I’d like to get across the bed of the valley yonder before that hits in,” he said. It looks like it’s going to be a hummer, and in that case the water will rise in the creek bed below, uncommon sudden.”
They finished their meal hastily and remounted. Before them lay the steep mountain side, at the bottom of which was the creek of which Mountain Jim had spoken. At that time of year it was probably dry, but if the storm[188] proved to be a bad one it might fill with great suddenness, and for a short time be transformed into a roaring torrent, next to impossible to cross.
As they rode down the shaly mountain side, their ponies slipping and sliding and scrambling desperately to keep a footing, there came a low, distant rumble of thunder. The sky to the northwest turned from black to a sort of purplish green. Through this ugly cloud blanket a shaft of lightning zipped with a livid glare. The thunder rolled and rumbled among the mountains, reminding Ralph of Rip Van Winkle’s experiences in the far-off Catskills.
She’ll hit in most almighty quick,” opined Mountain Jim; wish we’d brought slickers with us.”
I don’t mind a wetting,” rejoined Ralph stoutly.
It’s worse than a wetting you’ll get, if it’s[189] bad; half a drowning is more like it,” grunted Mountain Jim. Geddap, Baldy, shake a foot.”
But hasten as they would, before they had gone more than a few hundred yards further the rain began to fall in huge globules; drops they could not be called, they were too large. The thunder roared closer and a sudden chill struck into the air. The dark woods were lit up in uncanny fashion by the blinding blue glare of the lightning.
Suddenly, there was a flash of brilliant intensity and simultaneously a ripping crash of thunder, followed by a sound like some mighty mass crashing earthward.
Tree hit yonder,” said Mountain Jim laconically, reckon we’d better be looking for shelter. We came close enough to getting hit in that brulee.”
