The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-02-17

at the mouth OF the gorge, where tn
torrenting Nipoia Strengthened itsel
momentarily before entering upon it
plunging race through the mountain
barrier a beam of white light fickereC
unsteadily for a fraction of a second
Then 1t became a luminous pencil Il
trace zigzag line up the winding
course of the river across to the foot
hill spur where the camp of the recla
nation service vanguard was pitched
and so on around to the base OF the
Chigringo. For certain other seconds
it remained quiescent, glowing bale
fully like the eye OF some tabled mon.
ster searching for its prey. Then II
was gone.
Grislow's comment took the form OF
half-startled exclamation.
by Jove! wouldn't that give you a
fit Of the creepies this far from civil
lization and dynamo? What are you
calling IT."
Your guess is as good as mine,"
was the half-absent reply. Brouillard
had got upon his feet and was but
toning his many-pocketed shooting
coat.
I'm going to take little hike down
yonder for investigation purposes.
Want to come along%
But the mapper of watersheds was
yawning sleepily. Not on your tin
type" he refused. I'm going to cork
1t OFF in me 'ammick'"
1t was only short mile from the
camp on the inward slopes of the east
ern foothills to the mouth of the outlet
gorge, across which Brouillard could
already see, in mental provision, the
great gray wall of the projected Nj
quota dam-his future Woodworking
majestically from the broken shoulder
of Chigringo to the opposing sleeps
of Jacks mountain. The half-grown
moon, fitting now toward the skyline
of the western barrier, was leaving the
canyon portal in deepest gloom.
Picking his way judiciously because
the trail was new to him. Brouillard
came in due time to the descending
path among the spruces and scrub |
pines leading to the western outlook
upon the desert swales and sandhills. |
At the canyon portal where the forest |
thinned away and left him standing
at the head of the final descending
plunge in the trail. he found himself |
looking down upon the explanation of |
the curious apparition.
None the less, what he saw was in |
Itself rather inexplicable. In the first
desert looping of the river a campfire
If pinyon knots was blazing chesrfully,
md beside it, with picnic hamper for
| table, sat supper party of three
wo men and woman--in enveloping
lust-coats, and third man in chauf-
eur leather serving the sitters. Back
+ the group, and with it's detachable
earchlight missing, stood huge tour
ng car to account for the picnic ham
,er, the dust-coats, the man in leather,
nd; doubtless, for the apparitional eye
which had appeared and disappeared
t the mouth of the upper gorge. Also
accounted. in purely physical
ense, for the presence of the picnick-
rs, though the within which had led
hem to cross the desolate Duckskin
esert for the dubious pleasure of max
ng an all-night bivouac on its eastern
dge was not SO readily apparent.
The young engineer saw no reason
Thy he should intrude upon the group
I the cheerful campfire On the con-
rary he began speedily to find good Y
nd sufficient reasons why he should
OF. That the real restraining motive
AS sudden attack OF desert shyness
g would not have admitted. But the
let remained. Four years in the rec
Imation service had made the good
'oking young chief of construction q
of quality, But each year
isolation had done something
ward weakening the social ties.
A loosened pebble turned the scale.
hen bit of the coarse-grained sand
enc of the trail rolled under Brouil-
rd's foot and went Gathering down
plunge into the stream the man in
e chauffeur leather reached for the =,
,archlight lantern and directed it's :,
cam upon the canyon portal But by :
at time Brouillard had sought the
lelter of the scrub pines and was re- :,
acing his steps up the shoulder OF =
e mountain. =,