Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-01-28
HUERFAN0 BILL.
ny Cy warman.
copyright, 1897, by the Author.1
CHAPTER l.

NlaCh ClOuu CdIle creeping up over the
crest of the continent, listed a little
when peak of one of the hills caught
the lower corner, ripped it open and let
the water out 1t didn't rain; the wa
Ter simply fell out of the cloud and
went rushing down the side of the
mountain as it rushes off the roof of
house in a hard April shower.
The little assures were filled first,
then the gorges, gullies and rough ra-
vines, and when these emptied into the
countless rills that ran away toward
the foot Of the range every rill became
rushing river. Leaves and brush and
fallen trees were borne away on the
breast of the food that grew in volume
and increased in speed alatmingly.
When all this water came rushing down
INTO the main canyon, the song of the
etream that rippled there was hushed,
the bed of the creek was filled with big
Powders that had been rolled down by
The flood, and great river went roar
ing down toward the plain. Up through
this narrow, crooked canyon narrow
gauge railroad ran to Silver Cliff. Sill
yer Cliff at one time had 30, 600 people,
then 5000, and now not more than 30
people live there unless their business
compels them to do so. 1t produced
Come silver, a sensational murder, one
congressman and petered out.
When the flood had gone a mile in
the main canyon and picked up eight or
ten railroad bridges and all the dead
timber i'll the gulch, it presented a roll
ing front 25 feet high and reached from
hill to hill
Great spruce trees were uprooted, the
track, with the crossties still hanging
to the rails, was ripped up and the rails,
Vending like baling wire, wound about
the rolling debris and clogged the can
Won. Then the yelling flood would fill
The whole gorge and roll on with such
mass of bridge timber and fallen trees
pushed i'll front of it that yOu could see
no sign of water as the flood bore down
upon you, but only tangled mass of
rails and ties and twisted trees. A
couple of prospectors heard the roar of
1t and climbed the canyon wall just III
time to save themselves, while the little
burros, with their packs on their backs,
went down to watery grave. Next
came a long string of freight teams
bringing lumber down from little
mountain sawmill. The rattle and noise
OF the heavy wagons made it impossible
Tor the freighters to hear the roar of the
Hood, and, as they We're coming down
the canyon, they had their backs to it,
and SO were overtaken i'll narrow
place. Some of the men, leaping from
their wagons, scrambled up the steep
hill out of the way of the water W lille
others took to the tall trees, but when
Che flood came the stoutest trees in the
gulch went down like sunflowers in a
cyclones path and the luckless freight
ers mingled with the horses and wagons
and were washed away.
Fortunately for us, we were an hour
late leaving the Junction that day and
bad not yet reached the narrow part of
the canyon. The engineer had been
Watching the black cloud as it came up
over the range, and knew we We're due
to run INTO a washout at any moment.
The very winds that came down the
canyon, fresh and cool, seemed to have
water in them. The three day coaches
were filled with heterogeneous 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 and confidence men, and here
and there gaunt faced girls, with peach
blow complexion and wonderful, i'm.
possible hair, billed for the variety.
Up near the engine the express mes
eenger sat on little iron safe. Upon
either hip he wore heavy six shooter
and across his lap lay winchester rife.
He was as nearly contented and happy
IS men may reasonably hope to be ON
this earth. The refreshing breeze that
came to him was sweet with the scent
Of summer. The hills were green and
his heart was glad. But his heart was
not in the hills That very Sunday
morning he had given it into the keep
ing of the warden's daughter as they
walked without the walls of the gray
prison down by the junction. Almost
Within hearing of the townspeOple who
PASSED up and down to and from the
mineral springs that gushed from the
rocks at the entrance to the great canyon
he had told her the secret of his heart.
Aue COlOr COIulnB 10 leT lace In6 Wnlle
nhe 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 full view
OF the warden residence, he had pressed
her for an answer. She could find no
voice to answer, but put out her hand as
If she would say goodby. He took it,
and the touch of it told him all he
Wished to know. Now he grew so glad
thinking it all over, that he clasped his
hands together as girl would do, aut
the rife, Slipping from his lap, shot
down into the river that ran beside the
track. The door at his back and mex
the canyon wall was closed and barred
The opposite door, overlooking the little
river, was thrown wide open, and to thu
messenger sitting there came the splash
Of water and the smell of pine.
He remembered that the agent, run
ming alongside of his Car as he was leav
ing the junction, had pointed to the irol
safe and said, keep your eye on tn
mn" The little safe held $40, 900 il
paper, and over i'll one corner of the car
Ia an old clay stained ore sack, wa
TO, 900 in gold.
We were cutting across little piec
81 high ground in the bend of the rive