Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-07-22
SHE SAT- ALONE.
With Closed Volume and Eyes. Nature
Was to, Her as an Open Book.

river comes uOWn from lHe mum
tains and flows for several miles
through deep canon, after which it
winds about by tortuous ways until II
meets and unites with the Lower Flor
ida.
It is. however. while it is on its jour
ney among those high solitudes that
the river has most interest for us.
Going up stream after we enter the
canon. the road turns almost due north.
It was early in Jnly when I first
learned to know and love the Upper
Florida. Seen then, in the full rays Of
the afternoon sun. leaping, dancing and
churning itself to foam over the rocks
1t looked yellow as a cats eye, with
something of the lustre of that stone.
On either side of the road, as
| thckly set on the bushes as the stars
| in the evening sky. clustered the dain-
| ty. blushing wild roses that grow to
such perfection in high attitudes
| Here and there was oak brush. its
leaves glossy, as if new-varnished.
Patches of dark blue larkspur appear
ed on the mesas Occasionally there
| were scarlet salvias. levender-blue
lupins, or long belts of creamy-belled
mariposa lilies. Then one would
see sunfiower or two, or the saucy
| face of black-eyed Susan, while
sunny spots were monopoliZed by the
| sword shaped leaves and waxen petals
| of the yucca. Other flowers there
were in profusion. but who can emu
merate the fora of the Rockies?
| AS the road mounts higher into the
canon the stiffness becomes more and
more noticeable. Beside ourselves.
the noise of the water or the cry of
startled bird was the only sound that
brushed across the face of the si-
lence,
At length our destination, Red
cliff ranch was reached. 1t is
ideally located. Just there from the
right bank of the river the ground
slopes away in gentle terraces, end
ing at length in high mesa, thickly
wooded with scrub oaks and aspens.
The house is situated on the middle
terrace facing the river.
From the left bank the cliffs rose
almost sheer, until they seemed to
touch the clouds. Indeed. they were
so high that from the house, when
the window shades were at half-mast
one could not see the summit with
out STOPPING
Those big red cliffs, with the pines
and spruces clambering up the sides,
and the river rushing roaring at their
feet, were a delight to tired eyes. In
size and height they gave one the i'm
| f,fr 10 t1,a h,r rol,
ness of many of our western noun
tains. Their coloring was lovely
broad strata of soft reds shading into
browns, contrasting vividly but ten
derly with the dull tints of the pines
and other evergreens.
The trees seemed almost human,
and. oddly enough, with their droop-
inG branches the spruces in particu-
lar. looked like long-skirted Greena-
way children engaged in mad race
to the top. Indeed the impression
} was so vivid. at times. that I was
ready to wager some particular tree
had forged ahead of the others and
!. would reach the goal first
Along the upper edge of the cliff
was struggling fringe of pines that
had apparently outstripped the 9th
ers still on their way. A few of
them were mere skeletons-the en-
: semble was complete-we called
them the ''bald-headed row.
A little to the right, on the adjoin,
ing mountainside. there was a grove
of aspens, the breeze at times flut-
tering their blue-green discs and tip
ping them with tender light from their
) under edges. Their bark was smooth
and white as kid glove thickly pow
dered with creamy dust.
Looking up the canon, 1t grew
grew sleeper and ruggeder. Tall
mountain peaks pointed upward to the
summer skies. their sides green with
pines and frosty with silver spruce.
So far away that one could see moth
ing beyond was a particular mountain
friend of mine. One could never be-
hold it face to face. however. for it's
complexion was always screened in
fine weather by beautiful blue veil.
On stormy days this this fairy web
: varied to a deep purple or an inky
gray that was bewitching.
In the high attitudes of Colorado,
the month of July is the rainy sea.
son. consequently, Dame Nature pre-
sented a fearful face very often dur.
ing our stay. Why shouldn't she?
Her tears were very becoming
often at noon n little cloud no big.
ger than a mans hand would appear
on the blue and white field of the
sky. The breeze would die and all
the air stand still; the leaves on the
trees, even the gay aspens. so ready
to twirl at the smallest excuse. hung
motionless; the black cloud in the
sky spread rapidly. Listening. far
up in the canon we heard it-that
deep solemn roar that follows deep
stiffness and precedes a storm.
Gradually it would come nearer un-
til the wind held high carnival among
the tree tops, and the first drops fell.
Often all around us the sun was shin