Jackson Cole - Devil's Canyon. Arizona Crater, Devil's Canyon (anomalous zone) Devil's Canyon

In order to see the Grand Canyon, it is not necessary to go to distant Arizona! The same spectacular geological object exists in Ukraine - we mean the Aktovsky canyon. Of course, our canyon is much smaller than its North American counterpart, but it is in no way inferior to it in beauty.

Excursions to the Aktovsky canyon from Kyiv, Dnipro, Odessa, Zaporozhye, Nikolaev, Kharkov and other cities are carried out by pre-order by phone 050 515-88-86​
096 095-99-69

Trips from Kherson occur according to Saturdays, public holidays and for individual orders.

Description

Having got out into the Aktovsky canyon, you will remember your rest here for a long time - the landscapes are fantastic! The flat endless steppe is crossed by a deep river valley with almost steep slopes and a narrow bottom; The height of the rocks reaches 40-50 meters - this is approximately a 15-20-storey building.

The history of the appearance of the Aktovsky canyon

Nikolaevsky Canyon is one of the oldest land areas in Europe, formed from volcanic rock (about 60 million years ago, the sea splashed here). The valley arose due to the fault of a large granite shield - the age of the rock is more than four billion years old. In addition to the Grand Canyon in America, these places are called the Lesser Crimea - the granite-basalt rocks really resemble the Crimean ones. Many also note the similarity of the relief with the canyon in Buki.

At the entrance to Vienna international center UN lie boulders, symbolizing the world's continents. The stone, which symbolizes Europe, was brought to the capital of Austria from the Nikolaev gorges!

Watch the Devil's Canyon from above in this video:

Features of the natural area

The Aktovsky canyon, the photo of which you see, is a unique phenomenon, absolutely atypical for the hot Ukrainian steppes. This is a deep river valley - the only complex of rocks and granite blocks of various sizes in Europe. She is part of national park"Buzhsky Guard" and regularly falls into the number natural wonders countries.

However, the Aktovsky canyon near Nikolaev is of interest not only for fans of geology and beautiful nature but also followers of esoteric teachings. It is believed that these places, like, were important sacred center Scythia - from antiquity among majestic rocks prayed to the gods and spent important rituals.

Vegetation

The climatic conditions here are atypical - it happens that even in winter, violets bloom on the slopes and cows graze! In total, on the territory of the canyon (which is almost two and a half hundred hectares), there are more than 900 plant species (about 30 are listed in the Red Book).

Thickets of calamus on the slopes, rare species of ferns, wild rose hips, junipers, mosses and lichens - all this variety of flora can be seen when arriving in Aktovsky Canyon, excursions include walks in protected areas.

Not far from the place where the Arbuzinka river flows into the Mertvovod River, there is a reserved tract Trikratsky forest (consists of the tracts of Vasilyeva apiary and the Labyrinth).

Man-made Trikrat forest

Like, it's not a natural phenomenon- at the beginning of the 19th century, the forest was planted by Count Viktor Skarzhinsky, a Kherson landowner, marshal of the nobility and a famous practitioner of steppe afforestation. By the way, in the village of Trikraty, the estate of the Skarzhinsky family is still preserved - an atmospheric two-story building built back in the 18th century.

Having abandoned his military career, Skarzhinsky decided to arrange a dendrological park in the middle of the Nikolaev steppes - he brought more than 200 varieties of fruit trees, seedlings of oaks and poplars, arborvitae and tulip trees, mimosa and cedar. Fountains were broken in the park, paths were laid - thanks to the intricate grid of alleys, part of the Trikrat forest was called the Labyrinth.

Years passed, and the park turned into a real one. wild forest– here you can meet bison, deer, pheasants and other representatives of the forest fauna. For example, gray herons nest in Mironova Grove - this is the only such place on the map of the Nikolaev region. And there is a whole grove of ancient oaks in the Trikratsky forest - their age has long exceeded a hundred!

In fact, the Aktovsky canyon is a whole complex of canyons of different sizes. Beautiful photo landscapes can be made in the Arbuzinsky or Small Actovy canyon - its granite-basalt rocks formed billions of years ago.

Labyrinths of basalt rocks

Along the bottom of the kilometer-long gorge, between huge boulders, the Arbuzinka river flows. Along its banks, you can find many outcrops of granites - in Soviet times, in one of the most beautiful places In the Nikolaev region, granite quarries functioned. Today they are all abandoned, one of them is known as the Black Lake - this is the main attraction of the village of Migiya in the Nikolaev region.

