In A Fierce Wind, With A Wagon And Its Contents
Dried Out By The Fierce Arizona Sun, I Knew There
Was not a moment to lose.
Fortunately, I had left a pail, of water close by, and with this I
Doused
out not only the flames in the wagon, but the remnant of the camp fire. It
was pitch dark by now. All at once, with a light that was blinding in its
intensity, and with a terrible clap of thunder, the storm burst upon us. It
was, without any question, one of the fiercest short storms, accompanied
with the most vivid lightning, I have ever seen. The darkness was so black,
that, like that of Egypt during the plague, it seemed almost as if it might
be felt. With a suddenness that was awe-inspiring, it became light as
noonday. The lightning was of a brilliant, violet tint, and shone with
fervent intensity. And it was not merely a few flashes. It came down in
millions of jagged streaks, completely filling the heavens to the horizon
in every direction.
A Frightened Traveler. In one of these blinding flashes, I caught sight of
my neighbor. His face wore an expression of anguish. In his dread he had
arisen, and had tried to pick up his clothes and blankets, in the hope of
reaching shelter. In one of the sudden lulls of the tempest, I heard him
talking to himself: "Shall I ever live through this awful night? Can I
get to those cliffs?
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