The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-01-11
CHAPTER XII-Continued

removed tnelr PACKS, leaving the Sdu-
dies on. Without hesitation he poured
out all of the grain, about two quarts
for each horse. Lastly he damned the
packs under the edge of the bOulders
and left the horses free to take care
of themselves.
He 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 if 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. Out
upon the level desert it would have
been serious for travellers; here in this
gorge it was a maelstrom. Jim did
not expect to live to hear it pass away.
Yet he did. And then began the after
math Of a flood let loose upon such
unstable earth. The waterfall grad
ually rose to laundering, continuous
crash. 1t dominated for a 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
Jfm's eyes. Any moment now flood
would rise over the bank, and when it
did Jim meant to climb higher with
the girl, to front the hurting 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
anu Tic great Single DO"lucIS SOlhC
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
lessened, faded away, except the pc
culiar thrashing of the stream below.
And he got to listening for that sound,
which occurred only occasionally. For
a while the sliding rush of heavy wa
ter swept on, suddenly to change into
a furious splashing.
At length Jim calculated it was
strong current laden with sand, which
at times caused pillows to rise and
lash their twisting tips back upon
themselves. Long he heard these
slowly diminishing, gradually separat-
ing sounds.
The streams ceased flowing, the
slides ceased slipping, the rocks ceased
rolling and the waterfall failed from
laundering to hollow roar and from
that to a softening splash.
Jim imagined he saw dim stars out
In a void that seemed to change from
black to gray. Was dawn at hand?
Had they been spared? The gurgle of
the stream below merged into the dis
tant, low rumble of the Dirty Devil.
Jim rested there, staring out at the
spectral forms on the opposite wall,
thinking thoughts never before inhab-
itants of his confused brain.
But the sky was CRAVING, the gorge
taking shape in the gloom, and this
place which had heard a din of hide
Gus sounds was silent as grave.
At last Jim had to accept mar
velous phenomenon-dawn was at
hand. Gently he slipped Helen into
the hollow of the saddle. She was
still asleep. His cramped limbs buck
led under him and excruciating pains
shot through his bones and muscles
In the gray light objects were dis
cernible. He could not see to the head
of the gorge, where the waterfall had
plunged out from the wall. But 81
lence meant that it had been surface
water, a product of the storm, and 1t
was gone. Beneath the bank ran
channel of fine-ribbed sand where not
even a puddle showed. On the bank
the horses stood patiently, except Bay,
and he was nosing around for blade
of grass that did not exist on the sod
den earth. The great slope appeared
the same and yet not the same. A
mute acceptance of ultimate destruc-
ton lowered over 1t.
Sunrise found Jim Wall topping a
rise of rocky ground miles beyond the
scene of his night vigil. Again he fol-
lowed his sure-footed lead pack horse.
The sky was blue, the sun bright
and warm, and at the moment II
crowned with gold the top of the pur-
pie butte Jim had seen twice before.
1t appeared close now, rearing a cor
rugated peak above yellow and brown
hills. Jim was carrying Helen in front
of him. Conscious, but too spent to
speak or move, she lay back on his
arm and watched him.
There had been trail along here
once, as was proved by a depressed
line on the gravelly earth. When Jim
surmounted this barren divide he sud-
denly was confronted by an amazing
and marvellous spectacle.
"Blue valleyl" he calculated.
"Blue valleyi Helen, we're out
Of the brakes! i. Safe! Men live
here"
She heard him, for she smiled up
into his face, glad for his sake, but in
her exhaustion beyond caring for her
own.