The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-03-27
CHAPTER III.
The Distant Thunder

\
A/ To rest upon the knoll, there was
w hothlng IN the appearance OF the
h,dscHp" that suggested that ne
ma penetrated to the regions OF en-
,h'him"ut except that cnchuu'ment OF
u'Nutltul prospects over a smiling coun-
,'N FROM uu opening between the trees
ne could look out over the lordly Hud-
SON far, far below him. moving In its
NI'nt but majestic course with the re-
II"Cuou of purple cloud or the sail Of
Il tagging bark, here and there upon i,s
RWssy surface, and a. last losing itself
IN the blue highlands
on the other side he looked down n
h'o'p. deep mountain glen. Slld and
lonely, the bottom filled with fragments
rom me impending cliffs nnd scarcely
, uEhted 10y the reflected RAYS ~ the set %
ing sun II was NJ this ,ged glen
thht lHp saw the strange figure toIling
una shouting, Hs II did 40, Rip Van
Nlnklc' Rip Van Wnklc'" Rip was
surprised to see any human 'oiug in this
unfr"1ucntcd place. but. ut last, suppos-
ing that 1t must hc some Of hi. neigh
u"ts In need ~ Rssistauce, he FASTENED
Gown To yield It.
on near approach Rhp was s'Ill more
surprised at the singuHrity Of 'nc strau-
/ gers appearance He was short.
/ square built old fellow, with thick. hushy
| hhIr and II griLLlri beard iIa lrcss wns
InI lh' HuiiuU" Dutch fnshior-n cloth
|J'rNn stripped around the waist with
several pairs uf hrrcchrs. the outer on,
/ OF ample volume, decorated Nl'h rows ui
/ huUuuH down tho sides and with lunches
I ui me knees llr bore on his shoulder n
. STOUT k'E ihr' seemed To b" full ot
liquor and mo1r signs Tor Eip Van Win.
Fle TO approach and assist him with IN,
load
Thoulh rnth"l ella, pu1 dIa'.ustf o.
10" new acquaintance. l,ly conn plird viii
'ih" nIn,ry witch D." 1lv-s hispaycc
when Nh" question Wns rp io somcbod,
.'IN' Nu'k lusirrd Uf hl# own And so
mutually relieving each Other I'm thtiI
WHk, th', clam erred ny q dark and mar.
row gult leading out ~ the .ugscd glen
.npwr"nuy the dry bed OF mountain
torrent
rs they thus descended E,p heard
Itl''N now and then long rolling pcHl'
lkr distant thunder thn' seemed to issu'
nom our of deep uNlur. o., rather
Dlru. h"iVr,u some lofty roDk ks towarc
/ winch their course was directed RI
paused l1. Hu instant. hut. supposnl
'hca' sounds 10 be- but the mutterings nj
ou" Of ih"." transient thunder storm'
I'wi often take place IN mountain
Delights. Dee proceeded Passing through
tl' rayiur they nt length came 60 a hol.
n" sliu.d like a smalapmph theatre
The hollow was surrounded hy pcrpcn-
b il.H.lr cliffs over the brink 4 which
/ urcudiuE trees shot out their ranches
} their tops r"nchlng 80 near together
/ ACROSS the hollow that you oul' caught
E'mpsrs above them, of the azure sky
/ and the evening clouds DIring the
whole trip up the glen Itp and Eis com
uHn'ou had hhorrd ON In silence. For
| though th" former mnrNclcd greatly wha,
/ could %, the object " carry Ing a krE OF
I l'uiur up this Wild mountain yct there
WAS something SO strange md incom
/ prvhCuslhlr about the unknown Compnu'
1 Ton ~ his luhors that he NNs inspirco
with nm awe that checked all his dispo'
/ sitiOn TO familiarity
/ Nlp was of sociahle nature. too. and
dearly loved to gossip In u anguld way
his occasional remarks On current
| events before his wife had driven HIN
/ from the haven of Nicholas Ncddcr'
great council under the tree before the
| inn. had often been received with
marked opprohation by the antncrat him
SELF ~ evidenced by the puffs Of his
pipe and were almost M Intelligent AS
II the great George whose august pic
tuto swung crrHking overhead In the
passing breeze had spoken himself.
nur there seemed to cmanate from this
strange being whom he had thus uneN
prytuily met In the mountain 5ulltudes a
strange. uncnnuy something which awed
| iip into silence Aud the little square
/ built man iu the curious, antique gnrl
/ had. moreover. never opened his head
] since hr had ceased his CALLING ~ XIV
/ Van Winklo' Rip Van Wihkle" and RIP
/ Zoo response. had gone to his assistance
UIr MS $40 completely hcwi'chcd that
l, lIl mot oven wonder how THIS Stran'
. rur aMuh ht,c known his name That
there WAS liquor lu the clsN which they
.H.I. with au much toll. tttn'purted ut
/ 'Nr rryiu" Hip had mo- doubt aud RI
IWtf 'ur from ayers" tu "a md lnduls
| rnrr n .uhnnps Nt ih" 80 ~ hu
Iairnugv Journey there WIS ~ least th.
im,pus az i,'irshm'ui nj ntHi AMI
| 'w,huv. l,ip even forgot his terror l''
. me- should he lu'o In getting huW" .iN
b thus incur p more than uidlulN nmuuu
/ II the topEur -hshmgs ol hbmr Var
] WuNr II wa ulI very strange hu
IstN lllp felt It most iu'rioslnE.
ON entering the little ,bu enclose,
hollow. ~ omphithcntr,, Whl,u has Jus
been dcsr,itcd new objects of Woudr
Ipirn,utcd ihCmsUlN, io RIPS H~tuuiHtv'
sure ON n level spot lu lh, "ruiet 81
tho amphithcntcr there wps gathered
company Ut odd looking persons playing H
mime. pins They we're alt 10 Hf'd IN
most quaint aud uutluudish fashion, th
like ut Whiyh he hni never ""ru before
Some ~ them wore short donhlrts
'oihrr wore i"rk.ua They md TOM
!. knives lu thyu hri. and mo " then
lind ON enormous hrrc,h,s several paf
,i them pt once, apparently u the sam
mtunyr n- RIPS strange guide
Their visagvs, too. WIRE most pcculp
,ni NOT tt pli such Ht tended iu Iusplr
confidence There WIS uur ulH nnl
'unr hoard htOOd iHl, and awHl rlE
.ish ewes The iuU, ut another srvwu
'u .unust mostly oi nose nnt Nns HW
mounted m u white. rytr'.IHHt hat su
III with little rcd cocks lul As Z
nr,rds. they an had ,m 'nd thul
n,,rds were ~ many ana Nul i shupr
Hul Uulufs
There V,s one who -,rnrl 90 be m