The Washington times., 1912-03-24
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY
The Second Deluge
By GARRETT p SERVISS Tn. Fam SGgyrl.4 IS!., s Co.

4
ern buttresses of Pixies Peak rose
steeply toward the north, they discov-
cred the first evidence of the existence
of refugees in the mountains. This was
smoke s,or rising Ing, over an Intervenlns t,rU
clared could be due to nothing less than
a large campfire.
They hastened to finish their meal
and then climbed the ridge. As soon
as they were upon 1t they found them
selves looking down into a broad shall
low canyon, where there We're nearly
twenty rudely constructed cabins, with
huge fire blazing In the midst Of the
place and hale dozen .red-shlrted men
pusy about Il, evidently occupied in the
Preparation of the dinner, of large
party.
Their friends recognized an acquaint-
ance in one of theS men below and
hailed him with delight. Instantly men,
women, and children came running out
of the huts to look at them, and as
they descended into this improvised vii
lage they were received with a hos
pitality that was almost hilarious.
The refugees consisted of persons who
had escaped from the lower lands in the
immediate vicinity, and they were
struck dumb when told that they were
entertaining the President OF the Unit
ed States and his family.
The entire history of their adventures
was related on both sides. The refugees
told how, at the commencement of the
| the water would inundate their farms
and buildings, they loaded themselves
with as many provisions as they could
CARR, and, In spite of the suffocating
to fight their way to the ridge over
| hanging the deep cut in which they
were now encamped.
7 Hardly a quarter Of those who started
arrived in safety. They sheltered them
sclvies TO :he number of about thirty
\ IN huge caveron, which faced down the
! mountain, and had a slightly upward
sloping floor, so that the water did not
were able to eke out their provisions
until the sky cleared, after which the
! men, being used to outdoor labor and
bs for0r6 tfe to sgpP the wants
They managed to kill a few animals
and found the bodies of other recently
killed or drowned. Later they dc
secluded into the lowlands. as the watei
| of other houses, found some remnants o
supplies in the cellars and about thu
foundations of the barns. They were
seek to reeestSbIisR themselves sol on tn,
sites of their old homes, when thu
Presidents party came upon them.
The meeting with these refugees wal
Out the first of series of similar en-
counters on the way along the eastern
| face of Pixies Peak range. Ina the ag
gregate they met several hundred sur
|
on the site OF Colorado Springs, where I
large number of houses. standing on tn
higher ground, had escaped.
They had been soaked with water, de
scending through the shattered roof
and broken Windows, and pour ing int
the Easements and cellars: the fugitive
came from all directions. some from
the caverns on the mCuItains. anil SOM
from the rocks toward the north ant
east. A considerable number asscrtet
that thev had found refuge in tEc Gar
den Of Gods.
AS near az could be estimated, abou
a quarter of the population RENAME,
alive. The strong points of Prof. Plud
der now once more came out conspicu
ouslv. He proved himself ali admirabl
organizer. He explored al! the countr,
round. and enheartcned everybody. set
ting them to work TO repair the damag
} as much as possible.
Some horses and cattle were fount
which, following their instincts, ha
managed to escape the food. In tn
houses and other buildings yet stand
ing a great deal of food and other sup
! plies was discovered, so that there wa
ucipated, the soil had not all hec
? washed away from the fat land. and il
advised the Inhabitants to plant quick
} growing seeds at once.
| lie Utilized the horses to send courier
., in all directions, some going even as IA
/ as Denver. Everywhere virtually tn
same conditions were found-marv ina
| escaped ana were anNe, only neCdin
3 the guidance of a quicker intelligence
and this was supplied by the ndvic
which the professor instructed his en-
vows to spread among the people. II
I sought to cheer them still more by tn
infoI nation that the President wa
among them, and looking out for thei
} welfare.
! One thing which his courers at las
t began to report to him was a cause G
surprise. They said that the level O
2 the water was rapidly falling. Som
who had gone far toward the east de
Clared that 1t had gone down hundred
4 of feet. But tho professor reflected tha
= this was impossible, because evapora
l ton could not account for It, and h
} could not persuade himself that $
much water could have found it's wa
= into the interior OF the crust
He concluded that his informant
had allowed their hopes TO affect the
: eyesight, and, strong rs usual in III
: professional dogmas, he made no pei
= Sonal examination. EesidCs, Pro
e Pluddcr was beginning to be shaken 1
= his first belief that all trouble from III
3 rebula was at an end. ONE havIn
been forced to accept the hypothest
] tEat a watery nebula lad met til
earth. he began to reject that the
| might not be through with it,
I A Continuation OF This Story WI
he Found In TOmOrrON1a