Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-12-13


The instinct of the horses had
guided them to halt behind the only
safe spot on the unsafe bank. Jim
removed their packs, Il aving the sad.
dies on. Without hesitation he poured
out all Of the grain, about two quarts
for each horse. Lastly he jammed the
packs under the edge of the bouIders
and left the horses free to take care
of themselves.
lie dreaded the coming hours-the
night-the-he knew not what.
Jim removed his slicker and folded
1t into a long pad. As he crept closer
the girl stirred again and spoke. He
thought she asked II he was there.
He placed the slicker In the best avail
able place and covered that with the
drier OF the two saddle blankets. He
pulled the saddle closer. Then he
lifted the girl over his lap and covered
her with the dry blanket. He leaned
back against the stone with her head
on his shoulder and his arm support
Ing her 1t was not only that he want
ed to keep her dry and warm: he had
to have her In his arms while he
waited for the nameless terror he
anticipated.
This was the climax OF the storm
that had been gathering for days. Ont
upon the level desert 1t would have
been serious for travellers here In this
gorge 1t was a maelstroln. Jim did
not expect to live to hear 1t pass away.
Yet he did. And then began the after
math of a flood let loose upon such
unstable earth. The waterfall grad
nally rose to n laundering, continuous
crash. II dominated for d while, until
the thousand streams from above
poured over the rims to deaden all, to
completely deafen jim.
A sheet Of water, sliding over the
rock, hid the OPAQUE blackness from
Jim's eyes. Any moment now d flood
would rise over the bank. and when It
did Jim meant to climb higher with
the girl, to front the hurtling rocks
and slipping sides. and fight till the
bitter end.
But many changes as the hours
brought, that flood did not rise above
the bank. Jim saw the sheet OF wa,
ter fall and the black space of gorge
again. He heard the avalanches
and the great single powders come
down, and the furious backlash Of the
torrent below, and the ~lessening roar
of the waterfall.
The time came to jim, as If he
dreamed, when all sounds changed,
iessened, faded away, except the pc
culiar thrashing of the stream below.
And he got to listening for that sound,
which occurred only occasionally. For
= while the sliding rush of heavy wa
ter swept on, suddenly to change into
q furious splashing.
At length Jim calculated 1t was a
current laden with sand, which
at times caused pillows to rise and
lash their twisting tips back upon
themselves. Long he heard these
diminishing. gradually separat-
Ing sounds.
The streams ceased flowing, the
slides ceased slipping, the rocks ceased
and the waterfall failed from A
to a hollow roar and from
that to a softening splash.
Jim imagined he saw dim stars out
a void that seemed to change from
to gray. Was dawn at hand2
Had they been spared? The gurgle of
he stream below merged into the dis
ant, low rumble OF the Dirty Devil.
lin rested there, staring out at the
Ipectral forms on the opposite wall,
linking thoughts never before lnhab-
of his confused brain.
But the sky was grazing, the gorge
aking shape In the gloom, and this
'lace which had heard a din Of hide
us sounds was silent as q grave.
AT last Jim had to accept a mar
elous phenomenon-dawn was at
and. Gently he slipped Helen into
he hollow OF the saddle. She was
till asleep. His cramped limbs buck
I'd under him and excruciating pains
hot through his bones and muscles.
In the gray light objects were dis
ernible. He could not see to the head
+ the gorge, where the waterfall had
lunged out from the wall. But ST.
snce meant that 1t had been surface
'ater, a product of the storm. and It
as gone. Beneath the bank ran a
nannel OF ine-ribbed sand where not
a puddle showed. On the bank
le horses stood patiently, except Bay,
nd he was nosing around for a blade
grass that did not exist on the sod {
en earth. The great slope appeared {
same and yet not the same. A
ute acceptance Of ultimate destruc- |
lowered over 1t.
Sunrise found Jim Wall topping q
Sc of rocky ground miles beyond the |
enc Of his night vigil. Again he fol /
wed his sure-footed lead pack horse. :
The sky was blue. the sun bright /
Id warm. and at the. moment II I
owned with gold the top OF the pur.
0 butte Jim had seen twice before. r
appeared close now, rearing q cor h
gated peak above yellow and brown
liz Jim was carrying Helen In front y