Arizona republican., 1898-11-30

bones of trees that are dead and have
 become driftwoCd.
 The rage of a congested prairie river
 is terrible to behold, and it's treachery
 and cunning are infinite. It is Q ser lpent that lies long slumbering after it
 has satisfied it's greed for live things
 and lands but even in its slumber il has traps set for tte unwary.
 The south fork of the Canadian river
 to which this particularly relates, is typical Of most southern prairie rivers. Just now it drlbbles along through the land between torn banks streWn with driftWCOd and debris. The stream it. self nipples around sand bars in broad, shallow flats of water, or flows deep and silent in narrow channel, only to widen out again into thin shining sheets. As it flows under massive steel pillared bridges one laughs at the enormous strength left 10 guard such a
 puny stream. The river bed is wide and sandy, fifty times as wide as the stream that now flows through it. And l in the sun i5he sand glistens and, i'm pelled by the winds, blows along in dust and gathers in nipples. But on it's surface one does not find the tracks O. wild animals, for they know its tre2chery and shun it. Occasionally you will find wagon tracks and the inn
 press of the hoofs Of horses and oxen.
 These trail across the dry sand and are lost where the shining, shallow wa ter begins. You look in vain for them 1 in the sand beyOnd.-
 The sands of most southern prairie
 rivers when vt are as quick &s mer- cury. A handful Of the same sand dry is soft and fine and dusdess. Each grain is 3 smooth, glistening sprite, fun i Of evil and cruea,y. It has net the sharp, coarse edges Of the honest sand | that is the friend Of man, and enters i into his buildings. These quichsands i are the traps the river sets for men and animals while it is slumbering along to the sea, for even i'll it's sleep it has such cruel dreams Cf the des.ruction il will wreak when it awakes.
 A man who has lived twenty-three years ill the Indian Territory, and whC knows every ford batWeen the Brazos and the Arkansas, having "tr2ighted' nearly all that time, told of comrades | lost in the sanis and of his own mar row escapes. He has settled down now to the peaceful and safe occupation Of keeping horses for hire in the town of South Canadian.
 Said he: Dunn a river, anyhow. When l cross one now 1 go in q boat CT over a bridge But l used to ford 'em with teams and freight, and many team and load I've lost. but I always got back home to my wife. Once 1 was hauling a load Of lumber 10 MuscOgee. i got to the river here about 1 o'clock in the evening and found the ford all right It was getting dark and 1 want ca to camp on the other side where the woods broke the wind. l had been ! t1C tIa,- H-.1 l but I am 100 old a mule skinner to go in with oxen before I know the color of the water.
 q waded in. Tho water was rcd and was running swift, and eidylng. Where l had found good bottom before 1 began to sink, so 1 kicked out Of the sand and swam ashore and put my team and wagon back on .,he high ground and made camp. lt was then 3 o'clock and nearly dark.
 T hadn't got my fire started when along came another team, four oxen, with load of flour. The driver asked 1ne how the ford was and why l didn't go over 1 told him the water was red and would be bowling before midnight, and the bottom had changed. well, said he, I'm goin' over I'm not goin' to get stuck on this side with this four l told him gOOUDy, but asked him to come into camp. l heard him holler to his oxen as ha went into the water, and l heard him swear a. them
 when they begged. I went down to the bank but 1 couldn't see anything, only heard him hCiler some more and then shout for help. That was the last of him and his flour.
 About mOon-up a big sand wave came down the river and 1 had u break camp. 1 was chased out Of .he bottom land by the water and campad on hill. When I locked next morning for the fellow with the four there wasn't a sign of him. He ought to have known that red water means flood. see that water in khe river now! It's clear That means low water, mostly from creeks and surface springs When it's higher and yellow it means local rains and no danger. But when it gets red, that's tke danger signal. It means q flood from up in the mountains. Big waters coming down from me red soil country, melted snow, long rains. And you bet she'll be q whopper.
 r. I've watched 'em for years. I've seen safe fords turned into quicksands in five hours. And the funny thing about iC is that although he river Is blood red when it's Cn Jko rampage, it doesn't leave red sand behind It. Just shining treacherous. white sand like that out Lhere. Only when ,he red water gets into it it is as dangerous as a man when he ge.s rcd liquor into him. ! don't understand it; it has a mysterious look to me. The river is jus. like blood when it gets dangerous. If you could see it of an evening when the sun is setting red and shines on il you'd think it was blood. I have a notion that it is 3 warning to folks 70 OIr blood. It's na5-y. treacherous, nur- derOus river and it ain't worth 3 damn to nobody. .'-kansas City Star.
 THE QUEEN or BATTLES"