River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-03-12

For two days Summers had plodded
on, pursuing his solitary way through
this silent region lie had left the
Colorado river, bound for Escalante,
fearful of all manner Of disasters on
the road If he succeeded in keep
ing the trail, his friends told him he
would not find the water-hOles. II
he discovered the water-holes, they
said, his horse would not pick enough
grass to keep it going. II feed was
obtained, they warned him against rat
tlesnakes, tarantulas, ella monsters,
and the like And if he escaped these
reptiles, his associates cautioned him
finally the desperadOes of the district
would be quite certain to overtake
him.
Had there been fewer or lesser dan
gers he would probably not have I'M
dertaken the ride But with such a
formidable array against him the ven
ture became a sort of trial of the met
tie OF John Summers, government en-
gineer, and he determined to achieve
it. The journey thus far had been so
0ppressiVely monotonOus that the man
was wishing that something would
turn up soon.
Yet when, shortly, the clatter-
ing of horses hoofs over the stones
below him in the rocky wash came to
his ears as he sat resting by spring
in the midst of tangIe of cotton
woods and willows, all his desire for
D6 FgIrn n a q
and made up the canyon at his best
speed
Horses suggested men and men sug-
gested outlaws in southern central
Utah at that day And outlaws were
exactly what the engineer did not
care to encounter. For a decade the
district has passed as Robbers
RoCSt. and the gangs that so long
found retreat in it's mazes have only
In latest years been generally routed.
John Summers pressed on fer half
an hour, cogitating on the situation,
and arrived at these conclusions:
First. it would be eminently proper
that he learn who constituted the
party behind; second. should they
prove to be outlaws he would stand
email chance of escaping by running.
Coming now to a fork of the can
yon which lent itself admirably to his
purposes. the traveller formed plan
for an investigation. He led his horse out
of the dry trail and up the other rocky
wash. The footing was over hard,
shiny stones, and no trace was left,
Summers thought, of the course he
had taken A little higher up, level
floor of the chasm was overgrown
with a dense thicket of pinons and
scrub-cedars Hidden away here. the
horse was tied, and the rider glided
back toward the trail.
Not for an instant did he show him
self. but. sheltered by one rock or tree
after another, he warily wormed his
way along. Seventy-five yards from
the main path he crawled into a sultry
rock cleft, we'll up from the bottom of
the channel There, perfectly Sc
creted and making himself as comfort
able as he might, he awaited his fol-
lowers
Before long man appeared round
a tawny rock zoo yards below. Two
others followed, and advanced until
they were near Summers. They wore
pistols and each carried rifle.
John Summers sat and wondered.
How any one had learned that it was
worth while to follow him was Ques-
ton he could not answer.
All three men progressed slowly,
with great caution, pausing fire.
quently when. the trail seemed dim,
and nos advancing until the next sign
was discovered farther on. With three
minutes scIambling. the trio We're
brought opposite John Summers
hiding place His carbine, lying on
the rock. commanded the foremost
as his voice rang out:
Hands up"
,ThesIeader looked in the direction
OF the summons, fingered his gun,
and ended with eleyating both arms
without unnecessary delay. The large
man and the guide followed the ex-
ample OF their captain. The engin-
GERS second command was delivered
almost iastantaneously:
Face this way Be careful not to
make any awkward movements; we
don't like EN-, Now just pitch your
guns Up the bank toward Us. Let
EN- come 20 feet at least"
Three rifles were hurled up the
slope. fell. slid to anchorage on the
rocks. and were safe
Then there happened a surpris.
ing thing in the rock embrasure
causing bewilderment on the faces
of the three pursuers. 4 deep
bass voice was heard to mutter:
Pretty lot amt they?" To which a
pleasant tenor responded: "Beauts."
It was an old trick of Summers
with which he had amused parlors
many times. He tried the tenor fur
Their. 1t called:
Say, you fellows, do you think
shut. up, Jack followed his own
familiar tones.
1t was apparent that the engineer
had his foe at his mercy, thanks to
the fanctful guardsmen ~ his back
He locked them over critically, then
said:
Spread out" They did so.
Face about" Only backs were Wis
ibSs,