The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-06-24
with Pardaloe and the Indian listen.

1--WE got away from here yesterday
morning o K-after you turned back.
Bob-Starbuck. Meg, and me, and we
made time on the Medicine Bend trail
till daylight. The going was pretty
bad, especially on Meg. Her horse
picked up a stone and went lame
early In the morning, and that held
US back. Then we figured out nobody
would modest her, alone on the trail.
nor the teamsters wouldn't bother
her none about the horse,@ for they
all knowed Meg-so we rode her over
to the trail, and Starbuck and me
made up to meet her at Crawling
Stone creek that night-so we part
ed" Haynes shook his head. There
was game woman. John. If ever
there was one"
"There was game woman,
JOHN" echoed Selwood, suspicious
and angry. "What do you mean?" He
started. us Meg dead" he Numbered
at Haynes. did Starbuck kill her?"
he asked In rage.
Haynes put up his hand. In all
the wreck Of his sorry plight. what
ever 1t might be, there was some
thing, for the first time, that COM
manded respect. "Let me alone, John
you'll hear 1t all soon enough.
"She was there ahead of us at
dark. waiting-down by the quick
sand crossing. We planned to take
the trail when the moon come up and
ride all night. but we was plum tuck
cred, all three Of US. SO Starbuck
said we would go up the canyon q
ways and camp for the night and rest
up Meg's horse all the next day
that was today77and ride all the next
night-that was tonight:
"When we thought we was up far
enough for to be pretty we'll hid, we
staked the horses up above, where
there was a little grass, and built a
fire down on ledge and had supper.
I never knowed, no more than a baby
that Starbuck and Meg was former
man and Whenever drempt it. After
supper they told me their story.
Starbuck said she'd saved his life
and they were going to head for the
Panhandle and start over again. We
didn't talk long. All Meg said was she
wanted me to know she was Star
bucks real wife and she didn't like
to be called just Meg. but Margaret
Starbuck.
Anyway, the two of 'em went to
sleep close to the fire-I moved Off a
way. was so blamed done out I
just couldn't sleep-so there was
lying on my back on the rock, think
ing where'd I land next. when I
began to hear a funny kind of noise.
And 1t kept getting louder n louder,
n funnier and funnier-up the can
yon. I lifted up to look, and there,
away up the canyon, seen a big
white streak stretched clear across
it, right from wall to wall, and roar
ing. i set up and called, down to Star
buck. and pointed. What's that white
thing?' I says.
"He jumped hike he was shot.
'WATER!' he yells. Margaret he
yells. 'Cloudburst! Quick! for your
life! Grab your saddle, Haynes! Get
to the horses! Up! Up!
HE grabbed their two saddles. I
grabbed my saddle, and we made,
hard as we could, up the canyon wall.
I'd got maybe ten feet when I heard
Meg scream-she'd fell down. The
water was crashing and roaring down
on us like all hell was let loose. She
yelled to Starbuck to save himself.
He dropped the saddles and picked up
Meg and started climbing with her.
and the water struck us.
II was maybe twenty feet higher
than Starbuck and Meg. If I'd been
forty feet it wouldn't have helped !;
that water was hundred feet deep.
1t picked me up like a match, and
picked them up, and picked the
horses up-I never knew a thing till
came to. on shelf away down the
canyon. I was pounded clean to
pieces. How I ever lived I don't
knOw-but there I was.
Il looked careful for signs and kept
calling Starbuck and Meg-but didn't
have no hope much of ever seeing 'em
again till spied something, down at
the mouth of the canyon, and pretty
we'll out In the creek on a gravel
bar. First l thought 1t was a big
piece Of driftwoOd; then I thought 1t
was one of the horses. I seen, when
I got closter, 1t wasn't. 1t was Star
buck and Meg.
II waded a ways out into the creek
and got pretty near the sand bar to
see If either Of 'em was alive. Meg's
skirt must "a caught in a snag on
the bar, and that held 'em there when
the water went down. There they
were, lying on the up side of the bar,
with their arms tight round each
other-and their heads part under
water-Starbuck's head was clean
under water"
Haynes wiped his forehead with the
back Of his grimy hand. 81 waded
back ashore and kept on down the
wash till got to the main crossing
and set down there to wait for help.