Mertvod river

The mystical river Mertvod (a tributary of the Southern Bug) flows along the bottom of the Aktovsky Gorge.

Once upon a time, along the course of this river, the Scythians fused the bodies of their dead leaders - perhaps the name Mertvodovod came to us from those times. According to another version, the “dead” water became during the time of the Tatar raids - allegedly locals(in some retellings, the Zaporizhian Cossacks) poured a poisonous decoction into the river to poison the infidels who had camped nearby. However, some researchers associate this name of the river with a high content of hydrogen sulfide in its waters and the corresponding smell.

Weather in Aktovsky Canyon

On the map of Ukraine, the Aktovsky canyon is located at the very bottom, in the south - among the sun-drenched steppes. You can come here at any time of the year:

• in winter, the Dead Waterway freezes, and the overhanging rocks are covered with hoarfrost - why not a decoration for the next season of the Game of Thrones?
• in spring, mountain tulips bloom here - the same can be seen only in Southern Siberia and on the plains of Kazakhstan.
• in summer, the wind brings dizzying aromas of fragrant steppe herbs, and river lagoons beckon you to swim. And it is also in summer that you can see and experience “frying pans” here - giant flat stones that heat up so much in direct sunlight that it is quite possible to fry fried eggs on them.
• in autumn, the Trikrat forest and Aktovsky canyon turn into all shades of yellow and red - this is the best time for leisurely picnics and beautiful photos nature.

The average summer temperature in these parts is +25С°, the average winter temperature is -1°С. However, even if the sun hides during your visit, nature will not disappoint - cloudy weather gives the rocks a special, slightly sinister charm. The video about Aktovsky canyon clearly illustrates this:

Aktovsky canyon: how to get from Kherson?

On the map of Ukraine, the Aktovsky canyon is marked in the Voznesensky district of the Nikolaev region, near the settlement of Trikraty. The journey from Kherson takes about three hours (180 km), but the time flies by unnoticed - very interesting views outside the window!

By car

Your main landmark is the village of Aktovo in the Nikolaev region (highways M14, P06). Coordinates - 47.72430 31.48206. We do not recommend driving a sedan with a clearance of less than 15 cm. The local landscape does not allow you to confidently use a car with a low seating position. Excursion to the Aktovsky canyon will not be complete without proper accompaniment and an expert guide.

By bus

By bus, you first need to get to the city of Voznesensk, where you can transfer to a minibus in Trikraty - it will take you to the village. 10 minutes and you are there. It is difficult to find all 3 canyons on your own, which are available on the Devil's Canyon tour. The distance between the gorges reaches several kilometers.

Tour program

The trip is very eventful and takes the whole day. During this time you will be able to:

• bypass all three legendary canyons - Arbuzinsky, Small Aktovsky and Big Aktovsky;
• go down to the bottom of the Devil's Canyon;
• arrange a photo session against the backdrop of spectacular natural scenery;
• relax in the Trikrat forest;
• visit 4 secret locations, not known to every guide!

Excursions from Kherson to Aktovsky Canyon: a rough plan

Ideal for canyon trips. The tour is carried out by our partners. You will be accompanied by an experienced and charismatic guide.

Get ready for your trip! Here is a sample list of things that you will definitely need on the road:

• comfortable clothes and shoes;
• headdress;
• swimsuit or swimming trunks (in the warm season);
• habitual snack;
• supply of drinking water.

We accept applications from Kherson, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, Kyiv, Zaporozhye, Nikolaev and any other cities of Ukraine - book a tour right now! The cost of a trip from Kherson is 650 hryvnia. The tour price includes:

• entry tickets;
• tea from medicinal steppe herbs;
• insurance;
• excursion program.

Aktovsky canyon from Odessa

The cost of a trip to the Aktovsky canyon is 985 hryvnia. The price includes the following services:

• transfer to the canyon and back;
• excursions according to the program and entrance tickets;
• Tasty dinner;
• escort on the route;
• insurance.

Excursion to the Aktovsky canyon from Odessa takes place according to the following program:

Collection tourist groups on excursions to the Aktovsky canyon from Odessa are scheduled for April.

Travel schedule

Standard trips operate on Saturdays from early April to November. Select the desired date on the calendar and place your order online in 3 minutes.

