The sun., 1896-08-02
WITH HUERFAN0 BILL.
ATue Tale of a Bandit, a Suspect,
and the Wolves of the Law.
BY CY WATHMAN.

bccn heard In the mus hi Iio'nihs' anu "i'hs
about noon hiz black cloud came creeping up
n,cr the crest OF the continent ana listed
,,1o when n peak Of one OF the hills caught
!,, ,,yrr corner, ripped It cpcn, and let the
,o- opt, II didn't rain; the water simply
w., ou, NJ the cloud and went rushing down
.,n s,lc of the mountain as 1t rushes of the
40 house In a hard April shower.
r,, ,l,le assures we're filed first, then the
.,s cullies and rough ravines. and when
,,,s,, omitted into the countless rilis that ran
,,,o, t,ward the foot Of the range, every rill
,,o,,, a rushing river. Leaves and brush
.,L ,,Ien trees were borne away on tho breast
~ ,l, flood, that grew In volume and Increased
L. s,e,d alnrmiEgly. When all this water
zane rushing down into the main cahon tho
con, ~ the stream that rippled there was
,,,,shol ,he bed of the creek was filled with
a.. r,,la,r. that had beea rolled down by the
onoI and a great river went roaring down to-
v.rL the plain. Up through this narrow.
crooked cation a narrow-gauge railroad ran to
silver Cif silver Cliff at one time had
thirty thousand people. then thirty hundred,
md now not more than thirty people live there,
r,Isss their business compels them to do so.
Introduced some silver, sensational muruer'
,,s Congressman. and petered out.
when the food had gone mile in the main
hr1,cs and all the dead timber in the gulch,
u presented a rolling front twerty-hve feet
birh and reached from hill TO hill.
rraat srruce trees were uprooted. the track,
Nth tho cross ties still har ging to the rails,
Nas ripued up and the rails. bending like wire,
,rornL about the rolling debris and clogged the
canon Then tie yelling II )od would I'LL the
,rhoI, gorge and roll on with such a mass of
hridce timber and fallen trees pushed In front of
II, that YOU could see no sign OF water as the
eooI lore down upon you. but only tangled
mass OF rails ard ties and twisted trees. A
connie rf prosre,tors heard the roar of II and
climbed the canon wall Just in time to save
themselves. while the little burros. with their
RACKS on their backs, went down to watery
grave. Next came a long string OF freight teams
bringing lumter down from little mountain
sawmill The rattle and noise of the heavy
WAGONS made 1t impossible for the freghters
20 hear the roar Of the flood, and. as they were
coming down the cafion. they had their backs
10 T., and 40 were overtaken in a narrow place.
soue OF the men. leaping from their wagons,
scrambled " the steep hill out OF the way OF
the water while others took to the tall trees.
hut when the food came the stoutest trees in
the yulrh went down like sunfowers in a cy-
clones path and the luckless freiEhters min
''@~S'-S
washed away.
Fortunately for US. we were an hour late in
leaving the junction that day, and had not YET
reached the narrow part Of the cafion. The
engineer had been watching the black cloud as
4; came up over the range, and knew we were
due to run into washout at any moment.
The very winds that cane down the canon,
fresh and cool. seemed tn have water in them.
The three day coaches were filed with q hete-
rogeneous herd pushing to the Cliff, which, like
many other camps. was then posing as "a sec
ond Leadville." There were preachers and
play-actors, miners and merchants. cowboys
end confidence zen; and here and there gaunt-
faced girls with psachblow complexion and
wonderful hair. billed for the variety.
Up near the engine the express messenger
tat on little iron safe. Upon either hip he
wore a heavy six-shooter and across his lau
lay a Winchester rifle. He was as nearly con-
tented and happy as men may reasonably hope
10 he on this earth. The refreshing breeze
that came TO him was sweet with the scent OF
summer. The mills We're green and his heart
was glad. But his heart was not in the hills.
That very Sunday morning he lad given II
into the Keeping Of tie Warden's daughter as
they walked without the walls Of the gray
prison down by the junction. Almost within
down. to and from the mineral springs that
gushed from th" rocks at the entrance 10 the
great caiioA. he lad told her the secret of his
heart. The color. coming TO her face the while
che heard the tale, told him that she was listen
Ing Wien they had come TO the corner OF the
wall, one step beyond which would bring then,
Into full view of the Warden's residence, he
had pressed her for an answer. She could
nnd no voice To answer. but put out her hand
a II she would say go"d-hy. He took il, and
tie touch Of 1t told linn all he wished to know.
Now lie grew So Glad. thinking it all over, tha,
he a-pIl his hands together. AS a girl would
do. and the rifle, slipping from his lap, shot
down into t le river that ran beside the track.
The door a. his back. and next the cafion wall
was c!u-ed and barred. The opposite door
overlooking the little river, was thrown wide
open, and 10 the messenger sitting there came
The splash of water and the smell of pine.
Il" remembered ii at the agent. running
alongside Of his AS he was leaving the juno.
ton. had pointed TO the iron safe and said
Keep Your eye on the gun" The little safe
held $4,000 in paper, and over in one corner
OF the car, in an old clay-stained ore sack,
were $4,000 in gold.
We were "uttlng across a little piece OF high
ground In the lend of the river when the awful
L"H purHl lpFth from the narrow canon Just In
front Of Vs.. The engineer irst thought was
U back down and run away from the Hood. but
the recollection that double headed freight
tram was following us caused him to change
MS mind Tie trninmen hurried the passengers
a.! out, u" messenger carried the mail and ex
press matter 10 a safe place. and every one
Ra|'d III wpndcrment while the roaring flood
went hy' Th" main free OF II, following tn,
bed of tie creek, hugged the opposite hill, bu,
none ot onr party was Jealous. Broad as the
valley vas here, 1t was soon filled. and tn,
water rose high enough 10 float the rear coach
p"t 'hr engine, being on higher ground, acted
tS an hnrh hor and held the train. In less thar
nv" m'iutes the water had swept around and
carried away he bridge which we had Just
'INseI' and there we were. on about 400 yard:
OF tra'E. ana nothing before nor behind us.
ne if"lght train, having n clear track
Ia. led away 10 the Junction, told the story o
CIV distress and at midnight the compan,
SEE con-" I" the top OF the cahon with
Nh''e l'S"i. and in a little while we wore al
''h'h"Ht and after tramplnG over a mountair
I"'. 'or half hour. loaded into wagons ant
Ha1!fa lack 10 the junction.