The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-20
IA NIGHT WITH
 A NOTED OUTLAW
Experience of . Party of Explorers in Utah Who Accepted the Hospf- taiIty of Phil Feete at His
 Home.

A party of specialists composed of boatmen, mechanics. pilot and A newspaper correspondent was attempt ing to take the steam launch Major Powell down the canon of the Green and Colorado Rivers in Utah to the cataracts of the later in order to determine the navigability of about 200 miles of the canon.
 The boat had worked many miles down the canon since the walls were entered. It was nearing night, says Lute Johnson, in The Denver Republi- can, and 1t was necessary to tie up at some one of the timbered bottoms that formed ages ago originally as sandAars in bends of the circuitous stream The pilot had been down in a rowhoat a few weeks before and
 knew something of the lay of the country. To the others 1t was a con-
 stant uncertainty of what was com | ing next. The bends in the river, con fined as it is in narrow. precipitous walls, shut off all view beyond the
 width of the river ahead of the brow | of the boat
 We may find somebody at the bot | tom that lies just around this bend the pilot called back to the others of the crew. T guess 1t will be all right" he added There was a mys- tery in his words for which we were not prepared, The bottom came in view, apparently one of about 200 acres in extent. and covered with a
 luxuriant growth of grass. timbered | with cottonwoods and scrub black
 oak. its edge fringed with willows its backings a solid precipice 1000 feet
 high.
 The whistle on the launch broke in | to a screech that echoed down those canon walls in way most terrifying | In response a series of rife shots firet | in rapid succession came from poini in the willow fringe, but only whif of smoke indicated the location of ths frer. There had been a slight move ment of the willows.
 | He's still there all right" called thu pilot in subdued voice. Lay dowr your guns and keep your eyes peeled but don't do anything rash. It will
 come out all right"
 | His words called for an explanation
 Its Phil Foote,' the pilot explain | ed. T saw him here when was
 down before. but promised to say noth- l ing about him being here, and have kept my word, even to you fellows. He | Is suspicious of us--is expecting offi- cers to take him and although 1 told | him this party was coming he Is evi- dently afraid that it Is trick to catch | him."
 | This added zest to our trip, We had come expecting dangers or rapids and | whirlpools, but there has been no sus' | picion of a human element to be met | We had not figured on confronting q
 man prepared to fight for his life and accepting us as possible enemies. | The boat proceeded around the cres- | cent shaped face of the bottom to the
 lower end where a landing was to bt made. The whistle was footing at in' | tervals and we were doing our best tC I act the part of visitors on purely so' cial intent.
 We made the landing, but still tn, flrer of the first welcoming shots failed Ito appear. We busied ourselves making the boat safe. expected Foote to be come convinced that we were friendl! | and come down to greet us, as by thi
 time we were all rather curious to mee the outlaw. But he could not feel Sc cure. In the party were some Westeri men with that rough and ready go o the frontiersman who has grown ul with gun at his side and knows hoy to use 1t. One in particular, we learn ed afterward, had been picked upon b. Foote, fin his scrutiny of the party iron the shelter of the willows, as a maj who would be a formidable antagonist providing he had come. as the outlay suspected, to effect capture. It hap pened that this man was the very kim of one who could have been chosen t go upon such a capturing expedition and the fact that Foote had singled hin out as a dangerous conner to his hidinl plade showed how we'll he was able t judge character.
 The pilot advised us to leave ou guns on the boat and let 1t be seen tha we were unarmed, wait there and h he would go and explain to Foote. HI