The record-union., 1892-04-30


hoarsely, for his tongue was so swollen
he could hardly speak at all wasting
time. Don't you see they'll be expecting
us III TO supper at Gerring Gerring, and [
shouldn't like the crows to get there
first. They might frighten her, you
know; she's only girl, and she hasn't
seen SO much of them as you and me.
Those knowing old crows! They're not
here now. Don't you see that's why
they want to get there first?"
BE quiet man. You're dreaming"
Dreaming was 1? Anderson, Ander-
son, mate, I'm not going mad. For Gods
sake, don't let me go mad
mo, no, old man, it's all right. We
are on the right track now. Here, I'll
take the horse and you give me your
arm. There, now then, if we've luck
we may hit Gerring Gerring before morn
ing"
They walked on in silence, but Helm
kept stumbling, and but for his COM
panIon's supporting arm would have
fallen more than once. The moon rose
up, and as it grew light as day again he
stepped short and looked solemnly in his
companions face. 1t was worn and hag-
gard and weary, but not so wild he felt
instinctively, as his own.
'Anderson," he said, II know Pm
done for. My heads all wrong. It's
cooler now, but what'u it be tomorrow?
I L
don't tell her. I'd like her to think well
Of me. Just say died, don't say how it
hurt"
''Al right, mate" said the other, for
he had no comfort to give.
And then they walked on again in ST.
lence till the moon declined before the
coming day, the cruel day, which brought
the heat and the following crows again.
Dawn brought them to patch of dead
finish" as the settlers call dense and
thorny scrub with pretty green leaves
through which it is Well-nigh impossible
to force way even under the most IA
Yorable circumstances, and which pre-
sented an utterly impossible barrier to
men in their condition. They turned
aside once more, and Anderson thought
TO himself that they must indeed have
given up hope to be stopped by an inn
paSSable barrier and yet to make no
moan. 1t was surely the very depths Of
hopeleSSnGSS when all ways We're alike to
them. He looked back on their tracks
and dismay filed his heart. They were
not firm and straight, but Wayering and
wandering like those OF men in the last
extremity. He had followed tracks like
these before now, and they always led to
the same thing. He wondered duly
would any one ever follow these tracks.
A little farther on Helm let go his arm
and ran ahead.
w IL never 40 any SoOIl dt ILlIS idIe,
he gaSped, mover" and he pulled at
the collar of his shirt till he tore it away.
1--WE must have something to drink.
Well die else, and | mean to have fight
for my lite. There's the old horse, he
can't stagger a step farther. What's the
good OF keeping him? Let's shoot him
and-and- There's enough Of blood in
him Toto"
mo, no, man, no. l tell you that's the
beginning of the end-more than the be-
ginning-the end III fact"
Il don't care. 1 can stand this" and
before Anderson could stop him, Helm
had drawn his pistol and shot the horse
IN the head.
The poor beast was at his last gasp, and
for the last hour Anderson had been
meditating the ACCESSIBILITY Of leaving
him behind SO it was no material loss.
His only care now was to prevent his
mate from drinking the blood, which, ac-
cording to the faith OF the bushman, is
worse than drinking salt water.
Poor old beggaF,n he said, taking his
pistols and cartridges from the saddle,
where they had been wrapped among the
blankets, Il suppose 1t was about the
kindest thing we could do for him. Come
on, mate, we must leave him to the
crows now," and he caught Helms arm
and would have led him on.
But the other resisted, and breaking
him, had drawn his knife across the
horses throat and taken a long draught
of blood.
Does it sound CHASTITY? But such things
are, and his lips were dry and parched,
and his throat so swollen that he could
only speak in hoarse whispers, and so
great was the temptation that Anderson,
looking away at the bare, pItiless plain
with the mOcking mirage in the distance,
felt that he, too, might as we'll drink and
die: only the thought of the cripple boy
who would be alone in the world but for
him made him make one more desperate
effort for seli-contrOl.
He took the younger mans arm and
dragged him on, skirting slowly round
the dead tinish'' till at length, late in
the afternoon, 1t gave place to boree. His
own senses were clear enough but Helm
was muttering wildly, and he listened
with unheeding ears to his bahble of
home and mother and sweetheart. They
could not go far, and soon they forced
their way in among the scrub, and
though the burning thirst was worse
than ever, the shade was grateful. The
crows stopped too, and settled on the
low trees, turning their evil blue-black
heads on one side to get better view of
their prey.
Il can't keep my head" moaned
Helm. Il can't. have been mad all
day. l know l have. 1t has stretched
out into ages, this long day, and it's not
over yet. When Were we lost? Yes
terday? The day before? 1t feels like
years"
Never mind" said Anderson, not un-
kindly. ''It can't be much longer now.
Try to sleep, old man"
sleep! with thousand devils tearing
at mel"
But they did sleep after all, wearied.
troubled sleep, a broken sleep full of
frightful dreams, Or still more cruel ones
of cooling dreams and ripping waters.
Night came, and Anderson awoke from
what seemed to him a doZe OF a moment
to find his companion gone from his
side. For second the thought came to
him that it was not worth while to look
Tor him. He was mad-mad, and where
was the use of troubling about him any
further? And then his better feelings,
and, perhaps, that longing for human
companionship which we all must feel,
made him rise up and look for him. Up
and down, he was staggering up and
down, a hundred feet one way and then
back again on his own tracks.
I'VE must get on, old chap" he NUT
tered when he saw Anderson, s'we must
get on. You rest if you like. though;
there isn't anybody waiting for you; but
Mabel, she's waiting for me, and l must
try and get back. She would be disap-
pointed else. Grieyei Of course she'll
grieve if / am lost. All the world isn't a
cynic like you"
Anderson took his arm again.
Wen go together" he said. ''If you
do care a straw about seeing her again,
come on quietly with me-
He yielded for the moment, but it re-
quired one continuous effort on Ander-
sons part to keep him up TO it. Plainly
his reason was gone, and the other man.
growing weaker and weaker, found by
the time the san was high in the heav-
ems that the effort was more than he
could make. 1t was the end, or so close.
that be could only hope and rrav fha end