Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-05-10

"A canyOn-Sl0e,
%HliR~ The telegraph wire, which
SPAWNED the two hundred miles
lying between the outpost and civilization, hung in
curves too lax to vbrate.
Heavens! she's scorcher!" cried the captain
/ In disgust, he raised up from behind shev-
ing rock. "If 1t would only rain!"
"Rain!" growled the signal sergeant, mutter-
ing: "The heat has turned the mans head! Who
ever heard of 1t raining in this internal country
in, August"
7"Let me see," unused the captain, we've been
out here eighteen months, roasting and freezing,
and in that time have only been called out
with the command half dozen times, and then
to escort punches of Mormons."
why don't you put out daily detail to pros
pect these hills, find gold mine, get rich quick,
! tell the department to go to thunder, resign, re-
tvrn to Gods country and be somebody" the
sergeant inquired.
"Gold," sneered the captain, "why there isn't
man among you who could tell gold from pig iron
1 now"
The sergeant drew forth ivedollar gold piece.
couldn't Ell? I'd like to see the man who don't
know what this is"
The captain scowled. wiped his perspiring brow
and said: 'You don't know whether that is gold
or not. Why don't you spend it?"
Somebody laughed. In truth piece of tin would
have been much good gold so far as use is
concerned out there, miles and miles from town.
Gust the I'd like to sprain my back lug
cling big sackful of this stuff back to Gods
i try!" the sergeant cried.
Eyes and If you had the chance, you'd drop the
sack before you had gone twenty miles and spran
your legs doing hot-fot away from the skunk
sioux," YEARLY said the captain, sinking to the
ground once more.
Buzzards came and from nearby heights looked
/ down upon the suffering men, Over in the north
west above the hooking mountain peaks OF snow,
appeared feecy cloud hanging lazily there. From
the west came another insignificant body OF vapor;
it drifted towards the other and Joined 1t. The
mass grew, hot wind blew up from the south
east and in the course of an hour a noise not
unlike that which would be made by cannon
ball shot through several thcknesses of sheet ron
broke the stiffness and startled the refugees.
"Damnation!" cried the captain, springng to his
feet, while the others grasped their rifles. The
buzzards left their perches and with hoarse cries,
disappeared down the canyon.
CRASH Another noise like the first but more
violent sounded near and binding zigzag darted
from above and entered the ground. cracking
in the rear told of wind; the pines began to moan
myriads of birds came from the slope on the west
and sought refuge among the rocks, as, with
more terrible than that of hundred wounded
wild beasts an immense bank of inky storm clouds
swept close overhead. Awful lightnings here and
there tore away great blocks of granite as they
darted into the earth, attracted by mneralized
stratas below driving the soldier, into the thick
cts.
1t rained and it hailed. The canyon became
roaring cataract. To the east the wind was driv-
ing at a sixty-mi1e dash, great cloud or alkali
dust.
ain fifteen minutes the storm was over and the
cloud burst-that's what is was-had practically
changed the topography of a square mile of noun
tanside, canyon and desert. With deafening
parting salute the final flash struck the big rock
which had erstwhile been the captains refuge
nom the heat enveloping the boulder in fire.
In another moment the sun reappeared and the
birds returned to the trees to- busy themselves
With song