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
- Nearest local airport located in Winslow 30 km
- 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). However, it is usually called 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 one, as was previously thought.
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 specialists in the field of parapsychology and parallel worlds Arizona Crater is said to be the gateway 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
Meteorites and asteroids are the heavy artillery of space. They plowed up, opened its crust to the very depths of the mantle, covered the surface with scatterings of craters. Our Earth, unlike an airless satellite, is protected from space rocks. In it, most of the "aliens" burn out before they touch the surface. But there are meteorites that break through the barrier and are capable of destroying entire cities and countries. Arizona Crater, also known as Barringer Crater and Devil's Canyon, reminds us of this - a trace from the closest meteorite fall to us.
How did the crater appear?
50 thousand years ago, the Arizona desert in the United States was not such a hot and dry place. Then it was a flowering field, crossed by forests and oak forests - the landscape was somewhat reminiscent of the forest-steppes of Ukraine and Russia. Mammoths and giant sloths roamed them, not much inferior in size to mammoths. The valley was cut by numerous rivers, and the rains were plentiful; nothing prevented the lush growth of vegetation. But one day the primitive idyll was interrupted.
The peaceful slumber was torn apart by a bright flash, and then a growing thunder - a fireball appeared in the sky, which collapsed to the Earth with lightning speed. A meteorite with a girth of 50 meters and a mass of 300 thousand tons cannot be called large - there are hundreds of times larger. Nevertheless, the explosion from the fall of the Arizona meteorite was colossal. The power was 150 megatons of TNT equivalent, which is three times more powerful than the most powerful detonated nuclear charge in history, the Tsar Bomba. This is not strange, because the fallen space rock belonged to the "heavy class" of meteorites containing a lot of nickel and iron.
The force of the impact of the meteorite devastated the surroundings. The 7-magnitude earthquake reached over 300 kilometers, and the sound of the explosion was as strong as the noise of an active construction site. A fireball with a radius of 700 meters rose above the horizon - its radiation set fire to grass and trees nearby. Rain from rubble and debris covered the area with a radius of 100 kilometers. And the meteorite itself half evaporated from the force of its own impact - and its fragments scattered around the crater and its environs.
Arizona Crater is visited by thousands of tourists, but they are not allowed to go down. On our site, with the help of Google StreetView, you can walk along the bottom of the crater like a real scientist!
Arizona meteorite crater today
However, time passed, and the Earth healed the wound on itself. Water and air smoothed out the outlines of the crater and transformed its appearance - it even managed to visit a lake into which nearby rivers flowed. The bottom was covered with sedimentary soil and seasonal vegetation, growing after rare desert rains, and the edges were smoothed. But the peculiarities of the desert climate of Arizona allowed the crater to be preserved better than many of its counterparts. Today we highlight:
- A funnel with a diameter of 1.2 kilometers and a depth of 170 meters. A small skyscraper will fit in it with a horse! In addition, the rim of the crater rises to a height of 46 meters.
- Unusual shape of the crater. Usually, impact marks are round or ellipsoid - and the Arizona crater, which was photographed from the air back in the early 20th century, resembles a rounded square, like a chocolate bar. Scientists explain such anomalous outlines by shifts in earth crust caused by the impact force.
- The largest well-preserved crater on the planet. Yes, on Earth there are funnels from meteorites and more. The record holder, the Vredefort crater, stretches for 125 kilometers in all directions - several dwarf European countries could fit in its area. However, it is only possible to understand that Vredefort is a crater from a satellite. Water, wind and movement blurred the clarity of its shape. And the Arizona crater is not only intact, but also looks almost fresh, as if a meteorite fell recently.
Although the Indians have been collecting meteorite metal fragments for spears and arrows since ancient times, scientists have long thought that the Arizona crater was left from a volcano, and not from a cosmic body. However, the engineer Daniel Berringer, after whom the crater was named, thought otherwise. He believed that only a meteorite could dig such a huge bowl-shaped hole, and he hoped to find it under the crater and enrich himself. He bought the entire territory of the crater and searched for the remains of space iron for decades. According to legend, he died of a heart attack when physicists calculated that there was nothing to look for underground.
However, now the crater brings his family a considerable income. Scientists are looking for minerals on the inviolable bottom of the crater that can give them doctoral degrees, tourists admire the majestic remains of a cosmic explosion from viewing platforms. In the USA, the Arizona crater is called the "Grave of Hats" - a strong wind rages over the edges of the funnel, which blows caps and hats of dozens of tourists into the inviolable bottom of the crater. And it was in the crater that the astronauts of the Apollo program worked out a mission to the moon. After all, this the only place on Earth, the landscape of which repeats the relief of our satellite.
