Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-12-11

oln,,ir A. a. eTsning air famed his
s snowy AS slie riding by the side of
H. io w.. S"ts%sad, made light of the days
49, and even managed joke
areqt Big Bunster's burro being small
Ter than its rider, which joke seemed
very near the truth, though 1t lacked
heartiness.
The little caravan its way to Caliente
trail and along it to one of the outer
walls of the great canyon, where it halt
ed for the night.
Very early in the morning, before
the sun had ceased his repentance, two
OF the men slung their canteens to their
sides and started for the river; though
Yost, after they had gone, said: Its
even chances bout them gittin' water
they mought and they moughtn't.
Them air canyon walls Is mighty
steep, but thar may be a place to git
down som'ers along thar"
Clearly the sun had determined to be
as wicked as ever; and when his scorch-
ing, blistering rays reached the little
camp on Calieute trail, the men soon
sought the shelter of the rocks. Raw
Inns made Bunster as comfortable as
was possible; but there was very little
comfort to be enjoyed The sick man
walled for water, and his purple face
was an ugly sight for his friend to gaze
upon, while he vigorously famed with
his hat the dry, hot air above his brow.
Hours passed. "Will they never
Gomez" thought Rawlins; "why did l
not go myself? 1t was because 1
thought he might die while I was
gone, and wanted to stick by him to
the end. Still, should have gone--I
should have gone"
Another hour dragged it's reluctant
way along. 1t was nearly noon.
There they were at last-the water
bearers. But why walked they so
slowly2 No doubt they were tired.
Yes, they were tired and worn-nearly
exhausted, in fact; their clothes were
in tatters, and they were shamefaced
and cowed-for they brought back no
water. They had started from the
walled-in stream with full canteens;
but the ascent of the canyon-side had
been so toilsome, the heat so intense,
and their thirst SO great, that they had
drunk every drop.
Ugly glances shot from Zach Raw
.ins' eyes at the recreant ones. His
olood was up He would go down to
the stream. though it were guarded by
fiery dragon, and he would bring back
a canteen full Of water and steep the
heartless ones in their shame. Yes,
Big Bunster should have the all-need-
full draught, If he had to go through
fire to get it. And he did 60 through
fire; for it proved useless for Yost to
tell him that journey down to the
waters edge in the cool of the morn
ing and one made at midday were two
very different things to undertake. He
jerked the canteen-strap over his
shoulder and strobe quickly away over
the baked mesa, under the burning
sun and soon began the descent From
one great step of the rough, natural
stairway to another he went, and at
last he gained point where he could
look off and down into the canyons
dark depths. Like sinuous piece of
steel the river ran its way far below
him, strip of it visible here, another
there, and still another beyond, so that
it seemed as if the stream burrowed
through high. rocky barriers. Rawlins
paused not to note the brilliant patches
of color along the face of the great
escarpment, and the sharply -sketched
chiar-oscuro that marked the naked
grandeur of the scene made no inn
press. He only saw, running swiftly
at the base of the great walls which
hemmed 1t in from human hand, the
water for which the friend Of his youth
lay dying. The way down was diff.
cult He was almost stifled by the
heat, he was tortured by an intoler.
able thirst; his clothing was torn by
jagged rocks; hew as struck at by rattle
snakes, and, If all this were mot
enough, one Of the soles of his boots
had become so warped by the heat and
split by the rocks as to make his ster
unsafe.
In fever Of excitement, he finally
reached the rivers edge. He threw
himself down by the brink and eagerly
gulped the sparkling water. Then he
filed the canteen and darted up the
rocks, Fleet as had been his descent
to the base of the canyon wall. it had
taken him nearly two hours.to make it
1t had been hard enough coming down
but now came the real work. So steer
was the rocky escarpment that its
ascent was one of great effort anG
peril, even for strong man at early
dawn, but for a weak man, at two
! in the afternoon, it was fearful task
How intensely hot 1t was there or
the canyon sidel How scorchingly, un
bearably hot And yet he bore it
, Though his whole body reeked with
perspiration and his muscles were
tightly drawn under the great strain
r yet he paused only to pick his way
, among the rocks. He could not go W
, the way he had come down, for it was
, too steep.
= Within an hour the demon thirS
} had seized upon him again, clutchinf
. with fiery fingers at his throat until i
| seemed almost closed. So quickly
q were the bodily juices licked up by the
+ sun, under such tremendous effort
t that his very marrow seemed to have
t lost its fluid portion and his tongue t.
have turned to chip, Now he was il
1 the shadow of great rock. How
!. grateful was the shaded He paused
t there for moment He scolded him
4 self for his loss of time, but he fell
Q that moment was one spent in Heaven
: In passing through great split IL
s the rock the canteen strap was cut
e and down fell the precious vessel, will
: its still more precious contents TIL