The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-04-17

and Colorado rivers in Utah to the
cataracts of the latter in order to de-
ternine the navigability of about zoo
miles OF the canyon.
The boat had worked many miles
down the canyon since the walls were
entered. 1t was nearing night and it
was necessary to tie NO at some one
of the ttmbered bottoms that formed
ages ago originally as sandbars in
bends OF the circUitous stream. The
pilot had been down in a rowboat Il
few weeks before and knew something
OF the lay OF the country To TIE 9TH
ers it was "A constant uncertainty OF
what was coming next. The bends Of
the river, confined as it is in narrow,
precipitous walls, shut off all view be
yOnd the width Of the river ahead Of
the prov OF the boat.
I'VE may find somebody at the bot
tom that lies just around this bend, -
the pilot called back to the others OF
the crew. Il guess il will be all right,
though he added. There was a myS-
terry in his words for which we were
not prepared. the bottom came in
view, apparently one Of about 2G0 acres
in extent. and covered with luXuriant
growth OF grass. timbered With cotton
woods and scrub black oak its edge
fringed with willows. its backing q
sOliu preCiDice 1900 feet high.
The whistle on the launch broke into
n screech that echoed down those can
yOn walls in q way most terrifying.
In response a series of rife shots fired
in rapid succession came from Il point
in the willow fringe, but only q Whit
of smoke indicated the location o. the
firer. There had been "A slight move
n2ent OF the willows.
He's still here, all right" called the
pilot in subdUed voice. Lay down
your guns and keep your eyes peeled.
but don't do anything rash. II Will
come out all right
His words called for an explanation.
It's Phil Foote," the pilot explained.
Il saw him here when I wa, down be
fore. but promised to say nothing
about him being here, and have kept
my word even to you fellows. He is
suspicious of us-is expecting officers
down to take him, and although L told
him this party was coming. ne is evil
IDENTITY afraid that it is a trick to catch
him"
This added zest to our trip. We had
come expecting dangers of rapids and
whirlpOOlS, but there had been no sus-
piCion of a human element to be met.
We had not figured on confronting n
man prepared TO fight for his life and
accepting us as possible enemies.
The boat proceeded around the cTes-
cent-shaped face of the bottom to the
lower end, where q landing was to be
made. The whistle was footing at in
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. We busted ourselves max
ing the boat safe. expecting FOOte to
become convinced that we were friend
~ and come down to greet US, as by
this time were were all rather curious
TO meet the outlaw But he could not
feel secure In the party were some
a.,
go of the frontieTsmau who has grown
up with a gun at his side and knows
how to use it. one in particular, we
learned afteTWard. had been picked up
on by FOote, in his scrutiny of the
party for the shelter Of the willows.
antagonist. providing he had come. dS
the outlaw suspected, to effect a cap
ture. It happened that this man was
the very kind of one who could have
turing expedition. and the fact that
FOOte had singled him out as a dan
gerOus conner to his hiding place
showed how well he was able to judge
character.
The pilot advised us to leave our
guns on the boat and let it be seen
that We were all UnaTmed. wait there
and he would go and explain to FOCte.
He was gone fully half an hour and
said afteTWard that when he came up
on him FOOte held him covered with
a rifle until the pilot partly laughed
him out of his suspicious and urged
him to Join our party. The pilot came
back alone, but after another wait OF
a few minutes the willows parted
few feet away and FOOte emerged. He
carried his rifle cooked and resting
across his left arm, while his right
hand held the weapon in position for
instant use, the trigger finger ready
for action. There was a smile on
the face Of the outlaw. but it was one
open to double Interpretation. 1t said:
4 am here 10 meet you as either friend
or foe"
On sight of him we of the Powell
crew threw up our hands in plaful
submission and called out to him that
we were his prisoners. Having left
all guns on the boat all being appar-
eled in rough shirts and trousers that
precluded the secreting OF weapons, we
busted ourselves with the boat while
Foote sat down upon the bank, rife
across knees. and watched us for
time, gradually joining in the CONVEX
sation and accepting US as what we
actually were-eXplOrers with no de-
signs upon his freedom
CamaradeTie between men in the
wilds comes easily We We're soon on
good terms with the outlaw and he
invited US to his cabin. laid down his
gun and busted himself as a host.
Some six months previously Phil
FOOte and a woman, while the open
ing dance of the elegant new hotel at
the mountain spa was in progress, had
robbed the guests of the Colorado no
tel at GlenWood Springs of the jew
els and purses they had left behind
in their rooms while engaged in the
festivities in the ballroom. They had
escaped into Utah with their booty,
and after realizing on the gems Phil,
in true outlaw form, had proceeded
to lose the spoils at a gaming table
in Salt Lake City.
But as his last dollar passed into
the Golfers Of the faro dealer, Phil
drew two guns, covered the dealer and
demanded his money and all else in
sight. In western parlance, he made
a gun play for the bank roll and got
away with it" He escaped from the
gambling house, fed from Salt Lake
to Green River station. on the Rio
Grande Western railroad. and was
stopping at the railroad eating house
at that point when the United states
marshal of the then territory of Utah
came upon him with two deputies and
him in his room in the
hotel.
Foote resisted arrest, fired upon the
officers. wounded the marshal and. in
a rain of bullets, leaped from the sec
ond story window of his room, ran
under fire to the Green river seized
a rowboat and put off down stream. He
made his escape by the river to