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. 
116 