Daria Nessel | Apr 21, 2017
Throughout the history of its existence, people have constantly encountered unusual, mysterious, and sometimes frightening and inexplicable phenomena that occurred around strange natural objects. And most often these phenomena were considered the tricks of the owner of the underworld, and the objects were called "devilish".
It is noteworthy that among the property of the devil there are many creations of human hands. It is believed that the dark forces actively participated in the creation of such buildings.
As time passed, many unknown and mysterious phenomena had a completely scientific explanation, but myths and legends about unusual objects continue to live. Just as their names associated with the name of the devil are preserved.
devil's tower
This natural object, formed as a result of the rise of magmatic melt from the bowels of the earth, is located in the valley of the Bell Foursh River in Cook County, Wyoming, USA. Escaped from underground many millions of years ago, a column of molten magma froze in the form of a huge column, the walls of which are “decorated” with deep furrows.
In size, the mountain, resembling a flat-topped tower, surpasses. Its height is 264 meters, and it is the only hill in the territory of hundreds of kilometers. On clear days, the object is visible at a distance of up to 160 km.
Among the locals, the mountain is known under the name "Bear House" ("Mato Tipi") and one very ancient legend. According to Indian legend, once seven girls climbed to the top of the mountain, fleeing from a wild bear. Trying to get the fugitives, the ferocious beast scratched the mountain, leaving deep furrows on it. And when he nevertheless managed to get to the top, the girls ascended to heaven, becoming the constellation Pleiades.
But the name of the devil appeared in the name of the mountain in connection with another no less ancient myth. It tells of an evil demon who lived on top and beat the drum, generating thunder.
Myths are myths, but even today many locals are ready to swear that the mountain is unusual and mysterious. Many periodically see strange light phenomena of unknown origin on its top.
Another oddity: despite the small height, only a few managed to conquer the mountain. Even the most experienced climbers, having just started climbing, stopped it and never made repeated attempts.
devil sea
Devil's Sea - part The Pacific in the north of the Philippine Sea, encircling Japanese island Miyakejima. Also known as the "Graveyard" of the Pacific, the Devil's Triangle or the Dragon's Triangle, it is considered the "little brother" of the Bermuda Triangle.
According to the stories of local fishermen and lovers paranormal activity in the Miyakejima area, not only surface ships, but also aircraft regularly disappear.
Scientists are sure that numerous typhoons and underwater eruptions are the cause of the shipwrecks and plane crashes that actually took place. Natural disasters begin unexpectedly and rapidly, which leads to accidents and human casualties.
However, some eyewitnesses claim that they have repeatedly observed UFOs here and seen ghostly ships, which does not fit into the scientific interpretation of events.
In addition, the Devil's Sea has interesting feature- its waters several times a day and quite unexpectedly can change color: from reddish in the morning, then dark brown closer to noon. It comes in light gray and bright green.
devil's road
The Devil's Road is located in Bolivia and is one of the most anomalous roads in the world. This is a real cemetery of cars that, after accidents, remain at the scene of an accident.
The road, on which two cars barely pass, is a really creepy place. It often rains here, and the fog almost never dissipates at all. The limiter of the road is not a roadside, but a deep abyss. The depressing atmosphere is reinforced by numerous cars, among which there are both completely new and already half-decayed.
On average, accidents occur here almost daily, and at least 1 per week is fatal.
By the way, the area was notorious long before the arrival of Europeans in these parts. Mysterious disappearances of people and animals regularly occurred here. Therefore, the native Indians have always considered this area cursed and said that everyone who goes there will find his death there.
Devil's Gardens
Devil's gardens are vast areas of the Amazon jungle, in which, from the whole variety of flora, only Duroia hursuta grows. locals they blame this on Chulyachaki, the evil spirit that lives here. That is why the places got their name.
True, scientists have relatively recently found the true reason for such "selectivity". The fact is that a species of lemon ants lives in these places, which destroy all trees in the vicinity, except for Duroia hursuta. Ants use hollow leaves to build nests. And in order to always have plenty of building materials, ants destroy all plant competitors of “their” tree with the help of formic acid.
Devil's Valley
V official sources Devil's Valley is known as Aktovsky Canyon and is located in Ukraine.
