The rustler., 1891-11-13
CLEAR GRIT.
An Incident on the Famous Cali
ente Trail.

In their weary journey across the
the barren mesa the travellers haC sud-
denly come 10 halt What they had
dreaded from the time they had left the
stage-road station and set out on the
trail had come 10 pass and they were
sore distressed. Bad water and the
insufferable heat of the desert had
stretched Zig Buustcn out on his blank
cts, aud he was talking abouthis moth
er and asking the others TO break the
Lews TO her gently.
Bunstcr had not felt well when he
left Flagstaff. but, like the well-mean-
ing young idiot that he was, he per-
sisted IN facing the dangers Of the trail
with the others. SO, as he grew less
steady on his burro, and the fever took
"A frmer hold upon his big, lazy body,
his head dropped lower over the pom
mel, and Jim Yost, the guide and the
only man Of the whole six of them who
really knew what danger the big fell
low was In, determined TO call halt.
~ don't want TO see him die in his
saddle" Jim said ia whisper to Zach
Rawlms, ''and unless we kin git him
inter more comfortable shape, he'll
croak afore sundown."
So they paused in the shade OF mass
of rocks, piled up in the fashion the
Titans had of doing things in the days
when the Grand canyon of the Colorado
was young And they were nightly
glad to rest there, for to be stared out
of contenance all day long by such n
sun as only the great desert knows, is
enough to drive a man long way to-
ward n shady spot.
Big Bunster felt easier, but he knew
he would die, he said, unless he cou Id
get sip Of decent water He saw
clearly enough that that was impossi-
bic, and SO, in his lazy way, he was
letting go of the strings of life.
Don't wait for me TO die. boys" he
said; keep along on your way, or you
will all drop down as | have done.
always was rather slow, and want to
take my own time dying. Don't stop
for me" Then he looked up into Zach
Rawlins' face and smiled one OF the
queerest, ghastlicst smiles Zach had
ever seen. And then Zach, who was
the best and truest friend Big Bunster
had ever had. stuck his heels in the
sand, and said IL was "A beastly shame
that such good fellow should come to
such an end. He wanted to know why
their miserable guide had led them so
far out of the way, why they were
here, forty miles from nowhere, and
why the guide had promised TO find a
spring when he had known nothing OF
its existence. and why. in the name OF
all that was holy, something could not
be done.
"Wal, yer needn't git so cursed
riled," rasped out the grim Yost.
'Nuthin kin be did now. We can't
go no further. or your man'll dropdead
as that snale-skin thar. As II is, .hc
stands some show. Wen strike Ca.
liente trail afore dusk, when its gifts
cooler It's right over thar" and the
rugged Yost pointed knotty foretin.
ger across white expanse, over which
lines of heat were quivering as If the
very air writhed under the pitiless fire
from on high.
"what good will It do Bunster, II we
do get therc7" whispered some one
'Good?" returned the guide; why,
thar's water four mile from that air
trail--ef we kin git down TO it."
"Git down TO IT. OF course we will, y
spoke up Rawlins. "Cheer up, old
WAN" said he. soothingly, TO the
parched Bunster, whose tongue was
out and whose eyes were staring
across the train toward caliente trail: