Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-05-18
NIGHT WITH
AN OUTLAW.

Il newspaper WI AS9 PN"N~AN
attempting to take the steam
launch Major Powell down the
canyon of the Green and Colorado
rivers in Utah to the cataracts OF
the latter in order to determine
the navigability of about 200 miles
Of the canyon.
The boat had worked many miles
down the canyon since the walls
were entered. 1t was nearing
night, says Lutte johnson, in the
Denver Republican, and it was
necessary to tie up at some one OF
the timbered bottoms that formed
ages ago originally as sandbars
in bends of the circuitOus stream.
The pilot had been down in a row
boat few weeks before and knew
something Of the lay of the coun-
try. To the others it was con-
slant uncertainty of what was
coming next. The bends in the
river. confined as it is in narrow,
precipitous walls, shut off all view
beyond the width of the river
ahead of the PROV of the boat.
owe may find somebody at the
bottom that lies just around this
BEND" the pilot called back to the
other members of the crew. 81
guess it will be all right, though"
he added. There was a mystery
in his words for which we were not
prepared. The bottom came in
view, apparently one of about 2OO
acres in extent, and covered with
q luxuriant growth of grass, tim
bered with cottonwoods and
scrub black oak, it's edge fringed
with willows, its backing a SOLID
precipice 1000 feet high.
The whistle on the launch broke
into a screech that echoed down
those canyon walls in a most ter
rifying way. In response'a series
of rifeshots fred in rapid success
sion came from a point in the viii
low fringe, but only a Whit OF
smoke indicated the location OF
the firer. There had been slight
movement of the willows.
"He's stillhere, all right" called
the pilot, in subdued voice. clay
down your guns and keep your
eyes peeled, but don't do anything
rash. 1t will come out all right"
His words called for an explana-
ton.
"Its Phil Foote," the pilot ex-
planned. ~ saw him here when
was down before, but promised to
saw nothing about him being here,
even to you fellows. He is suspi-
cious of us-is expecting officers
down to take him, and although |
told him his party was coming he
is evidently afraid that ii is trick
to catch him."
This added zest to our trip. We
had come expecting dangers of
rapids and whirlpools, but there
had been no suspicion of human
element to be met. We had not
figured on confronting man pre-
pared to fight for his life and ac-
cepting us as possible enemies.
The boat proceeded around the
crescent-shaped face of the bot
tom to the lower end, where land
ing was to be made. The whistle
was footing at intervals and we
were doing our best to act the part
of visitors on purely social intent.
| We made the landing, but still
the firer Of the first welcoming
shots failed to appear. Wei busted
ourselves making the boat safe,
Expecting Foote to become con
WINGED that we were friendly and
to come down to greet us, as by
this time we were all rather curl
GUS to meet the outlaw. But he
could not feel secure. In the party
were some western men with that
rough and ready go of the from
tiersman who. has grown up with
a gun at his side and knows how
to use it. One in particular, we
learned afterward, had been
picked upon by FOote, in his scru-
tiny of the party from his shelter
of the willows, as a man who
would be a formidable antagonist,
providing he had come, as the out
law suspected, to effect a capture.
It happened that this man was the
very kind of one who could have
been chosen to go upon such cap