Here, not far from the village of Aktovo (Voznesensky district, Nikolaev region), a river flows called Metrovod. According to legends, earlier the Scythians buried their leaders in its waters. According to another version, the river got its name after the locals, defending themselves from the raids of the Tatars, poured a decoction of poisonous herbs into the water. Having drunk such water, the invaders camped nearby, according to legend, died immediately.
Cliffs border the river, many of which can reach 50 meters. Scientists still cannot unequivocally determine the time and cause of the formation of these hills.
devil lake
Another name for this reservoir, located in Chile, is the Red Lagoon. He got it for the blood-red color of the water. Scientists say that algae that live in the water column give this shade to the lake.
But the locals are sure that the lake is red because it is cursed and belongs only to the owner of the underworld.
The curse of the Aymara people, who have lived in the region since ancient times, is associated with the Devil's Lake. According to legend, the Laguna affects everyone who approaches it, and the Aymara practically disappeared from the face of the earth due to the fact that they drank water from it.
For centuries, the aboriginal Indians managed to sacredly keep the secret of the location amazing lake. It wasn't even marked on any map. Therefore, until recently, none of the uninitiated knew anything about him. The reservoir was discovered by accident only about 8 years ago.
By the way, the Red Lagoon is surrounded by two other bodies of water. In one of them, the water is yellow, and in the other, it is green. Local residents claim that when bad people walk along their shore, the water begins to “react” - bubble.
devil's cave
It is located in Khakassia and is officially called Kashkulakskaya. Already in ancient times its upper tier was used as a place for sacrifices. However, the cave received ominous fame relatively recently - a little more than half a century ago, when active work began on its study.
In the vicinity of the Kashkulak cave, popularly known as the Devil's Abode or the Temple of the Black Shaman, you can hear stories about a group of missing researchers and two rescued but crazy girls; about the ghost of a shaman who wanders in cave labyrinths and drives uninvited guests out of it.
Many tourists who decided to get to know the cave closer said later that they experienced an unconscious feeling of fear inside, and some even heard the echo of a shaman's tambourine...
Devil's waterfall
Located on the border between Argentina and Brazil, and is part of the Iguazu Falls complex. The locals call this waterfall the Devil's Throat, and it fully justifies its name.
Devil's Throat is more than 10 powerful streams that break from a 350-foot height and are constantly surrounded by a cloud of spray.
According to an Indian legend, the creator of the waterfall was the god Mboy - he was angry with his bride, who preferred a simple, estimable young man to him. Deciding to escape from the angry god, the girl and her lover decided to take a boat down the Iguazu. And Mboy, having learned about this, brought down part of the river, as a result of which the lovers died, and at the place of their death, the largest and most beautiful waterfall complex.
If the Earth did not have a protective layer of the atmosphere and water space (this is two-thirds of the entire surface of the planet), then life would not have appeared on our planet. The earth would be empty, rocky, like our satellite the Moon - only funnels from meteorite impacts. But the Earth is alive, from space it looks very attractive. In 1891, in the desert US state of Arizona, an amazingly shaped giant crater was discovered, which raised many questions among scientists: is it either the remains of extinct volcano, or ... blow from spaceship aliens looking for a new home. But why not a funnel from a meteorite, an inquisitive reader will ask. Could meteorites of this size reach the Earth, and where are its melted remnants?
This unusual attraction in the state of Arizona is visited with interest by scientists and tourists. They see a strange formation on the surface of the Earth, which has long been called the Devil's Canyon or Berringer Crater, after its explorer. The crater is located 30 km from the town of Winslow and 56 km from the city of Flagstaff. It can be seen from afar - a mountainous cone rises above the horizon. The closer to it, the more distinct it becomes. Its height from ground level reaches 50 m. Climbing the ridge, you see a giant bowl in front of you, the diameter of which is 1200 m and the depth is 180 m. The sight is charming and exciting. It seems that you have landed on an uninhabited planet. Scientists note the great similarity of the crater with the lunar surface.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, everyone believed that this was the crater of an extinct volcano. There were too many coincidences. But the local Indians, who found various metal fragments, claimed that many, many years ago, aliens who arrived from the depths of heaven set up their camp in the desert and then flew away. At the parking lot of their starship, a large round funnel remained. Probably, it was the gods from outer space who visited the Earth, the natives were sure.
"PLATES" OVER THE CANYON
Local Indians were echoed by some visiting tourists. They said that supposedly sometimes at night the sky above the canyon glows in a special way and every hour it gets brighter. There were those who saw strange apparatuses descending in the form of saucers, now called UFOs (unidentified flying objects). In addition, there is a version that the crater emits geomagnetic waves and thus communicates with arriving aliens.
