The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1878-09-15

inclined to think, you at times regard
me with suspicion"
"Mr. Keyman,' / replied; you
know your own business. The only
thing think strangely of, is, that
you employ me us guide through q
country, which l know nothing of,
and with which you seem familiar. ~
Gle drew from his pocket several
papers and unfolded the one | had
seen him perusing. IL was a rude
map. There is no reason, he said,
why l should have kept this secret
from you; but, 1t is matter | have
guarded, SO closely and SO long, that
caution has become second nature.
l have never been here before, this
map, together with some papers, has
told me all know; you and your
friend were brought as companions
and for protection; nothing morc.'"
81 looked at the rough drawing
and could tel, but little about it.
Our route was defined by dim, red
line; while at different points, there
were queer figures which, though
Greek to me, were easily explained
By Keyman. rtN.a
s'My uncle,' he said, still looking
at the map, was very devoted TO me.
He had been prisoner among the
Indians and escaped. Having small
compass, he succeeded in making a
sketch of his route, this map. lie died,
and being his sole heir Inherited
this map. Do You understand y"
"'I understand SIR l returned 'all
but" ".'But what?'" "'The
object of this Journey"
"'The object is to take possession
of my inheritance it is here: and
turning once more TO his map, he
pointed to where the req line termi-
mated, in zigzag yellow mark.
""That is my heritage and, by to-
morrow at sunset we will be there. ,"
My faith in the mans sanity was
more shaken than ever, but his man
ner was so cool and collected, he did
and said everything in such a bust
ness like way, that, the next moment
| felt u logged determination to see
the thing through.
Keyman drove steadily in advance,
guided by his compass of course. AS
for myself | could tell but little
about the direction, for the sky was
overcast during the entire day,
"Night came on dark and chill, and
picketing our horses on the scant
heritage, we slept till dawn, then
once more took up the line of March.
eve travelled till nearly noon,
and the surroundings were the same,
in every direction; a sandy plain
stretching away apparently TO the end
of the world.
"Water, Keyman said, would be
reached at noon, but as yet, there
was no evidence of such n thing. Our
horses were fearfully jaded. Indians
might come upon us at any moment,
and l iRwardly cursed myself as a
fool, and my employer as mailman.
had just ridden up to the wagon,
when, Keyman pointed to u green
SPOT on our left; there is water he
said, and riding up to the place indi-
Gated, found him to be as usual in
the right.
The water bubbled up clear and
cold only little pool of il, though
the source and end within few feet
of each other.
Some tufts of vegetation were
along the margin, though traveller
might have died of thirst, within one
hundred PAGES of this spring, with
out suspecting its presence.
eve watered our half furnished
horses, though it was a slow process;
and after eating n hasty meal, push
ed ahead, as rapidly as possible
Once during the afternoon, Kcyman
called me to him and cried out: 'at
sunset; Dan, at sunsetH and then al
most fell out of the wagon in a par.
oxysm of laughter: II was the first
and last tins, | ever heard that man
laugh.
"When Jim came up, he said you
must have told him something awful
funny, Danr
mo, ! answered he was laughing
at one of his own jokes. What dc
you think, anyway, Jim?" My
companion was silent moment and
then said, in suppressed voice
though KeyInap was far ahead; Il
think he is the devil, and is taking
us back to hell, with him ="
"Iate in the afternoon, we haC
great difficulty in keeping up will
our leader, for he was pushing hi
tired horses, To the utmost,
CAT length, we saw ON ahead, wha
appeared TO be an irregular embank
ment, or succession Of mounds, red
dish in color. A hue differing decid
eddy from tho white sands around
them.
"When our leader had reached
point within few PAGES of these, IL
stopped and sprang from the wagon
aud when we came up; his face, NJ
ways pale, was whittier than death
his dark hair was blowing Wild
back and he clinging to the wagol
for support screamed out to me.
"Dan in Gods name look owe
there in the ravine, can't bear it ?
"Drawing my revolver, | spran