The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-11-08

scsna black anu o.. IS heaven
frowning down on gloomy pine and
rocky hillside. The ceaseless clamor of
the seething waters as they turned
whirling into the tortuous gorge rose
steadily above the throb and thrill Of
the dance music, and aloft those relent-
less clouds sailed sternly eastward over
tho sky
Still the smoke from the campiires
settled back and shrank about the earth,
as though dreading the encounter with
the sleeping forces of the air. Then as
the watchful eyes of the elders turned
once more up the mountain side there
came a cry from Brooks: "By Cd,
it's coming. There isn't second to
losel"
Frazier, following the direction Of
that pointing finger. looked Upward,
saw the crestward frs and pines and
cedars bending, quivering, before blast
as yet unfelt below, saw sheets Of ashen
vapor come sailing over the hilltops
and sweeping down the rocky sides, saw
the whole mountain face turn black as
in single minute, as though hiding
from the storm that came roaring down
the slope, then lighting up the next in
slant in dazzling, purplish glare as
zigzag bolt of lightning ripped the
stormcloud in twain and in the instant
with crash and roar as of thousand can
non rolled into one, let loose the deluge
sleeping i'll its depths AS though Mag.
ara We're suddenly turned upon the hill
side, vast volume of water swept
downward, Kissing, foaming, rolling
over the rocks, and the leaping spray
dashed high in air as the black wealth
OF waters came surging down into the
ravine.
:" A cloudburst, by all that's holy!'
screamed Brooks as he sprang down the
grassy side of the bluff. cup with you,
up the hillside, for your ivesp' The
dancers, faltering through the sudden
f1utter of the band, for the first time
looked upward and saw the peril
Then, men and women, bandsmen and
strikers, the camp made wild rush
up the eastward hillside Another
binding flash, another thunderous roar
that seemed to shake and loosen the
rocks about them, and in that second
! OF brilliant, dazzling glare the watch
ers could see the white wall of the
Blanca come spray tossing, seething,
whirlin&huge logs and trees on it's OUT
ermost Wave, tumbling them end over
end, now deep engulfed, now high in
air. one immense, furious, moving noun
tain Of raging water. sweeping toward
them from the depths of the chasm.
Then, rolling and frothing over it's
puny banks in the valley below, q
chocolate food, foam crested, spread
right and left through the deserted
camp, licking up the cook fires. sweep
ing camp chairs and tables off their legs,
bodily lifting wagons and ambulances
and sending them Waiting to the wild
music of the storm over the fats where
twinkled dainty slippered feet the mo-
ment before. then bore them away to-
ward the inner mouth Of the gorge just
in time to mix them up with such fran
tically struggling mules as through ma
I tive obstinacy had resisted the impulse
to scamper to higher ground while yet
there was time. Worst sight of all,
chairs. wagon beds, that came swirling
beneath them, was despairing wom-
ans struggling form, revealed by a wo-
mans white dress.
"Merciful God!'' shriekea Mrs.
Faulkner. "It's Laura VIM. She
went up toward the falls not ten min
utes ago..
Vain fool! What could have been her
! object? Barclay, never dancing, had
been looking smilingly on. Both the
Frazier girls had been led, not too will
ing, away by partners -Four sets had
been formed, and Mrs. Vim. pleading
fatigue, had asked to be excused, had
sauntered past Barclay seat, and be-
fore his eyes had turned up the narrow,
winding, sheltered pathway by the
J Blanca Had she dreamed it possible
he would follow? Follow her he did
not. Was ia far more charitable
thought-in search Of Harry she had
gone? Somber aud absentminded, he
had earlier slipped away among the
trees, avoiding even Brayton. But now
Barclay was seen on the near side of
the torrent, limping up and along the
steep slope, in imminent danger Of
slipping in, swinging in his hand a
| long lariat that he had drawn from the
nearest wagon when the wild up hill
flight began. They remembered later
that he was the last man out of the hol-
low. Already Brooks, Brayton. De
Lancy and half dozen men were hur-
rying along the hillside to aid, but
J Brayton reached him first and seized
his arm just as another cry went up
from the hilltop-just as from the OPP
posite side of the seething torrent the
tall figure Of Harry Winn came bound
ing through the stunted trees, and. hat
less, wild eyed, he seemed searching the
tossing mass Of wreckage on the bosom
Of the waters. Another instant still a