The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-11-08

brorcho had shown. Pink trotted care
lessly into the gloom of the canon and
enlivened il by yelling fiercely In the
spots where long experience in yell
ing had proved to him the best echoes
came hack from the towering ciitts
close 70 each stirrup The canon was
almost two miles long. and the walls
on either side rose sheer for couple
OF hundred feet The trail was the
bed of a little stream that filled the
bottom of the narrow gulch with its
shadows and which was dignitied by
being called the Rio Seco. Great
rocks were carelessly scattered here
and there. and even q cow.puncher
camped at its entrance if he was
caught there by darkness At the far
end the gulch broadened into valley
between rolling hills. where the cattle
came down to drink and to feed on
the green grass. a wonderful sight in
Arizona
The pony. splashing quickly through
the shadows and clattering over the
rocks, had passed deep within the two
great walls when suddenly il stopped
and tremhled. Ii half.wheeled around,
thrust forward both ears, stretched
out its ungainly neck as il listening.
and then squealed in evident terror.
Wheeling around again, it started
down the canon on bolt, but Pink
gave the cruel bit great jerk. and
the pony fell back to a walk. A mo-
ment later the broncho was lathered
with sweat
Now. Pink had frequently heard his
/ pony sQueal with rage. but this was
different. "a pure case of scared, he
said to himself. "an' no walleyed
pinto cow-pony is going to git scared
less there's something to be scared
at that's big an important an needin'
attention So he pulled up his
trembling pony and listened Far
away and sullen, like a low growl, he
heard an unceasing noise. which. even
in the seconds he listened, grew om-
inously distinct
Good Cod" said Pink Murry, look.
ing despairingly at the cliffs that tow
cred sheer close to either stirrup
1T amt much of a race-track, pinto
but we've certainly got race to do
The pinto did not need the spur,
but he got it. He did not need the
Quirt, but he got that too The rush
and the roar Of the cloud-burst and
the ferocious din of many waters piled
in one. looming and smashing as it
tore through the canon at their heels,
made that pony run like a Derby win
ner gone stark mad with fear. In the
saddle sat a pale, freckled-faced cow
boy, riding in grim earnestness at
last. With cool skill he swung the
maddened horse around jutting corn
I ers Of the cliffs and lifted him as he
1 leaped over the boulders in his path.
Under the flying hoofs an inch OF wa.
/ ter flowed placidly. A hundred yards
behind ten feet of water tossed about
boulders like pebbles. So horse and
rider tore out OF the canon at last and
staggered up the slope OF the hills 10
safety, having come through the last
half of the Seco Canon in three min
ates. which Hermosa says is a lie.
All about him, on the crest Of the
hill, cattle paved and beloved and
ran about, tossing both head and tail
straight in the air, the cows with
calves hustling the youngsters down
the far side of the ridge Pink turned
4 quickly in his saddle and looked back
A great wall Of logs and branches and
4 sticks and rocks and leaves, the ac-
cumulations Of the mountain bed OF
the Seco for many dry months, was
being swiftly and mysteriously pushed
through the canon. Ten feet high il
was in the ycanon, but when ii burst
1 free into the broader valley, it broke
and spread out somewhat Behind it
Ioared the pent-up waters, dark and
I swollen with anger Like a nightmare
the flood swept by Pink and the pant.
4 ing pony, swept by and swirled and
churned itself, as if reaching back aft
er him. Boulders grumbled as they
were rolled about in It's depths. and
/ logs shot by like arrows. The noise
OF its fury deafened him. and the in
/ credible swiftness with which il
swirled past made him dizzy The
big sheet-iron roof of Boiarque's ranch
house. borne on the angry waters like
a roof Of cork, fitted by him like the
fickering of shadow on river. The
whitefaced cowboy watched it grim
i ly for half an hour, while his horse
stood under him with spreading legs
and heaving sides
At length the pony stretched out his
reck and began TO nibble grass. The
cowboy swung around in his saddle
and picked up the reinss
ITS lucky for me you beat out that
water. old hoss, for how could swim
with all the silver Of Hermosa in nv
chapsgr said Pink Murry genially.