The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-09-23
SYNOPSIS.

murray ClnclalT anu HIS BdilS O1 NTetk-
ers were called out to clear the railroad
tracks at Smoky Creek. McCloud, II
young road superintendent. caught SIN
clair and his men in the act of looting
the wrecked train Sinclair pleaded in
nocence, declaring 1t only amounted to a
small sum-a treat for the men, McCloud
the wreckage burned MoCloud became
acquainted with Dickse Dunning, u girl
of the west, who came to look at the
wreck. She gave him message for Sin
clair Whispering Gordon Smith told
President Bucks OF the railroad, of Me-
Clouds brave fight against a. gang of
craZed miners and that was the reason
for the superintendent appointment to
his high office. McCloud arranged to
board at the boarding house of Mrs. Sin
clair, the ex-foremans deserted wife.
Dicksie Dunning was the daughter of the
late Richard Dunning who had died of a
isn nedr SHORTLY atte AFTER ms I
married life. Sinclair visited Marion Sin
clair's shop and fight between him and
McCloud was narrowly averted. Smoky
Creek bridge was mysteriously burned.
McCloud prepared to face the situation.
President Bucks notified Smith that he
had work ahead. McCloud worked for
days and finally got the division running
In fairly good order. He overheard Dick
sic criticising his methods to Marion
Sinclair A stock train was wrecked by
an open switch. Later passenger train
was held up and the express ear robbed
Two men of posse pursuing the bandits
Were killed. McCloud was notified that
Whispering Smith was to hunt the des-
peradoes Bill Dancing road lneman
proposed that Sinclair and his gang be
sent to hunt the bandits. A stranger. APP
parently with authority, told him to go
ahead; Dancing was told the stranger
was Whispering Smith" Smith APP
preached Sinclair. He tried to buy him
off, but failed, He warned McCloud that
his life was in danger McCloud was car
ried foreibly into Lance Cummings pres,
right-of-way. he had already signed for.
Dicksie interfered to prevent a shooting
trail to warn him his life was in danger.
On his way home a shot passed through
his hat Whispering Smith reported that
Du Sang, one of Sinclairs gang, had been
assigned to kill McCloud. He and Smith
saw Du Sang. Whispering Smith taunt..
ed Du Sang and told him to get out of
to succumb to the bluff. McCloud's big
construction job was taken from him be-
cause of an injunction issued to Lance
Dunning by the United States court.
CHAPTER xvI.-Contnued.
The Crawling Stone river is said to
embody, historically, all of the de.
ceits known to mountain streams Be-
low the Box Canyon it plows through
a great bed of yielding silt, it's own
deposit between the two imposing
lines of bluffs that resist its wander
ings from side to side of the wide val
ley. This fertile soil makes up the
rich lands that are the envy of less
fortunate regions in the Great Basin
but the Crawling Stone is not river
to give quiet title to one acre Of its
own making. The toll of it's centuries
spreads beautifully green under the
June skies, and the unsuspecting set
tier, lulled into security by many
years of the rivers repose, settles on
Its level bench land and lays out his
long lines of possession; but the Sioux
will tell you in their own talk that this
man is but tenant at WILL that in
another time and at another place the
stranger will inherit his fields; and
that the Crawling Stone always comes
back for its own.
The winter had been an unusual one
even in a land of winters. The sea
sons fall of snow had not been above
an average, but 1t had fallen in the
spring and had been followed by ex
'cessively low temperatures throughout
the mountains. June came again, but
a strange June. The first rise of the
Crawling Stone had not moved out
the winter frost, and the stream lay
bound from bank TO bank, and for hun
dreds of miles, under three feet of ice
When June opened backward an(
cold, there had been no spring. Heavy
frosts lasting until the middle of the
month gave sudden way to summer
heat, and the Indians on the upper
valley reservation began moving bacl
into the hills. Then came the rise
Greek after creek in the higher noun
tains, ice-bound for six months, burs
without warning into flood. Soft winds
struck with the sun and stripped tn,
mountain walls of their snow Rains
set in on the desert and far in tn,
high northwest the Crawling Ston,
lifting its four-foot cap OF ice like
bed of feathers began rolling it ent
over end down the valley. In the Box
40 feet of water struck the canyon
walls and ice-hoes were hurled lili
torpedoes against the granite spurs
the Crawling Stone was starting ate
its own.
When the river rose, the earlier tall
of Cummings men had been that tn
Crawling Stone would put an end t
the railroad pretensions by washing
the $50 miles of track back TO tn
Peace river, where 1t had started. Thi
much in the beginning was easy t
predict but the railroad men ha
turned out in force to fight for thei
holdings, and while the ranchers wer
laughing, the river was flowing owe
the bench lands in the upper valley
"A CHAPTER XVII.