The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06

the sick man: and when he was securely
dashed thereto there was little danger for
him save IN some stumbling OF the beast
he rode.
When all was ready we had first to find
our way down from the mountain top;
and now even the old borderer and the
Indian confessed their inability to do
aught but retrace their steps by the only
route they knew: namely, by that ravine
which we had twice traversed in day
light. and up which they had led the
captured horses in the dusk
This route promised all the perils OF
gauntlet-running. since by it wemust take
the risk OF meeting the fleeing fugitives
from the convoy camp, II the explosion
had spared any fit TO lift and carry the
vengeance cry. But here again there was
no alternative. and we set US in order
for the descent, with Yeates and the
Catawba ahead, the women and Dick in
the midst, and her Apostolic Majesty's
late captain Of hussars. masQuerading as
a British trooper, TO bring on the rear.
Once In motion beneath the blue-black
shadows OF the pines. I quickly lost all
sense of direction. After we had ridden
in wordless silence short half hour or
less. and I supposed we SHOULD be nearing
the head Of our descending ravtne, our
little cavalcade was halted suddenly in
thickset grove Of the pines, and Eph-
rain Yeates appeared at my sttrrup TO
say:
Hist ye or your nag. Cap'n John.
and let's take a far'wen squinch at the
inimy whilst we can"
where? what enemy?" I would ask,
slipping from the saddle at his word.
''Why, the boss captains varmints, to
be sure: or what-aIl the abOminaton o
desolation has left Of en- We ain
the big rock where we first sot eyes on
'em this morning"
saw not what was to be gained By
any such long-range espial In the dark
ness None the less, 1 followed the old
man to the cliffs edge. He was wiser
in his forecastings than was in mine
There was a thing to look at, and light
enough to see 1t by One OF the missile
stones, 1t seems, had crashed into the
great fire, scattering the brands In all
directions The pine-bough troop shelters
were ablaze, and creeping serpents OF
fire were worming their way hither and
Won over the year-old leaf beds In the
wood Ever and anon some pine sap
ling In the path Of these fiery serpents
would go I'D in a torchlike flare; and So
as l say, there was light enough.
What we looked down upon was not
tnaptly pictured out by Ephratm Heates
Scripture phrase, the abomination OF
camp save the glowing skeletons OF the
troop shelters had disappeared ana tne
swarded savanna was become DiacA-
ened chaos-blot on the Ialr WOOuLdH , y
scene. / have said that the powder shell
tering bowlder was a cliff for size; the
mighty upheaval Of the explosion mao
toppIed it in ruins into the stream and
huge fragments the bigness OF wine
butt had been hurled with the storm or
lighter debris broadcast upon the camp:
At first we saw no sign or life In an
the frelit space. But moment later
when three or four of the sapling torches
bIazed up together we made out some
half dozen figures of human beings
whether red or white we could not tell
stumbling and Keeling about among the
rocks like blind men drunken
At sight of these the old hunter doffed
his cap and fell upon his knees with
hands uplifted to pour out his zealot
soul in the awful sentences or the
Psalmist's imprecation.
Let God arise and let his tninies be
scattered; let them also that hate him
fee before him. like as the smoke van
tsheth. so shalt thou drive them away
and like as the wax melteth at the hre.
so let the ungodly perish at the presence
of God .