Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-11-20

same trail as brought yer in. Then
Iyer notice fer the first time that 1t
is a great basin, an that the trail
has been made by stock travelfn' up
an down to an from water. Yer
Obliged ter go out at the same place
as yer came in, an yer make up yer
mind that yer straiht trail wouldn't
bring yer gack ter the startin' point
quite so quick, an so yer dodge the
big bolders, creep back over the slid
ing rock an round the narrow shelf.
You'd give most anything ter find
the straight trail as crosses all the
canyons and leads out. Soon yer
find another trail that seems ter
start off straiht, an looks so like the
one yer huntin' that yer heart grows
| lighter an lighter till yer find yer
self almost singing in yer belief that
yer on the right track. But stop!
The trail suddenly disappears in the
earth not 10 feet ahead. Just comes
ter a sudden stop right before yer
| face.
What does it mean? There is no
turning to right or left. The trail
apparently loses etself right in the
solid earth. Els yer look around yer
notice that fer some distance the
grounds covered with a white sub
stance an then yer know yer right
on the very verge OF an alkali bog.
If yer push yer horse of the end OF
that trail it will be good-5y Chicago,
fer sure. Why? Because it las no
bottom, an one plunge in it will fill
yer eyes, nose an mouth with pure
alkali mud almost as thin as water.
an strong enough to strangle an
blind yer in just one plunge, an If
there is no one ter toss yer a rope,
nothin' less'n er miracle II save yer.
Err We in the Devils Blowouts now?
ct me tell yer yer can't help yerself
because yer lost, an lost in the worst
place on earth; so jest stop where We
are an keep calm I'm lost, o
mister, I'm LOST" an some one ridin'
the straight trail IL hear yer an guide
yer to it. An once yer strike it.
never turn ter the right er left till
we have left the Devils Biowouts so
fer behind that yen never see um
agin in this world or the next.
Yes, | reckon I'm about as well
qualified ter take the bench as any
cow-chaser yer keen skeer up, when
1t comes down ter renderjn' a verdict
in er case of badlands, washouts.
alkali boys, etc, by one who's been
there. An I'm inclined ter think that
this wouldn't be such bad world
after all If the Blowouts were the
only badlands the devil could skeer
up. Come ter consider it, I'm of the
opinion that the devil has some
worse places in this world than
them Blowouts, though / never was
there.
Whenever | see a man actin the
hy1ocrite er snubbin' his neighbor,
the devils got him in a basin for
morn four walls. How'll he ever git
out?
Whenever | see a man hangin' on
ter whisky bottle with one hand an
tryin' ter balance himself between
God an the world with the other, he's
jumped the horse off the end of the
trail. an If he don't git help pretty
soon he's lost and there's morn one
man goin' down in this same bog
every day. Are you one of themp
Are you in the devils badlands at all?
Have yer lost the straight trail? Are
yer lookin' fer it? Are yer calm.
I'm lost! I'm lost?" If yer are. lest
stop where yer are till we point yer
out
1t don't matter how many rocky
canyons yer've fallen over, er how
many times the devil has corraled
yer in basin of morn four walls. er
how many times you've been
5wamped in alkali boys, il you're still
lookin' fer er way out, an cryin'. I'm
lost I'm LOST" heaven must fall hut
we will show yer the straight trail,
IL don't matter if yer in such
tumble of trails as a man in the
Devils Blowouts. there is one that II
take yer straight out, an it is the
Only thatll cross the rocky canyons.
avoid . alkali boys, an take yer
out.
IL is landmark, a light. a way
VIII yer take it? Christ says, Look
unto me, and be we saved: l am the
light of life. l am the way See,
Out you come!