The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-17

Somehow he felt that Barclay would
not hesitate to Disclose the protest TO
the post commander, and then every
cad in Texas would jeer and crow and
say 1t was VIM and he who crawfshed.
Barclay had noted that VIM seemed
avoiding him again and spoke OF 1t to
Brayton, who answered that Winn was
avoiding everybody. He was blue and
depressed about his affairs.
"Yet I understood that he had re-
ceived more than enough to settle those
commissary accounts" said the captain.
"Oh, yes" answered Brayton, "but
there are other matters" How could
be tell Barclay that he thought Winn's
love and faith in his wife were dead
and gomez How could he tell him that
VIM would touch no dollar Of the
money until he had first met and salts
fed another claim? Barclays suspicious
would have been aroused at once.
But VIM was having another trou-
BILE now. Laura had set her heart on
going to the picnic, and for no other
reason, she declared, than That she
must show the women there was moth
ing amis& II he and she, either or both,
should fail to attend the Fraziers' en-
tertainment, every one would say he
still believed her guilty Of having a
rendezvous with Barclay at that I'M
earthly hour and that she was unfor-
given.
As he had done many time before,
VIM yielded. What mattered it? There
might be only that day for him. He
could accomplish nothing by absenting
himself. He could aid in brushing away
any cloud upon her name by going and
being devoted to her. So 90 they did,
and women who watched with wary
and Suspicious eyes long remembered
how fond and loverlike were Winn'S
attentions to his beautiful wife; how
often on the way he rode to the side Of
that ambulance to say some little word
to her; how anxiously be seemed to
scan that lowering westward sky. for
by the time they reached tho Blanca
gorge the cloud banks were climbing to
the zenith and the westward heavens
we're black as the cinder patches along
the heights about them, where fir aud
spruce and stunted pine had strewn the
slopes with dry, resinous carpet, too
easily ignited by the sparks from hunt
er's pipe or campfire. At Q O'Clock
Blythe, Brooks and Frazier, Chamber
ing rocky ridge to tho southeast Of
the lovely picnic cove, looked gravely
at the blackening sky, then gravely in
to one another's faces. II think we
ought to start at once" said the colo.
nell "That's no place to be caught in
Storm" And he pointed downward rs
he spoke.
At their feet was the deep, grassy
valley, hemmed by precipitous bluffs.
The greensward at the base of the tar
rier ridge was soft and velvety. A rich
er soil nourished the roots of the bunch
grass, and all men knew that more tina"
once in bygone days the sudden swell
ing of the brawling waters that came
foaming and swirling down the ravine
from the depths Of the crested heights
within had turned that beautiful little
sheltered nook into deep lake that
slowly emptied itself through the mar
row, twisting. rocky gorge that ended
at the White Gate. On the level turf
the dancers were merrily footing it
even now to the music of an inspiring
quadrille, the pretty gowns Of the wo-
men, the uniforms Of tho men, adding
brightness to the picture Below the
camp the mules and horses were placid
ly grazing close by the inner opening Of
the gorge, the white covers of the wag-
ons and the snowy canvas Of the two or
three tents adding to the picturesque
uess Of the scene. All at the feet of the
watching group was life, laughter and
careless joy, all beyond that merry
scene black and ominous heaven
frowning down on gloomy Pine and
rocky hillside. The oeaseless 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
the sky.
Still the smoke from the campfires
settled back and shrank about the earth,
as though dreading the encounter with
the sleeping forces Of the air. Then as
the watehful eyes of the elders turned
once more up tho mountain side there
came cry from Brooks: "By Cd,
it's coming! There isn't a second to
loss!' !
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 a single minute, as though hiding
from the storm that came roaring down
the slope, then lighting up tho next in
slant in dazzling purplish glare asa
zigzag bolt of lightning ripped the
in twain and in the instant
with crash and roar as Of n thousand can
non rolled into one let loose the deluge
sleeping in its depths. As though Mag
ara were suddenly turned upon the hill
side, vast volume of water swept
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!"
Brooks as he sprang down the
grassy side of the bluff. Cup with you,
up the hillside for your lives!" The
lancers faltering through the sudden
autter Of the band, for the first time
looked upward and saw the peril.
Then, men and women, bandsmen and
strikers" tho camp made wild rush
up the eastward hillside. Another
binding fash, another thunderous roar
that seemed to shake and loosen the
rocks about them, and in that second
If brilliant, dazzling glare the watch
srs could see the white wall of the
Blanca come spray tossing, seething,
huge logs and trees on its out
,rmost wave, tumbling them end over
md, now deep engulfed, now high in
.ir. one immense, furious, moving noun