The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1891-12-11

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searching blistering rays reached the
little camp on CalIents Trail, the men
soon sought the shelter Of the rocks
Rawlins made Bunster as comfort
able as 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 vigorous
~ famed with his hat the dry, hot air
above his brow.
Hours passed. ''Win they never
comet" thought Rawlins; why did /
not go myself" It WAS because
thought he might die while / was gone,
and WANTED to stick by him to the
end. Still should have gone-I should
have gone"
Another hour dragged its reluctant
way along 1t was nearly noon
There they were at last the water
bearers. But why walked they so slow
ly4 No doubt they were tired Yes,
they were tired and worn-nearly ex-
hausted, In fact; their clothes were in
tatters- and they were shamefaced and
cowe6 or they brought back no wat
er. they had started from the walled
in stream with full canteens; but the
ascent OF the eannon-side had been so
toilsome, the heat so intense, and their
thirst 50 great, that they had drunk
every drop.
Ugly gIanees shot from Zach Raw
lins's eyes at the recreant ones. HIS
blood was up He would 90 down to
the stream, though 1t were guarded by
fiery dragons and he would bring back
n canteen full OF water and steep the
hearcless ones in their shame. Yes
Big Bunster should have the all-need-
full draught, if he had to 60 through
fire; for it proved useless for Yost to
tell him that q 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 lerked the canteen-strap over his
shoulder and strobe quickly away
over the baked mesa, under the burn
ing sun, and soon began the descent.
From one G1eat step OF the rough,
natural stairway to another he went,
and at last he gained 4 point where be
could look of and down into the
Gus piece OF steel, the river ran its way
far below him, strip of it visible
here, and another there, and still an
other 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 chair-OsturO that marked
the naked grandeur of the scene made
no impress. He only saw, running
swiftly at the base OF the great walls
which hemmed it in from human
hand, the water for which the friend
of mis- youth lay dying. The way
down was difficult. He was almost
stified by the heat; he was tortured
by an intOlerable thirst; his clothing
was torn by jagged rocks; he was
struck at by rattlesnakes, and, as if
ali this we're not enough, one Of the
soles of his boots had become so
warped by the heat and so split by
the rocks as to make his step unsafe.
In a fever of excitement, be finally
reached the rivers edge. He threw
himself down by the brink and eagerly
gulped the sparkling water. Then he
filled the canteen and darted up the
rocks. Fleet as had been his descent
to the base of the canon wall, it had
taken him nearly two hours to make
1t. 1t had been hard enough coming
down, but now came the real work.
So steep was the rocky esCarpment
that its ascent was one Of great effort
and peril, even for a strong man at
early dawn, but for weak man, at
2 in the afternoon, it was fearful
risk.
How intensely hot it was there on
the canOn-side How scbrchingly, I'M
bearably hot! And yet he bore it.
Though his whole body reeked with
perspiration and his muscles were
tightly drawn under the |.reat strain.
yet he paused only to pick his way
among the rocks. He cduld not 60 up
the way he had come down, for it was
too steep.
Within an hour the demon Thirst
had seized upon him achin, clusching
with fiery fingers at his throat until it
seemed almost closed So quickly
were the bodily juices licked up by the
sun, under such TREMENDOUS effort,
that his very marrow seemed to have
lost its fluid portion and his tongue
TO have turned I o a chip. Now he was
in the shadow of a great rock How
grateful was IT'S shade He paused for
a moment. He scolded himself for his
loss of time, but he felt that moment
was one spent IN heaven,
In passing through a great split in a
rock, the cauteen strap was cut, and
down fell the precious vessel, with its
still more precious contents The
stopper flew from its.placc and q
splash of water steamed up from the
burning rock on which 1t fell. Madly
he lerked up the canteen- Thank God,
only little water had been wasted,
and vet, he reflected, as he replaced
the cork, he would have given worlds
to have slipped what had fallen. But
he FASTENED on. The warped and split
boot-sOle finally cracked clean
through, and he could feel the gridiron
heat of the rocks upon his naked flesh.
for his stockings were quickly worn
away
1t was now so hot that the rattle
snakes did not venture forth upon the
rncLs 50 thera ras M lnnrer any