miles ahead of us was an 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 wei left the shep-
herd, tho sun was shining in undiminish-
ed splendor, and the whole sky, except
that behind the mountains, was clear Be-
fore we had got half way to the hut rain
drops were falling thickly as our first
warning that the sky above had become
overcast, and that from the direction of
the western mountains a dense cloud like
a black MIST rent by lightning flashes,
was advancing toward US with the speed
of whirlwind. My companion, Lon
Tompkins, an old timer was driving, and
he gathered up the reins and put the whip
to the horses.
We'll make tho best run we can for
that 'dobe, he said, but the rain will
catch us with all we can do
I'm n 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 camo
a brisk rafting upon the blackboard, a
pelting of our hands and faces as if by
bird shot, and hard white drops like pearls
were rebounding from the backs OF the
horses singing and driving them forward
like blows of a whip. 1t was the cutting
of hail.
"'Now it's neck or nothing said
Tompkins as he graspcd the reins more
tightly and hraced his feet against the
dashboard. No need to urge forward the
horses All effort was directed to keep
them under control as they gathered and
sprang forward with increasing speed I'M
der the sharp blows of hailstones that now
were driving down as large as chestnuts
and all the time coming thicker and lar
ger.
Another minute and the horses were
crouching and quivering and leaping from
side to side under the rain of ice Jumps
that bruised our hands and faces like the
striking of pebbles. 1t was appalling, tho
weight and force with which they fell.
The horses were getting beyond control
Just when, ahead and to the left, we saw
looming through the ice torrent the tow
ering shape of trees. They were nearer
than we thought. TompkiDs refined the
horses sharply to the left. A dozen mad
plungGs onward, a thump, and the sharp
grinding of n wheel hub against a tree
trunk as the blackboard CaTeGned and
nearly threw us out, and, 10, we were in an
oasis of safety, out of the fury Of the
white downpour, beneath the broad spread
ing branches of the grove of great cotton.
woods that tower about the muddy water
hole at Las Alamosas.
Tho horses quieted down the instant
they passed beneath the shcltGring branch
es, and stood painting and stoaming, their
eyes swollen and bloOdshot from the cruel
pelting of ice. Our broad sombrero brims
had somewhat shielded our faces, which,
nevertheless like our hands, were bruised
and swollen. Tompkins' hands had suf-
fered most, as he had been compelled to
expose them in handling the reins. But
drenched and sore as we were, it was with
content and thankfulness that we leaned
against tho tree trunks, with leaves and
twigs and scattering hailstones sitting
thickly down upon u.s. while from the up
per branches showers of broken foliage
and CHANGING hail were flying outward to
minglo with the icy downpour. All the
while there was the almost Ceaseless crash
and roll of thunder and flashing of light
ming
I'm our haven of safety we remained
until the thunder died away and the hail
stones ceased to fall. Tho rain, subsiding
into gentle patter, stopped as suddenly
as it had begun, and the commotiOn of
the elements receded to the west where
uaSDHS Ol lightning DrOh6 rum II ruin
cloud which still yelled the distant noun
tains.
"A glorious burst of sunlight broke
through clouds at the zenith, sending
them flying all ways and revealing a sky
as blue as turquoise.
The river will be too high to ford be-
fore tomorrow, said Tompkins. Shall we
go on and camp on its bank or go back to
Penasoo?
1--WE decided to go to Penasco, where
there was a hotel, and turning round
took the back trail. The 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
the sheep were feeding, while Others re
manned still on the spot where they had
huddled at the beginning of the storm.
When quite near we saw why these sheep
were not feeding They lay upon the
ground fully 200 in number, killed by
hail OF the sheep that had gone to feed
ing many were bleeding at the nose, and
their swollen eyes bore signs Of the cruel
battering they had sustained The Next
can had sheltered himself and his dog I'M
der the enveloping folds of his heavy wool
en- serape. He looked rather sad over the
lamentable condition of his flock, but
seemed to regard the occurrence as vicis-
Litude in his business that might occur at
4. ~