The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-12-30

upper canyon was q tortuous gulch
with precipitous slopes rising sharp
" from the waters edge. Below the
settlers dam the wedge-like rift
widened and narrowed again, leav-
ing natural basin between moun-
tain and "hog-back" which would
serve admirably as reservoir for
/ the great irrigation ditch In this
basin the stream had deposited a bar
OF silt and glistening mica-schist and
white quartz pebbles, the age-old
washings of its swift rush down the
canyon; and this was doubtless the
placer-ground upon which Macpher-
son had filed a claim as discoverer.
/ His outline of the status quo be-
( came clearly intelligible. A dam at
4 the final narrowing of the gulch
would submerge the bar; and above
! the basin it would have to be car
ried 20 an enormous height in the
V-shaped chasm to retain suf-
I fciently large body Of water. I re-
membered the stereotyped reply Of
the Mexican yaqueros to the "Grin-
GO" pioneers and the Santa Fe trail
ers "Carraio, POGO mesa riol" and
wondered how much farther pp The
river the engineer OF the GlenlIvat
company would have to GO 90 End
Macpherson's "readNmadc" Site for
the dam
u was at this point in the medita-
tive excursion chat thc fire of curi-
osity was lighted and Nacphcrsan's
air OF mystery added its arnltul OF
fagots. There was no good rcason
why @ sick man who was at best but
transient onlooker should trouble
himself about the matter, but curi-
osity knows not age sex, or previous
conditions Of scrvitude to maladies,
incurable or otherwise Wherefore
the onlooller must needs slide tremu-
lously from the saddle, tether the
clubfooted beast TO stuntod tree
growing from cleft in nearby
bowlder, and make toilful way up tho
canyon.
Wykamp's alternative came into
view beyond the second elbow in the
wedge-shaped gorge u was another
scooped-out basin, similar TO the one
below: and blazed fr-tree with
bluepencil markings proved that the
engineer had already made his pre-
liminary reconnaissance. But the in
surmountable obstacle TO which Mac
pherson's mysterious hint pointed
was altogether unappareut Aside
from he added expense of tpnneling
spur OF the mountain for an outlet,
the upper basin seemedquite prom-
ising as he lower more promising,
in sact. since less masonry would be
required. Was there anything I'M the
topography of the canyon TO forbid
The construction Of the dam at this
point2 70 be sure, the steep slopes
were inclined planes of crumblna
shale; but the native granite couh
not be far to seek in eNcavating. And
with the everlasting mountains for
his dam-anchorages the engineer
might surely possess his soul in Sc
curity.
The sharp-ptched ACTIVITY was
slippery with an ovc-laying OF
broken shale aud dry !r-needles ]
climbed little higher to shallow
niche where twoiecting rock
promised a foothold, and sat down tc
try 10 puzzle il ont aud to gather
breath for the return The thin
Tipped breeze, with the kiss OF the
snow-caps lingering in its breath
swept softly down frcm the bald
summit Of Jim's mountain; and tn,
minimized thunder Of the stream be
came the sub-bass in great organ
symphony IN which the whispering
frs played the sibilant treble From
, the wider world below. the voice o.
a woman rose clear and strong in
prolonged double syllable -somt
farmers wife or daughter calling hcl
cowand the familiar cry was re
minder that the day was done. i
one would not have soft-heartet
giant and his following out securing
the valley for stray invalid, on,
must scramble back and mount ant
: ride
The deed, or al least the begin
ming Of H. fitted itself to the thought
But IN the act Of rising. the crum
bling foothold gave way, and sho
down the slippery mountain-side int,
the stream. For a single jublant in
stant JOY was uppermost. One ma!
well have shuddering horror o
winning out OF life by the consump
tive's road, and welcome as mes
senger Of Gods mercy an end swif
and measurably painless. But the 10
stinct Of self-presersation does no
take into account a possible lack o
things worth living for, The plung
into the icy waters OF the Torolit
/ was sharply reactionary. and will
i the gasping baptism the battle 70
Y life was on
Measured by Agonizings IL LASTED
long. The water was no more thar
! waist-deep, but the might Of stronl
man would have availed little agains
the swift down-rush of the torrent il
its bowlder-studded bed. Twice an'
yet once again, made frenzied shif
\ to struggle to foot or knee in tn