Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-07-11

tne way ended abruptly, and there
was q sheer descent of sixty feet to
the river. / was upon q broad,
level shelf Of harder rock, through
which the river had cut its channel
almost perpendicular.
! proceeded along this shelf for
. little way. but, seeing that it
pinched ont short distance ahead,
! returned and peered over the pre-
cipice. Below was bunch of white
sand, 9f varying width, from two
70 twenty feet. and the black,
rushing water. Upon the impulse
Of the moment / determined to 90
down to this beach and examine il
more closely.
Darkness was already settling
over the canon. but q glance at my
watch showed that night was yet
an hour distant.
uncoiled my long rope, made
one cad of ir securely fast, and let
the other over the edge Of the pre-
cipice. The rope was long enough
to reach the beach, and a consider.
able portion Of ID lay uppn the sand.
Without delay, I swung myself
over the edge of che rock and began
the descent.
The face of the rock was rough,
and | had no difficulty in getting
such footholds as I needed. Soon
| was standing upon the sandy
beach.
The beach was but slightly eleva-
ted above the water. very little of
it more than q foot, and saw i'm
mediately that ordinarily the river
extended to the rocky walls.
Determined to see something
more Of the canon before returning
to the shelf above, started down
the river. The beach might rise
higher in that direction.
Within a few feet Of the rope
there was a point where the water
encroached upon the beach, SO that
there was hardly a foot of sand be-
tween the water and the vail. The
water, too, appeared to be Of con-
siderable depth.
Just below there was a steeple-
shaped rock, rising for some twelve
feet, like a miniature mountain
peak. / gazed at this freak for
moment and then hurried down the
canon.
The beach extended on in this
direction. the same fiat line of sand,
evidently under water the greater
portion of the time.
Suddenly, after / had proceeded
for some distance, / became aware
that the canon ives growing fear
ly dark: and there was an ominous
distant rumbling among the crags.
| glanced up in some alarm. MY
little bit ofskywas shut ont by black,
angry, rolling clouds; and the can
on walls above me were obscured as
by q mighty shadow. A Wild bit
OF sheet lightning played upon the
black face of the clouds, and q great
drop of rain spattered upon my
face.
| was alarmed, for | knew the
rapidity with which the Colorado
rises in storm. / started back to
the rope, but had not proceeded
ten steps before the rain poured
down upon me, perfect deluge.
The darkness was already 30 thick
that ! could only distinguish the
grim rock wall on my right and the
rushing water on my left.
| hurried blindly along the sand,
stumbled and fell, collided with
the wall, and became so bewildered
that / had to halt for a moment to
regain my bearings.
Water was pouring in streams
from the rocks above, and / saw,
with Q thrill gilmore genuine fear,
that the river was already rising
perceptibly. Doubtless the storm
had been raging longer further up
stream.
l stumbled on, bnt seemed to
make no progress. Before 1 was
half way to the rope, the water ris-
ing with amazing swiftness, was
swishing and washing over the sand
to the base Of the cliff.
/ fell once more aud the drops of
water that splashed in my face were
like the touch Of q skeleton.
i scrambled to my feet, bat the
water was almost to my knees, and
the canon 50 dark that l could dis
tinguish nothing. Keeping close
to the wall. and feelin0 mv wav 4