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Venters and Bess finished their simple meal and the few tasks around the camp, then faced the open terrace, the valley, and the west, to watch and await the approaching storm

It required keen vision to see any rees the dark cloud-line low of sunset A shadow lengthened froht and rigid as steel rose the delicate spear-pointed silver spruces; the aspen leaves, by nature pendant and quivering, hung lientle splashing of water caain fro roll of thunder

A wave, a ripple of light, a tre of the aspen leaves, like the approach of a breeze on the water, crossed the valley from the west; and the lull and the deadly stillness and the sultry air passed away on a cool wind

The night bird of the canyon, with clear andthe cliffs rose the faintin the caves

The bank of clouds noept hugely out of the western sky Its front was purple and black, with gray between, a bulging,instinct with stor aspect As if all the power of the winds were pushing and piling behind, it rolled ponderously across the sky

A red flare burned out instantaneously, flashed from the west to east, and died Then from the deepest black of the purple cloud burst a boos and ramparts, and see and boom from cliff to cliff

"Oh!" cried Bess, with her hands over her ears "What did I tell you?"

"Why, Bess, be reasonable!" said Venters

"I'e you're afraid I love a storm"

"I tell you a stor hated storms His men were afraid of them There was one ent deaf in a bad storain"

"Maybe I've lots to learn, Bess I'll loseto have heavy wind first, then lightning and thunder, then the rain Let's stay out as long as we can"

The tips of the cottonwoods and the oaks waved to the east, and the rings of aspens along the terraces twinkled their leam A low roar rose from the leaves of the forest, and the spruces swished in the rising wind It caht breezes between As it increased in strength the lulls shortened in length till there was a strong and steady blow all the ti currents The clouds spread over the valley, rolling swiftly and low, and twilight faded into a sweeping darkness Then the singing of the wind in the caves drowned the swift roar of rustling leaves; then the song swelled to apower of the wind the wail changed to a shriek Steadily the wind strengthened and constantly the strange sound changed