An individual tour can be ordered by calling 050 515-88-86​.

Excursion to Aktovsky canyon: feedback from participants

For several years regular trips in Aktovsky canyon we collected reviews about it amazing place. Thanks to our guests who left comments in the questionnaires after the tour. Feedback helps perfect the Devil's Canyon tour. We'd love to read your review too!

Since ancient times, many meteorites have been falling to Earth. Some of them do not leave any trace, landing smoothly on the surface, such as the famous Goba meteorite in Namibia. But in the vast majority of cases, the fall of a celestial body is accompanied by the appearance of a crater. One of these craters is located in the state of Arizona (USA), 30 kilometers west of the town of Winslow.

Arizona crater - a trace of a giant meteorite

Arizona crater on the map

• Geographic coordinates 35.027729, -111.023100
• The distance from the US capital of Washington is a little more than 3000 km in a straight line or about 3500 km on the roads
• The nearest local airport is in Winslow, 30 km away.
• To the nearest International Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor approximately 200 km or 320 km by road

The Arizona crater is a classic meteorite impact — it has an almost perfectly round shape with a diameter of about 1200 meters, and its edges rise to a height of up to 46 meters from the surface. The depth of the funnel, according to some sources, is 229 meters, according to others, 174. To be honest, we were not there and, accordingly, we did not measure with rangefinders or tape measures. Even the Russian-language and English-language Wikipedias carry different data. It is quite possible that in one case the depth was measured relative to the plain, and in the other case relative to its edges. So the truth is out there somewhere.

Several names of this crankcase are known. These are the laconic Meteor Crater (Google Maps knows it under this name), the Devil's Canyon Crater (in the original Canyon Diablo Crater) and the Berringer Crater (in the original Barringer Crater). But, nevertheless, it is usually called the Arizona Crater. As well as the famous geological formation, everyone in the same Arizona simply calls the Arizona wave (and on the maps it is marked as "The Wave" - ​​translated as "Wave"). It is located about 220 kilometers to the north.

The calculations of scientists regarding the size of the meteorite itself are ambiguous. But the data is roughly as follows: The crater was formed about 50,000 years ago due to the fall of a meteorite with a diameter of about 50 meters and a mass of 300,000 tons. Its speed was over 40,000 km/h.

The energy of the explosion, according to some estimates, is 3 times higher than the Tunguska meteorite. The power of the explosion is thousands of times greater than the infamous atomic bomb dropped by the United States on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. There are no exact data, but the approximate capacity is estimated at 150 megatons of TNT.

As we have already said, one of the names of the crater is Berringer Crater, after the name of a man who proved all his life that it was a meteorite crater, and not a volcanic crater, as was previously believed.

A bit of history about Arizona Crater

Such a gigantic formation, of course, was known to the local Indians from time immemorial. Their legends say that once upon a time, the God of Fire himself descended from heaven on a fiery chariot to these places and left such a huge funnel as a keepsake. By the way, this indirectly confirms that the crater is really from a meteorite. The Indians considered this place sacred. Around them they found numerous metal fragments from which they made amulets. It was believed that they protect from evil forces. The Indians were kind to these amulets, that even during burial they used them as one of the main attributes of the ceremony of leaving the deceased to the “Land of the Happy Hunt” (as the Indians called the afterlife).

Scientists only in 1891 learned about the existence of this crater, but considered it volcanic. Until Daniel Moreau Barringer, a mining engineer, found out about him in 1902. He then put forward the idea that the crater appeared as a result of a meteorite fall. Given the size of the funnel and the presence of metal fragments in the vicinity, Berringer suggested that the mass of the meteorite is quite large, and it consists mainly of iron with an admixture of nickel and platinum. In those days, 1 ton of iron cost about $125. Berringer estimates that the meteorite could be worth as much as $1 billion. In 1903, he buys the territory on which the crater is located and begins excavations. Until the end of his days, Daniel tried to dig up a meteorite, but, unfortunately, he did not reach his goal. 26 years of grueling excavations were in vain. Despite the fact that Berringer was able to dig to a depth of 419 meters and find many meteorite fragments around, the most important and coveted piece of metal was never found. At the bottom of the crater, mines and fenced excavation sites remain to this day.

Today, the Arizona Crater is a well-known landmark of the state of Arizona in particular, and the whole country in general. Tourists from all over come here all the time. the globe. They have viewing platforms.

