The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1917-10-05

She had tramped hflis and mountains
many Q time, camp and forest were IA
miliaf 10 her. She wore short
skirted dress, stout boots and leg
g1ngs, and Q yellow western elicker.
The exertiou Of the upward climb.
stumbling over broken brapches and
uprooted logs and noundering through
bogsy places ON the trail, brought q
touch Of Color to her face. and though
damp, the air sweet and fragrant.
clean and pure, refreshed and pleased
her greatly: the men, too. II was
hard pull. and abe was out Of breath
wnen she reached the broken coulee.
or ravine. which led to the top Of the
big red sandstone plateau.
I'm terribly out Of practice" she
said to the two men, ''but don't be-
lieve I'm in any worse state than you
are. Mr.. Winters"
II told you wasn't any good on
foot" said Winters, who was blowing
like a grampus.
Rodney laughed at the two Of them.
] Look at me-" he said. I'm as fresh
rs when began"
swell, you're used to walking" re-
turned Winters. Its this plugging
along this broken trail that has
knocked us out. The rich, they ride
on-bronchos, you know"
"When we get on top of the mesa
we will find 1t easier going" said Rod
ney encouragingly..
LET MS start" said the girl. sud-
denly serious, as she thought what
might be at the end of the journey.
Before we 60 any farther" said
Winters, staring up the ravine at the
sky which showed about 1t, "just take
q look at that"
idly rising, apparently against the
wind, which swayed rather violently
the tops Of the tallest pines, although
they were protected and in compare
tive quiet where they stood in the "a
vine. @
at looks as If there were more rain
there" said Rodney.
Its Incredible" answered Winters.
"after what we've had"
"But it certainly is coming down
again. and II Pm any Judge. it will be
another cloudburst."
"Perhaps we'd better 60 back" susl
gested Winters to Miss nlingworth.
$50 back" exclaimed the girl.
'When I'm as near az thisT
"But it's only a possibility, you
know"
Possibility or not. it would take
a deluge in my path to stop me.
Come"
It was an entirely practicable climb,
but rather a hard one on the wet,
crumbling rocks. It did not take the
three young people long to surmount
the difficulties, however. and after
few minutes they stood on top of the
mesa.
Near at hand was the hut Of which
the conductor had spoken. It stood
upon little rise above the general
level, and from 1t one could see far in
every direction. Between the hills and
over the lower crest of Baldwin's
knob they could even see dimly the
far-of plains, q little sickly yellow
light still lingering there before the
advance Of the storm.
The hut was made Of stone and logs.
They had not any more than reached
1t before the storm began. Chaps of
thunder, flashes Of lightning under
which the army on the dam were light
Ing. we're heard and seen with tenfold
clearness by the little group on the
huge upland.
1t was sight to awe the very soul
of humanity. Miles and miles down
the mountain side and among the hills
the whirling battalions of clouds rolled
and tumbled and tossed and clashed
like aerial armies. The lightning,
while 1t was not in sheets, was prac-
tically continuous, flash succeeding
flash in uncountable and binding sue
cession. Again they noticed the strange
coruscating, bursting effect as bolt
after bolt apparently struck some gran
lite ledge and was then thrown back in
splinters Of fire. The heavy. awful roll
Of the thunder was continuous and ter
rifle.
They stood staring through door and
windows In silence, Meade and their
quest forgot in the appalling tenn
pest by all except the woman. 1t was
she who recalled them.
let us hasten on" she said, and she
had almost to scream to make herself
heard In the wild tumult. tits mag
nifcent. wonderful, but"
As matter Of fact, all the mani
festations Of nature at its grandest
would not have sufiiced to turn her
head away from her lovers face If she
could have seen him.
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