The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-02
HUERFANO BILL, THE BANDIT.
BY cY w.aRsrAN.


The roar and rumble Of distant thun-
DER had been heard in the hills all morn
ing, and along about noon a big black
cloud came creeping up over the crest
OF the continent, listed a h.tle, when a
peak Of one of the hills caught the
lower corner, ripped it open and let the
water oup. 1t didn't rain; the water
simply fell out of thu cloud. and went
rushing down the side of the mount
ain as it rushes off the roof of house
in hard April shower.
The little assures were filed first,
then the gorges, gullies and rought ra-
vine, and when these emptied into the
countless ribs that ran away toward
che foot of the range, every rill be-
came rushing river. Leaves and
brush and fallen trees were borne
away on the breast OF the flood that
grew in volume and increased in
speed alarmingly. When all this water
came rushing down into the main can
yon the song of the stream that rippled
there was hushed, the bed of the creek
was filled with big boulders that had
been rolled down by the flood, and
great river went roaring down toward
the plain. Up through TINS marrow,
crooked canyon a narrow gauge rail-
road ran to Silver Cliff. Silver Cliff,
ct one time had 80, 900 people, then 5000
and now not more chan thirty people
i've there. unless their business COM
pSls them to do so. IL produced some
silver, a sensational murder, one con-
gresham and petered out.
no ~,
the main canyon and picked up eight o.
ten railroad bridges and an the dead
timber In the gulch il presented q roll
lng front twenty-five feet high and
reached from hill 10 hill.
Great spruce trees We're uprooted, the
track. with the cross ties stin hanging
so the rails, was ripped up and the rails.
bending like baling wire, wound around
the rolling debris and clogged the can
yon. Then the yelling flood would I'LL
the whole gorge and roll on with such
a mass Of bridge timber and fallen
trees pushed in front of it that you
could sec no sign Of water as the food
bore down upon you, but only a tangled
mass of rails and ties and twisted trees
A couple of prospectors heard the roar
Of it. and climbed the canyon wall just
in zine to save themselves while the
little burros, with their packs on their
backs. went down 20 a watery grave.
Next came a long string of freight
teams bringing lumber down from q
little mountain saw mill The rattle
and noise of the heavy wagons made it
impossible for the fraighters to hear
the roar Of the flood. and. Ss chey were
coming down the canyon, they had their
backs to it, and so were overtaken in a
narrow place. Some of the men leaped
from their wagons, scrambled up the
steep hill out of the way Of the water,
while others took to the tall trees, but
when TIE food came. the stouitest trees
in the gulch went down like sunflow-
ers in a cyclones path, and the luck
less freigh6ers mingled with the horses
and wagons and were washed away.
Fortunately for Us, we were an hour
late in leaving the junction that day
and had not reached the narrow part
Of the canyon. The engineer had been
watching the black cloud as il came
40 over the range. and knew we were
due to run into washout at any mo-
ment. The very winds that came down
the canyon, fresh and cool, seemed 10
have water in them. The three day
coaches were filled with a heterogen-
eous herd pushing to the cliff. which, |
like many other camps. was then pos
ing as a second Leadville.' There were /
preachers and play actors, miners and
merchants. cowboys and confidence |
men; and here and there gaunt-faced
girls With peachblow complexion and
wonderful, impossible hair, billed for
the variety.
Up near the, engine the express mes
senger sat on little iron safe. Upon /
either hip he wore a heavy six-shooter
ana across his lap lay a Winchester /
rlIle he was as nearly contented and /
napDy as men may rea sonably hone to 1
be on this earth. The refreshing breeze
that came to him was sweet with the |
cent of summer. The hills were green
and his heart was glad. But his heart /
was nos in the hills. That very SIM /
day morning he had given it into the |
keeping of the wardens daughter as
they walked without the walls of the
gray prison down by the junction. Al /
most within hearing of the townspeo- |
pie who passed UP and down. to and !
from the mineral springs that gushed 1
from the rocks at the entrance to the |
great canyon. he had told her the Sc /
cret OF his heart The color. coming to |
her face the while she heard the tale.
told him that she was listening When |
they had come to the corner of the
wall, one step beyond which would
bring them into fun view of the war
den's residence, he had pressed her for
an answer. She could find no voice
she would say goodbye He took it
and the touch of it told him all he
wished to know. Now he grew 50 glad
thinking it all over. that he clasped
his hands together, as a girl would do
and the rifle. slipping from his lap
shot down into the river that ran be-
side the track. The door at his back
and next the canyon wall. was closed r
and barred. The. opposite door. over
looking the little river, was thrown
wide open and to the messenger sit
ting there, came the splash of water
and the smell of nine.
He remembered that the agent. RIM
ming alongside of his car as he was
leaving the junction. had pointed to the
iron safe and said: Keep YOUR eve on
the gun The little safe held $40 900
"a paper, and over in one corner of the
car. in an old clay-stained ore sack.
were $4,000 in gold.
We were cutting across q little piece
OF high ground in the bend of the river
when the awful flood burst forth from T
The engineers first thought was to
food but the recollection that a double
headed freight train was Following US
caused him to change his mind The
out the messenger carried the mail
everyone gazed in wonderment while
force of il. following the bed of the
none If our party was Jealous Broad
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