To maintain and increase attention to the crater, local residents often talk about the appearance of a glow (of course, mysterious) over the crater, periodic UFO sightings and geomagnetic anomalies in the crater itself (of course, all with the adjectives "mysterious").
Some experts in the field of parapsychology and parallel worlds argue that the Arizona crater is the gate to hell. Rumor has it that people periodically disappear in the crater area, and some tourists experience inexplicable nervous tension, but there is no reliable information on this.

Arizona Crater photo

ARIZONA CRATER (Barringer Crater, Devil's Canyon) is one of the largest and best-preserved meteorite crater located near Diablo Canyon in northern Arizona (USA). The modern dimensions of the crater are: diameter - 1265 m, depth - 175 m, elevation of the rampart - 40-48 m.

It is assumed that the crater arose as a result of a two-million-ton nickel meteorite falling to Earth about 27 thousand years ago, measuring 61-79 m. Apparently, it was the body of the meteorite that was discovered underground in this area using a drilling rig, but attempts collapsed under the ground. The location of the crater has long been known to the local Indians, who used metal fragments of the meteorite for their own purposes. The local tribes have a huge number of legends and traditions associated with this sacred place. Scientists have known about the existence of the crater only since 1891.

Arizona Crater, Devil's Canyon ( anomalous zone)

This is not the largest meteorite that fell to Earth. In Antarctica, on Wilkes Island, a meteorite crater 241 kilometers in diameter and 800 meters deep was discovered in 1962. In Canada, on the coast of the Hudson Bay there is a crater with a diameter of 443 kilometers.

From the 1950s to the present, numerous tourists and locals have reported numerous sightings of airglows and UFO hoverings over Arizona Crater. According to some reports, gravimagnetic and chronal anomalies are sometimes allegedly observed in the center of the crater. The crater has been used more than once as a setting for filming science fiction films about earthlings traveling to other planets, and about the arrival of huge UFOs in "their secret harbor closed from prying eyes."

Arizona crater

Arizona crater(Barringer Crater, Devil's Canyon) - a large meteorite crater (astroblem) in Arizona (USA), 30 km west of the city of Winslow (Winslow) and 56 km from the city of Flagstaff (Flagstaff) (federal highway 40, exit 233). It is a giant earthen bowl with a diameter of 1200 meters and a depth of 180 meters.

Origin of the crater

The crater arose about 50 thousand years ago after the fall of a 50-meter meteorite weighing 300 thousand tons and flying at a speed of 45-60 thousand km / h. The explosion from the fall was three times more powerful than that of the Tunguska meteorite and was similar in power to the explosion of 20 million tons of TNT or 1,000 atomic bombs similar to that dropped on Hiroshima. Fragments of meteoric nickel iron have been found inside and around Arizona Crater.

History of discovery and research

The location of the crater has long been known to the local Indians, who used metal fragments of the meteorite for their own purposes. The local tribes have a huge number of legends and legends associated with this sacred place. Scientists about the existence of the crater became known only a year ago.

View of the crater from space

Until the beginning of the 20th century, it was believed that this crater was of volcanic origin, and only in 1902, a mining engineer from Philadelphia, Daniel Moreau Barringer, hypothesized that this giant funnel was formed as a result of a meteorite impact. He purchased a piece of land where the crater is located, and quickly began drilling its bottom, as he was convinced that he would find the meteorite itself. Barringer spent 26 years of his life looking for a meteorite and trying to convince others that his crater is of extraterrestrial meteorite origin.

Drilling was useless, and could not be otherwise. Estimates by scientists, which may have caused Barringer's fatal heart attack, showed that the meteorite should have almost completely evaporated in the atmosphere and on impact with the Earth. During his lifetime, Barringer failed to unequivocally prove to the scientific community and the nature of the origin of the crater.

His merit was not recognized until thirty years later, when convincing evidence that the crater in Arizona was the result of a meteorite impact was presented by Eugene Shoemaker, one of the world's foremost experts on comets and meteorites.

Cosmonaut training in the crater

The Arizona crater was recognized as the only place on Earth most reminiscent of the lunar landscape, and it was there, under the leadership of Shoemaker, that all the astronauts who were to go to the moon received part of the training. And it was in this crater that the shortcomings of spacesuits were identified and eliminated, in which the first earthlings had to leave their mark on the moon.

