CHAPTER XXII. 



A LIVE TOWN AND ITS GRAVE-YARD — HONEST ROMBEAUX IN TROUBLE — JUDGE LYNCH 



HOLDS COURT — MARIE AND THE VINE-COVERED COTTAGE THE TERRIBLE FLOODS 



DEATH IN CAMP AND IN THE DUG-OUT WAS IT THE WATER WHICH DID IT? 



— DISCOVERY OF A HUGE FOSSIL — THE MOSASAURUS OF THE CRETACEOUS SEA 



A GLIMPSE OF THE REPTILIAN AGE — REMINISCENCES OF ALLIGATOR-SHOOTING — 

 THEY SUGGEST A THEORY. 



OUR fourth day's travel from Silver Creek 

 brought us to Sheridan, our secondary base of 

 operations, so to speak, and only fourteen miles east 

 of the Colorado border. We found the town a very 

 lively one, notwithstanding that the grave-yard, 

 beautifully located in a commanding position over- 

 looking the principal street, was patronized to a re- 

 markable extent. The place had built itself up as 

 simply the temporary terminus of the Pacific Rail- 

 road. Soon after our visit it moved westward, and 

 at last accounts but one house remained to mark its 

 former site. 



The shades of night had just settled over the town 

 upon the evening of our arrival, when Abe, our 

 hostler-guide, came running to us with information 

 that " Honest Rombeaux," another of our hostlers, 

 was being hung by some of the citizens. The local- 

 ity which had been selected for this little diversion 

 was a railroad trestle a short distance below the 



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