Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-11-07

nc gained point Where ne could look
off and down into the canon's dark
depths. Like sinuous piece of steel,
the river ran its way far below him, d
strip of it visible here, another there,
and still another beyond, SO that il
seemed as if the stream burrowed
through high, rocky barriers. Rawlius
paused not to note the brilliant patches
of color along the face of the great es-
carpment, and the sharply sketched
chiar-oscuro 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 his 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 rattlesnake', aud, as if all this were
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 ster
unsafe.
In fever OF excitement, he finally
reached the rivers edge. He threw him
self 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
canon 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 steep was the rocky es.
carpment that its ascent was one of great
effort aud peril, even for strong man at
early dawn, but for weak man, at two
in the afternoon, it was fearful task.
How intensely hot it was there on the
canon-sidel how scorchingly, unbear.
ably hot And yet he bore it. Though
his whole body reeked with perspiration
and his muscles were tightly drawn I'M
der the great strain, yet he paused only
to pick his way among the rocks. He
could not go up the way he had come
down, for it was too steep.
Within au hour, the demon Thirst had
seized upon him again, clutching 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 por-
ton and his tongue to have turned to 6
chip. Now he was in the shadow of {
great rock. How grateful was the shade
He paused there for a moment. HI
scolded himself for the loss of time, but
he felt that moment was one spent il
heaven.
In passing through great split in ;
rock, the canteen strap was cut, anc
down fell the precious vessel, with it:
still more precious contents. The stop.
per flew from its place and a plash oil
water steamed up from the burning rock
on which it fell. Madly he jeeked ur
the canteen. Thank God, only little
water had been wasted, and yet he re-
fected, as he replaced the cork, hi
would have given worlds to have slipped
what had fallen. But he fastened on.
The warped and split boot-sole finall,
cracked clean through, and he could
feel the gridiron heat of the rocks upor
his naked flesh, for his stocking wa;
quickly worn away.
1t was now so hot that the rattlesnake!
did not venture forth upon the rocks, so
there was no longer any danger from
them. The real danger now, as ht
viewed it, was that he would be abb
but short time longer to keep the neck
of the canteen from his lips. The watel
had become warm, and yet it was hi:
one source of reyivication to place the
fat side of the canteen against his sun.
scorched face. This was at once a de
light and torture, for while the can
cooled his flesh, the delicious huggle
guggle of the water nearly drove him
mad. Thrice he stopped, uncorked the
canteen and raised it to his lips, and
then, pushing it from him by mighty
effort, he dashed wildly on. Soon ht
came to place where the ascent was al
most perpendicular, and where the hea
was so sitting as almost to close his nos
trils. The way up was lined with cactus
scrubs, whose spines pierced his hand,
like red-hot needles when he gasped al
something by which to haul himself up
The little lizards that darted into tn,
patches of shade seemed to mock him
and his wistful gaze could be torn from
the canteen only when it was absolutely
necessary for him to see his way clear.
"What is his thirst to mine?" h,
moaned, as for fourth time he uncorked
the canteen. "He is lying in the shade
and his brow is famed by kindly hands
while II am burning"
Then the swollen, purple face of Bun,
ster rose up before him, and he showed
the cork into the mouth of the canteeu
with spasmodic effort that seemed al
most superhuman. Again he toiled on
slowly now, for his strength seemed
almost spent.
=
1t was dreary waiting up at the CAM
for the return of the water bearer. Yosi
gazed for hours over the white GROUND
in the direction of the canon, and, a
last, he grimly gave up Zach Rawlins a
a lost man, though he did not say so t.
his less experienced friends of the camp.
'No chance fur 'em when their fee
slip on the rocks over them air cliffs O.
when a rattlesnake nips en- 'bove tn,
boot top. He's gone fur sartin',n nut
tered the guide. "WeIl have to bur,
the big I'm afore nightfall-fur he's mos
gone-an then put back fur the stage
station afore we all drop"
Then the ghost of a man, with latter;
of clothing hanging from his form, darted
into view around the rocks. Yost cursed
the on-comer for g fool for running SC
hard under the burning sun. His leg,
seemed very unsteady, for he reeled as he
ran. 1t was fully minute before the
guide or any of them could realize thai
the advancing form was that of Rawlins
and in that minute the scarecrow figure
had reached the couch where Big Bun
ster lay, and, uncorking the canteen, had
showed the neck of il into the nearly un.
conscious mans mouth.
"Drink, old mani It's water-good,
pure water Drink hearty, aud God
bless your came in thin, sepulchral
tones from between the blackened lips
of the ghostly one. ''Drink, drink"
And the water bearer fell beside hi:
comrade, Great throbs shook his frame.
His breath failed. HIS eyes became