Tourism

bottom of the crater

It is impossible not to mention the museum, which stands literally on the edge of the crater and stores photographs of all the "lunar" astronauts in full space attire. If you do not know that these pictures were taken literally a stone's throw from where you are standing, then you can believe that they are of lunar origin. Arizona Crater is one of the landmarks of the state of Arizona. It is visited by many tourists every day. To attract tourists, locals regularly report numerous sightings of this place of airglow and UFO hovering, as well as mysterious geomagnetic anomalies inside the crater.

The sale of meteorites found in this crater (or passed off as them) is thriving and is quite a profitable business. The cost of such meteorites in online stores is on average $ 1 for each gram of weight.

Comparison with other Earth meteorite craters

The meteorite crater in Arizona, often named Barringer Crater after its discoverer, is by no means the largest on Earth. In Antarctica, on Wilkes Land, a meteorite crater 241 kilometers in diameter and 800 meters deep was discovered under a kilometer of ice a year. In Canada, on the coast of the Hudson Bay there is a crater with a diameter of 443 kilometers. However, unlike the largest, whose diameter is measured in hundreds of kilometers, the Arizona crater is the only one that has retained its almost original appearance. According to the museum's official booklet, "although there are larger impact marks on Earth, this crater was the first to be proved of meteoric origin and is the best preserved of its original appearance."

Links

• Impressions of a Russian tourist who visited the Arizona Crater

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

• Canyon Kings
• Canyon of the Charyn River

See what "Devil's Canyon" is in other dictionaries:

devil's canyon- mist. large meteorite crater in Arizona (USA). It is a giant earthen bowl with a diameter of 1200 meters and a depth of 175 meters. Scientists estimate that the crater arose about 40 thousand years ago after the fall of a meteorite weighing 2 million ... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky

canyons- Zion Canyon in Utah. Canyon (Spanish cañón "pipe, gorge") is a deep river valley with very steep, often steep slopes and a narrow bottom, usually completely occupied by the river bed. One of largest canyons peace Grand Canyon(English Grand ... ... Wikipedia

Arizona- state, USA. The name of the state of Arizona (Arizona) is derived from the name of the locality Ali shonak, the place of a small stream in the language of the Pa Pago Indians (Uto Aztec family). place names World: Toponymic Dictionary. M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001 ... Geographic Encyclopedia

silica minerals- a number of mineral species, which are polymorphic modifications of silicon dioxide; stable at certain temperature intervals depending on pressure (see Fig. and Table). … … Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Arizona crater- Meteor Crater Arizona crater ... Wikipedia

Shatura- This term has other meanings, see Shatura (meanings). This article is about locality. Pro municipality see the urban settlement of Shatura. City Shatura Flag Coat of arms ... Wikipedia

Shatursky district of the Moscow region- Shatursky district Coat of arms Flag ... Wikipedia

Mayo, Virginia- Virginia Mayo Virginia Mayo ... Wikipedia

Virginia Mayo- Virginia Mayo Virginia Mayo in the trailer for the movie " Best years our life "Birth name: Virginia Clara Jones ... Wikipedia

Barringer Crater- Coordinates: 35°01′38″ s. sh. 111°01′22″ W  / 35.027222° N sh. 11 ... Wikipedia

Jackson Cole

Devil Canyon

Captain, death has settled in these mountains. Death and horror!

What do you mean by that, Manuel?

The old Mexican, looking around uneasily, spoke more quietly.

What the Captain said: death is there, it comes from there

Ranger Jim Hatfield looked from the weather-beaten face of old Manuel, nicknamed Peon, to where, in the far northwest, the mountains of Tinaja rose like a dark wall on the horizon. This wall, broken and studded, like fangs, with pointed peaks, was dark blue and violet in color, on its body, here and there, dried-up stream beds reddened with bleeding wounds or the canyons gaped with blackness.

Hatwild stopped his mighty bay on the outskirts of the town by the river. Between the mountains and the town, magnificent pastures stretched for many miles like a wavy emerald blanket. True, in some places, suddenly, alien patches came across patches of barren desert, so characteristic of southwestern Texas, bald patches where a gnarled saxaul and a bizarre cactus waged an exhausting struggle for existence. But in general, this smiling land was wrapped in a rich green dress, trimmed along the edges with the silver of streams.

Hatwild turned back to the Mexican, whose face was an amusing mixture of canine devotion and awe.

Still, what do you mean by that, amigo? he repeated his question.

Old Manuel glanced around nervously again. No one could hear him, but he spoke even more quietly, almost in a whisper.

