Buffalo Roost: A Story of a Young Men's Christian Association Boys' DepartmentCheley, Frank H. (Frank Howbert)
Religion
Buffalo Roost: A Story of a Young Men's Christian Association Boys' Department
Cheley, Frank H. (Frank Howbert)
Christian fiction; Young men's Christian associations -- Fiction
"Come on, fellows, let's travel along, or we'll not get anywhere
to-night. Ham, you can tell us your story while we are walking. We've got
to reach Dad's by four o'clock, or we'll never get to the Park by night,"
said Phil, as he arose and adjusted his blanket roll preparatory to
starting.
"Go on, Ham," urged Fat, who was always ready for a story, especially a
mountain story. "Let's have that tale of yours. I expect we'll need a
little salt with it won't we?"
"There isn't much to it, after all, when you tell it, for it was the
night and the surroundings that made it so impressive. We had just
finished supper and were all sitting up on the big rock looking out
over the lighted city. As we sat there, every now and then we would hear
the strangest sound. It came from the timber away up behind the camp. At
first it sounded like a human voice--a kind of a long, sad sob. The night
was as dark as pitch, and as we sat listening the cold shivers began to
run up and down our backs. Sometimes the sound seemed to be answered from
far out in the dark valley. We speculated a good deal as to what it could
be, for it was such a sad, wailing call. Then suddenly way down the
valley a light appeared, not a large one, just a tiny, flickering,
ever-moving light. It seemed to me to be in the air just over the center
of the canyon, but the rest declared it was on the road below us. Then
the sad call came again and again. It seemed to be nearer this time. Then
came a far-away, dull, muffled sound, such as a horse would make on stony
road. The light came directly toward us, now, up the canyon. It resembled
a lantern being swung by some one, as if to give signals. We sat and
watched it for a long time, everybody talking in low whispers; and many
were the opinions as to what it really was. No one noticed just when,
but some time, without a second's notice, the light disappeared. We heard
the faraway sound of rolling stones, then all was quiet for a long time.
Two of us sat and listened far into the night. Several times we heard
that long, sad wail--a sort of hoo-oo-oo. A night breeze had risen, and
you fellows know how the wind moans in these pines. It was a mighty
lonesome night--just sitting there with your every nerve alert and as
wide-awake as you could ever get, just listening and watching. As soon as
it was light enough to see, we started for the summit of Cheyenne, up
through that mountain of granite boulders and mighty crags. I think we
were about half-way up, when some one noticed an immense black bird,
swinging in great circles, high in the air. Soon we smelled smoke, so
hurried on. The first long rays of light began to streak the sky, and we
knew we would have to hustle if we reached the summit by sunrise. The
crowd was pretty well strung out down the side of the mountain. Keller
and I were in the lead. The smell of smoke grew stronger and stronger.
The air was heavy that morning, and so forced the smoke down to us, from
somewhere on the summit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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