The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-01-06
CHAPTER XIV.


made my way down the canyon in
the track of it, nerveless and horror
shaken. The sur was shining as
brightly as before, and the Sabbath
stiffness was in the air. 1t seemed
inconceivable that, but a few mo-
ments before, the great ravine had
been the scene OF tragedy in which
three lives had gone out like match
flares in tornado. In the basin be-
tween the mountain and the hog
back, fumes, bitches and trail had
disappeared and the very face of
nature was changed. Where Mac
pherson's placer bar had been there
was now outlying eddy and 4 new
bar had formed farther down the
stream.
/ was obliged to head the northern
gulch to reach the gap in the hog
back, and when the strath Of the set
tlement came in view l scarcely recog-
nized it. The tidal wave released by
the orumbling dam had been checked
for an instant by the narrow gap in
the ridge, and its charge upon the
titled lands beyond had been like the
bursting of a second barrier. l oan
compare the devastation to nothing
but the track of a crevasse on the
lower Mississippi. Settlers holding,
and the two farms adjoining, were
swept clean, not only of buildings
snd fences, but of the very sou in the
fields. bitches were gone, boundaries
obliterated, the great barraek below
The engineers camp was demolished,
and as far as the eye could reach
down the valley the main canal was
filled and levsled until its course
could scarcely be traced. But for
the gathering al the schoolhouse on
the knoll, the loss of life must have
been terrible; and as il was | could
scarcely hope that the tragedy of
which 1 had been an awe-stricken
witness was the only one.
When / topped the shoulder of the
hog back the schoolhouse knoll and
the biz of road beyond the food level
, were black with hurrying figures.
Macpherson was the first to meet me
|, az ! picked my way across what, a
! few minutes earlier, had been the
Setter infeld. His greeting was an
inccherent upbubbling of thankful
ness, since he had takca il for grant
, ed that / had been swept away with
the Setter house. There was no time
for explanations, and / made none.
Angus told me where to find his
Ssam and blackboard, and asking me
10 look after the women at the
schoolhouse, hurried away TO organ
: izo a rescue party. / found the team,
did what there was to be done, and
: when the excitement had little SUBJ
: sided took Winifred in the blackboard
and set out TO find shelter for her
and for myself. We found accommo-
dation at the Byres ranch, whose
! house was farthest removed from the
4 scene of devastation, and there con-
|, tented ourselves Rs best we might
while the details Of the disaster
j. trickled in by Titles. II was soon dis
covered that only Setter and his
daughter and the engineer were miss
ing, but it was not until the evening
; of the following day that Angus
=, came 10 make his report. ! saw him
coming and went few rods down
the road to meet him.
n "Two, sure, and possible third,
r. he said. anticipating my query
r. They're all accounted foe except
N three, and two Of the three wer,
n found on the bar below the engi
"A neer's camp this afternoon"
ri "wykamp?" I asked.
n eyes; Wykamp and Nan Setter
n. They must have been overtaken TO
gether somewhere"
A. "They were" said; and toll
ID him the story of the tragedy in tn
ID canyon so far as it touched thes
W two.
q "You say he tried TO save her
Dt There was bit of the man in him
IN after all, wasn't thereY
er Angus had shown no disposition
20 go up 70 the farmhouse, wher
10 Winifred was sitting on the porci
" and we had drawn aside to sit O.
Il the embankment Of the dry Byre
DR. ditch.
N "He did save her" rejoined; "sh
I'd would have gone down in the frs
to rush Of the wave over the top of th
s. dam IL he hadn't reached her just i
na the nick Of time and carried her b
va yond the sweep of IT,"
10 "And after that, they stopped {
az look at it, you say. That was the er
in gineer in him; betting on his ow
n game to the very ,ast."
es "They were safe enough, so far 9
the cloudburst was concerned"
"a amended; and then. Have yo
ss, found Selter2"
"a "Eo; and that's Bit curious. II
ha wife says he -eent hunting on q
ga north mountain early in the NOR
as ing"
IA You'll never And him-alive."
,c- what How do you knowT'
al Answer me one question, al
I'd then Iu tell YOU. Does anyone 81