The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1909-07-30
SYNOPSIS.

Murray Sinclair and his gang of wreck
srs were called out to clear the railroad
young road superintendent. caught Sin
clair and bis men In the act Of looting
the wrecked train. Sinclair pleaded In
small sum-a treat for the men. McCloud
discharged the whole outfit and ordered
the wreckage burned. McCloud became
Of the west. who came to look at the
clair; Whispering Gordon Smith told
Clouds brave fight against a gang of
craxed miners and that was the reason
for the superintendent's appointment to
board at the boarding house of Mrs. Sim
clair. the ex-foreman's deserted wife
Dioksic Dunning was the daughter OF the
broken heart shortly after his wife's
demise, which occurred after one year OF
4 taarried life Sinclair visited Marion Sin
McCloud was narrowly averted. Smoky
Creek bridge was mysteriously burned.
McCioud prepared to face the situation.
hesfNwork ahead. McCloud worked for
days and finally got the division running
IN fairly good order ,, He overheard Dick,
Sinclair. A stock train was wrecked by
an open switch. Later passenger train
ss held ~ and ,se iS Sr SSn
were killed. McCloud was. notified that
Whispering Smith was to hunt the des-
peradoe.. Bili Dancing. a road lineman.
proposed that Sinclair and his gang be
sent to hunt the bandits. A stranger. ap-
parently with authority. told him to go
ahead: Dancing was ., told the .,, stranger
preached Sinclair, He tried to buy him
on. but failed. He warned McCloud that
his life was in danger. MeCloud was car
sncs. Dunning refused the railroad n
right of-way. he had already signed for
DSss' to Snslg
trail to warn him his life was In danger
On his way home a shot passed through
his hat sRh raSP Ssd shas
assigned to kill McCloud. He and Smith
saw Du Sang. Whispering Smith taunt.
60 Dn Sang p and told hin e s, get out 81
to succumb to the blum. McClouds big
construction job was taken from him be-
Dunning bv the United States court.
CHAPTER xvl.-contlnued.
The Crawling Stone river is said to
embody. historically. all Of the de-
low the Box Canyon it plows through
a great bed OF yielding silt, its 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
yhch 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 Its 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
Wong lines of possession: but the Sioux
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 land Of winters. The sea
sons fall OF snow had not been above
an average. but II had fallen In the
spring and had been followed by ex-
cessively low temperatures throughout
the mountains. June came again. but
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 and
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 back
into the hills. Then came the rise.
Creek after creek In the higher noun
tains. ice-bound for six months. burst
without warning into flood. Soft winds
struck with the sun and stripped the
mountain walls OF their snow. Rains
set In on the desert. and lar In the
high northwest the Crawling Stone
lifting its fourfoot cap OF Ice like
bed OF feathers began rolling II end
over end down the valley In the Box.
40 feet OF water struck the canyon
torpedocs against the granite spurs.
the Crawling Stone was starting alter
Its own.
When the river rose. the earlier talk
OF Cummings men had been that the
Crawling Stone would put an end To
the railroad protensions by washing
the $50 miles OF track back 10 the
Peace river. where II had started This
much In the beginning was easy TO
predict. but the railroad men had
turned out In force TO nght Tor their
holdings. and while the ranehcrs were
laughing. the river was flowing over
the bench lands In the upper valley.
N,A.