These various fantastical and frightening stories have given the canyon its popular name - Devil's Canyon. It is clear that the majority of scientists treated and still treat these stories with irony and great skepticism. Some of them have their own argument: the Arizona crater resembles the crater of the famous Italian volcano Vesuvius, which is located near Naples. Scientists believe that this similarity determines their uniformity and commonality. But is it really so?
VOLCANIC CRATER
The word "crater" - Greek, is translated as "bowl". Such craters are formed during volcanic eruptions and can reach several kilometers in diameter. At the bottom of the crater there is usually one vent, less often several, through which lava and other volcanic products rising from the magma chamber come to the surface.
At first glance at the Arizona crater, the thought really comes that these are the remains of an extinct volcano. Perhaps in a few million years, or maybe millennia, the crater of the current Vesuvius will sink and turn into a copy of Arizona. True, it depends on the underground forces that operate under it. There are craters on Earth much larger than Arizona. So, in Antarctica on Wilkes Island in 1962, a meteorite crater with a diameter of 241 km and a depth of 800 m was discovered.
In Canada, on the coast of the Hudson Bay there is a crater with a diameter of 443 km, but the Arizona crater is special, it is the best preserved, amenable to study, and filmmakers love it - it is a wonderful natural object for filming adventure and science fiction films.
ARIZONA CRATER STUDY
Who left a giant imprint in Arizona: a volcano, aliens or meteorites?
This question haunted many American scientists for many years. In numerous disputes the truth was not born in any way. Serious and large-scale research was required, for which there was no money. The greatest contribution to the study of the Arizona crater was made by the American mining engineer and explorer from Philadelphia, Daniel Moreau Berringer. He was very interested in the mystery of the appearance of such a giant crater in the desert.
Berringer immediately questioned the idea of its volcanic origin. In the state of Arizona, there are no conditions for the emergence of volcanoes - everything is calm underground, no magma threatens to flow out. He drilled in several places and found no signs of rocks of volcanic origin. But the validity of the theory put forward in 1902 Berringer had yet to prove.
The researcher bought a small plot of land at the bottom of the Arizona crater and began deep drilling there. He hired workers, brought equipment. The survey was carried out in difficult conditions: heat, lack of water, remoteness from urban infrastructure. The first rock samples showed that there are no elements of volcanic origin in it.
Drilling continued. And suddenly, at a depth of 420 m, the drill stopped, as if it ran into an insurmountable barrier. What happened? They raised the drill to the surface, its incisors were completely worn off. At first glance, it became clear that the drill rested on the ferruginous material. When they checked samples of the material from the drill in the laboratory, they established: these are iron-nickel particles. So it's a meteorite? Meteorites contain iron and nickel. What are its volumes underground? If you start the industrial development of nickel in an open way, you can enrich yourself.
EPILOGUE OF THE METEORITE THEORY
But Barringer's further efforts did not lead to anything - there were no people who wanted to start developing the "meteorite deposit". Drilling has stopped. The bankrupt Berringer in 1909 gave the data of his research to the US Academy of Sciences, which finally officially recognized that the Arizona crater was formed as a result of the fall of a celestial body.
And many years later, already in the era of computer diagnostics at the end of the 20th century, Berringer's version was fully confirmed. Scientists have determined that about 50 thousand years ago a celestial body burst into the Earth's atmosphere, most likely an iron-nickel meteorite 30-40 m in size. The estimated mass is 70,000 tons, although some scientists believed that its weight could reach 2 million tons. The speed of movement when approaching the Earth was 70 thousand km per hour. The vast majority of the meteorite burned up in the layers of the atmosphere. When hitting the ground, the meteorite partially evaporated, partially split. Pieces from a few hundred grams to 500 kg scattered for many kilometers around. The impact force was about 40 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped by the Americans on Hiroshima in 1945. A giant funnel formed - a crater.
Fragments of the meteorite were found by the Indians at a distance of up to 10 km from the crater. The same fragments were found in the ground at a depth of 420 m by Berringer while drilling.
The resulting funnel is practically the only place on Earth that resembles a lunar landscape. It is no coincidence that the Americans trained astronauts in this crater before the flight to the Moon in 1969, and eliminated the shortcomings of spacesuits. Thus, Devil's Canyon played a role in the exploration of the moon. Now it is a place of pilgrimage for tourists from all over the world.
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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, - went to hunt game, dig 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 real meaning could be attached to this Spanish expression. 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 shack 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 mumbling. 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.
