The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-30
BEsEr By MOUNTAIN TURTLES.
Two Men in Arizona Thus Attacked,
and Strangely saved by CIoudburst.

ANiillt1 Al-c : uHchuQarQ stage was COM
ing over Needle Pass. in Arizona. a cou-
pie of weeks ago. and there were only
two people on board. one was Mike, the
driver. and the other was a man going
70 work at the mine He may have had
more than one name. but he told the
driver that he was known as Jack. and
that seemed TO satisfy the man who han
died the lines. They were delayed by an
accident until darkness came on, and they
decided TO camp until morning in the
pine woods The horses were unhitched
and the two men spread their blankets
and lay down.
II was their intention to sleep. but
somehow their eyes were wide open, and
the drowsy god refused to come their way.
The strain had been very great on both,
and nervous condition was the result.
And as they lay there looking up at the
branches OF the pines that glowed red
from the freight against sky of tnky
blacEness, there was not much wind, but
1t was enough to cause the prickly needles
to move against one another and produce
a sound like the distant moaning of the
ocean Mike heard the sound and listen
I'll TO il in the hope that it would soothe
his mind and cause sleep.
He paid particular attention to the
change produced by every breath OF air,
and gradually became conscious Of an
Increase in the volume OF sound. 1t seem
NN 10 llHE rum the niue DEtdktL AdlAAlAE
on the shingle to the giant wave dashing
against a cliff before the fury of the
hurricane. AT first Mike thought that
sleep was coming, and tried to help 1t
along by continuing the thought, but as
the sound increased he sat up and looked
into the darkness. He could see nothing.
| The sound grew louder, and he could
| hear the cracking of breaking branches.
| Jack also heard the sound, and both got
| up. thoroughly alarmed. The horses were
| shaking like leaves. showing plainly that
| they were listening TO sound they did
not understand.
At first Mike thought 1t might be a
storm, but there was absent that weird.
| whistling sound always an accompanl-
| ment to "a storm in the pines. But what
it was could not be determined, and each
/ moment it became more terrible.
Let's rum" said Jack.
That's good advice replied Mike;
| "but which way?'
That was the worst of the mysterious
sound; it seemed to be all around them at
the same time and it could not be told
/ where it came from one moment il came
/ from the clouds. the next It was near
| their feet, and each thought II came from
| all sides.
Suddenly it struck Mike that it was a
| herd of wild beasts of some kind, but he
| thought il strange that there was no
| barking or grOWls-nothing but the inces-
| SAINT rumbling and cracking. The strain
| was becoming too intense, and Mike con-
| cluded to hitch up and be ready to leave.
| He threw several sticks on the fire and
then went for the horses while Jack got
/ the harness in shape.
| The animals were anxious to go, but
| before the harness was over their backs
! Mike heard a branch crack just behind
| him. He pulled his revolver and fired
where the sound came from This only
| increased the roaring sound until 1t was
| deafening, and an occasional hiss could
| be heard.
Let us hurry and get out of this" was
| all each man could say TO the other, as
they backed the horses into position. But
| 1t was too late.
Before they could realize what had hap
pened the cracking and roaring was just
| beside them. Nike looked all around and
| on every side he saw dozens Of strange
| creatures A look convinced him that
| they were mountain terrapins. He had
| seen them before, but singly, and looked
upon them as harmless.
| These were the animals that now threat
| ened the two men, and in an instant 1t
| went through Mixes mind that they were
| different from those he had generally
| seem They were surely older, and had
very likely come from the gulf in com
| pany and got lost. Now they were hunt
| ing, angry and hungry
| Nearer and nearer the turtles came, and
| Mike and Jack soon had to climb into the
| wagon to keep out of the way. The tur-
| ties crowded around the wagon, and the
wagon was the only place of refuge. Mike
| thought that the turtles might move on
and did all he could to frighten them by
| shooting at them 1t was almost dark, a s
| the fire had been burning low, and as Mike
could not aim, none of the bullets took
effect on the turtles backs. They soon
| began climbing over one another in their
efforts to get at the men, At last there
was such a number all around that the
wagon commenced to move, and was
forced to the side until the hind wheels
were broken. There was no hope of es-
cape except to run as the horses had
Eo oh al
they had to do it, and started as soon as
the wagon broke.
Jack landed squarely on a turtles back
but Mike slipped in between two Of them,
and 1t was several moments before he
was ready to start Then they jumped
from one turtle to another for some time
and 1t seemed to the men as if they COW
cred the earth. But they kept on, and
knew that unless they fell they were safe.
Soon there began to be little a space be-
tween the turtles, and 1t appeared as If
they were getting to the edge of the herd,
but they discovered that the turtles were
also going in the same direction they were.
still, there was nothing else to be done,
so they kept on.
1t was hardly possible to see, but the
two men were both aware that they were
getting out of the pine forest, though the
direction they were travelling was IN
known to them. Suddenly Mike, who was
in the lead, stopped on rock that he mis-
took for a turtle and fell forward down
canon, and, as there were not so many
turtles, had a chance to climb on a rock
out of reach of the creatures.
Here they had a chance to look around,
and saw that the sky was oversast with
clouds. and that they were safe unless they
were starved.
But there was a little water in the bot
tom of the canon, and down the turtles
tumbled as fast as they could, appearing
to have forgotten all about their possible
victims. Most of them had reached the
bottom, but not before a rain storm came
UP. and as Nike and Jack were still un-
able to leave their place on the rock they
were drenched to the skin. But that was
better than being eaten by turtles.
And as they sat for an hour watching
the turtles pass them on the way to the
bottom of the canon the rain poured down
and daylight had made its appearance.
After the last turtle had passed they were
compelled to sit where they were for some
time to allow the storm to abate a little
They put in their time watching the tur-
ties rolling over one another in the pools
at the bottom of the canon.
Suddenly there was a roar like cyclone
tearing through the forest, and looking UP
the two men saw a wall of water several
feet high tumbling over the boulders
1t was a clOudburst that had caused a
freshet, and it was all tumbling over the
turtles like Niagara, and in moment
they were all being churned like chips