Before, Captain, our guys went there, - he said, - they went hunting for game, digging roots of grasses that grow only in these mountains. So it was for many years in a row ... The youth went to the mountains and returned with full bags and loaded donkeys. And then suddenly everything changed. Once the guys went to the mountains - and did not return. Others went looking for them and also disappeared. Still others - with weapons and ready for anything - went to the mountains and returned with nothing, they did not find anything. Our people didn't go there anymore. And then...then, Captain, the midnight riders came and - He!

Yes captain. He came, and with him the horsemen. They began to take people away from the coastal villages by force. They promised to give a job and pay well, but the price was death!

Hatfield's gray eyes narrowed. He had heard what Mexican landowners and mine owners did when there were not enough workers.

They raid the villages of peons - peaceful Mexican peasants - and take away these simple-hearted hard workers, without asking whether they want it or not.

Well, maybe they have it there, on the other side of the Rio Grande, but here, on this side of the border, such a number will not work. Although these people are Mexicans by blood, they are citizens of the state of Texas, and as such, they can count on the protection of the state.

Hatfield began to patiently sort things out.

Still, Manuel, who is this "He"? Is he a big landowner? Does he have a big ranch?

The old Mexican hesitated painfully. Beads of sweat ran down his wrinkled cheeks. Finally, he whispered, barely audible:

This is El Ombre Sin Cara...

"The Man Without a Face," Hatfield translated, wondering what the Spanish expression really meant. He knew this flourishing land and its people too well to take such phrases literally.

Are you saying that his face is not visible, or that he has scars on his face?

Manuel nodded slowly.

Si, - he said, - el sicatris, scar, yes, he is without a face.

Hatfield had to be content with that.

And the people who are with him? - he asked.

Manuel just hissed in anger.

They are devils!

Well, yes, of course, I understand, they are devils - for you - the ranger agreed. “And none of those people ever came back?”

Manuel's eyes darted nervously. He licked his parched lips. A whole gamut of contradictory experiences was reflected on his wrinkled face. He suffered. Finally he broke through - he spoke quickly and passionately.

No, Captain! Some are back - to die!

Hatfield was about to ask again, but the Mexican beat him to it.

Wait, Captain, wait! And now there is still one of those who returned. Would you like to see him, Captain?

Certainly! I would like to hear what he has to say.

You won't hear anything. Captain, said Manuel. - But to see - you'll see. Let's go!

Hatfield's bay horse plodded along behind the Mexican, who was heading for some miserable hut a few hundred yards away. He knocked on the door, muttered something in Spanish, and gestured for the ranger to dismount.

Trusting his bay to the evening breeze, Hatfield followed the Mexican into the room.

It was dark inside. He had to bend down to avoid touching the low lintel with the top of his wide-brimmed hat.

Hetfield hesitated for a minute, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. At first he could not distinguish anything, only some shadows. Then one of these shadows turned out to be an ancient old woman - more Indian than Mexican. There was a bed in the far corner of the room, something was lying on it, moving slightly and making sounds like muttering. Hatfield stepped closer.

Here, - said Manuel, - one of those who returned from there.

Jim Hatfield leaned over the bed, trying to see the man on it.

What he saw was once a man. Now it was something, but not a person, rather a thing. This something writhed slowly and continuously, like a snake in hibernation. Yes, most of all this terrible, incessant stirring reminded Hatfield of the convulsions of some vile reptile. It seemed that there were no bones in this writhing body under the shriveled muscles. . Huge empty - unseeing - eye sockets stared into space. Wheezing escaped from a festering toothless ulcer that gaped where the mouth had been.

Feeling a fit of nausea, Hatwild straightened up and involuntarily stepped back so as not to see this terrible picture. He suppressed a feeling of disgust in himself, a wave of pity swept over him - and then it was replaced by blinding rage.

What was done to him? - The question was an unyielding demand for an answer.

Old Manuel shrugged his shoulders, expressively in Spanish, and uttered the sacramental phrase of the Mexicans, which always helps them out when they meet with the incomprehensible:

Who knows?

Hatfield looked at the recumbent. During his years as a ranger, he had seen more than once traces of the most sophisticated tortures generated by Spanish and Indian fantasy, but this was something new.

Some kind of poison, perhaps, he suggested. And again a wave of insane rage swept through his entire being. Rage to those from whom this monstrous cruelty emanated.