The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-22

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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 an
other beyond, so that IL seemed as if the
stream burrowed through high, rocky bar
riers. Rawlins paused not to note the
brilliant patches of color along the face of
the great escarpnent, and the sharply
sketched char oscuro that marked the
naked grandeur of the scene made no i'm
press 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 away
down was difficult. He was almost stifed
by the heat; he was tortured by an intol-
cradle thirst; his clothing was torn by
jagged rocks; he was struck at by rattle
snakes, and, as if 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 step unsafe.
In fever of excitement he finally reached
the rivers edge. He threw himself down
by the brink and eagerly gulped the spark
ling 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. 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
strong man at early dawn, but for weak
man at 2 in the afternoon it was fearful
task.
How intensely hot it was there on the
canyon side! How scorchingly, unbeara-
bly, hot! And yet he bore it. Though his
| whole body reeked with perspiration and
his muscles were tightly drawn under 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 an hour the demon thirst had
seized upon him again, clutching with
fiery fingers at bis 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 it's fluid portion and
his tongue to have turned TO chip. Now
he was in the shadow of great rock.
| How grateful was the shaded He paused
there for a moment. He scolded himself
| for his loss of time, but he felt that mo-
ment was one spent in heaven.
In passing through great split in q
rock the canteen strap was cut and down
| fell the precious vessel with its still more
precious contents. The stopper few from
its place, and plash of water steamed up
from the burning rock on which it fell.
Madly he jerked up the canteen. Thank
God, only little water had been wasted,
and yet, 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 clear through, and ne could feel
the gridiron heat Of the rocks upon his
naked flesh, for his stocking was quickly
worn away.
It was NOW so hot that the rattlesnakes
did not venture forth upon the rocks, so
there was no longer any danger from them.
The real danger now, as he viewed it, was
that he would be able but a short TINA
longer to keep the neck of the canteen from
his lips. The water had become warm, and
yet it was his one source of Identification
to place the fiat side of the canteen against
his sun scorched face. This was at once
delight and a 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 he came to place where
the ascent was almost perpendicular, and
where the heat was so sitting as almost to
close his nostrils. The way up was lined
With cactus scrubs, whose spines pierced
his hands like red hot needles when he
grasped at something by which to haul
himself up. The little lizards that darted
into the patches of shade seemed to mock
him, and his wistfal gaze could be torn
from the canteen only when it was abso-
lutely necessary for him to see his way
clear.
"What is his thirst to mine?" he moaned,
as for a fourth time he uncorked the can
teen. "He is lying IN the shade and his
brow is famed by kindly hands, while II
am burning"
Then the swollen, purple face of Bunster
rose up before him, and he showed back
the cork into the mouth of the canteen
with a spasmodic effort that seemed almost
superhuman. Again he toiled on. slowly
now, for his strength seemed almost spent.
1t was dreary waiting up at the camp for
the return of the water bearer. Yost gazed
for hours over the white ground in the di-
rection of the canyon, and at last he grimly
gave up Zach Rawlins as a lost man, though
he did not say so to his less experienced
friends of the camp.
"No chance fur 'em when their feet slip
on the rocks over them air cliffs or when
a rattlesnaks nips 'em 'bove the boot top
He's gone fur saTtin," muttered the guide
We'll have to bury the big 'un afore
nightfall, fur he's most gone, an then put
back fur the stage station afore we all
drop. It's just hell, this desert life, an
I've bout got my iii on it"
Then the ghost of man, with tatters of
clothing hanging from his form, darted
into view around the rocks. YosU cursed
the oncomer for fool for running so hard
under the burning sun. His legs seemed
very unsteady, for he reeled as he ran. 1t
was fully minute before the guide or any
of them could realize that the advancing
form was that of Rawlins, and In that
minute the scarecrow figure had reached
the couch where Big Bunstlr lay, and, I'M
corking the canteen, had showed the neck
of it into the nearly unconscious mans
mouth.
Drink, old man! It's water-good, pure
waterl Drink hearty, and God bless you"
came in thin, sepulchral tones from be-
tween the blackened lips of the ghostly
one. Drink, drinkl'
And the water bearer fell beside his COM
rade Great tnrobs shook his frame His
breath failed. His eyes become glazed and
his dust covered head, which had hours
ago lost its covering, sank down upon the
sand. But IL the rigid clasp of death his
hand held the canteen 10 his comrades
lips