CHAPTER XVII 

 THE ANIMAS 



THE rainy season proper stopped on August 10, as 

 abruptly as it had begun. Thereafter, we had an 

 occasional storm, it is true, but the monotonous cer- 

 tainty of rain each day was gone. 



We had just about completed our work on Mc- 

 Knight and were camped at the time near the head 

 of that canyon, but still on the west side of the 

 range. Just over the divide to the eastward 

 stretched the Animas watershed. We had hesi- 

 tated to cross while the rain lasted, but there was no 

 reason now for delay in attacking that country, so 

 preparations for the move were at once made. 



I for one was glad of it. We had heard of the 

 Animas country so often and with such a wealth of 

 alarming detail, had discussed its possibilities so 

 frequently, and were, in short, so obsessed with a 

 nervous dread of this bugaboo that the suspense was 

 becoming wearing. 



We moved on Monday after a Sunday of rest. 

 The atmosphere in camp that morning was similar, 

 I imagine, to the tension of a squad going into battle. 

 The smallest details of the day are printed inefface- 

 ably upon my memory. 



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