The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-09-01

aware, and he knew. tea that 1.-The
young fellow" had found moley-mak-
: ing very slow work.
From Lucin's to the great alksl
plain that lay before the buttes in
which the gold was hidden. was long
and tGlsome Journey. But the real
the afkali desert.
White and naked lay the dead land
before their aching eyes. The eye OF
heaven shone down with most unre-
lenting ficrceness. No breath of air
was stirring and the whole world was
to them'as dumb as death
Mart had counted on the Journey
being h4srd one, but not so hard as
this. He had not dreamed that the
water would give out as soon, nor that
tSie horses would sink down and die as
they did.
Still they staggered on, their forms,
bent under their heavy burdens. stand
ING out sharp and raw above the white
earth, OH which their clearly defined
shadows fell with inky blackness.
In that cloudless. mistless air, dis
tance set 1T nanght, for they Travelled
on toward the buttes. and yet they
seemed to grow no nearer.
1t was toward evening they reached
a rocky islet in the sea of alkali, and
there after very bad meal of hard
tack, they fell asleep dreaming OF
clear, cold water drawn from marble
fountains in crystal goblets. The
young man was the first to awake.
The sun was beginning to sheot its
fiery needles over the mountain. Rob-
bins lifted his hands to rub his eyes.
"R-r-z-Z-z"
Then a tongue of tialne darted to-
ward him and struck him on the palm
of the hand
"My God" he groaned, sits rattle
snake. and it's bitten me-"
His voice seemed to awaken a hum
dred echoes, and to these responded q
hEadred rattles.
Selby sat up in his blanket and stared
81 him stupidity. As he made the
movement rattlesnake struck him in
the face, and another at his side would
have done the same had he not thrown
himself out Of reach of his deadly fangs.
The rattles resounded on every side.
The two men ran back TO stretch of
sand beyond the rocks and gazed at
each other wildly.
Hold STILL" demanded Mart LET
me look at your bite"
He grasped the boys hand.
Thank God, it's not in the vein"
He seized bis knife and quickly hol-
lowed out piece of the flesh.
There, hold your hand down and
let the blood run free, while | tie this
cord around your arm.
He twisted the stout cord until it
cut into the arm.
Now the whisky" he gasped.
no" said Robbins, "let me cut the
poison out of your wound"
Mart held still moment while this
was done.
Now the whisky quick" cried
But Selby did NOT look for the bring
ing forth of the flask with any light of
hope in his eyes.
1T is yours" he said, quietly.
There is only enough for one, and
barely that"
Then that is yours, Mart"
"No-yours."
But you are the worst bitten. Your
face is already beginning to swell.
Drink it."
There was anguish in the tone, as
there was herOism in the words; but it
was herolSm of the weakly sort. He
held out the bottle at arms length,
while he turned his fase away
NO, by God! It's yours, boy!" came
in firmer tones from Mart Selby. "You
have mother and a sweetheart back
III the States. And II have nobody
There was some one once, but there
ain nobody now-nobody at all"
Ia the face of this fearful tempta-
ton Robbins felt himself weakening.
He grew less strong of resolution with
each tick of the watch in his pocket,
heard so plainly in the desert stiffness.
What Il coward he felt himself; but
how sweet was life.
Was there no help to be had from
some other source? He could not take
this. The drinking of that liquid was
the drinking of Selby's life, and that
life meant much to him now. Here
was the whole man.
His eye swept the hopeless plain.
He looked for the "dust" of traveller,
but he saw none. The heat of day was
growing. He thought he felt the
poison pulSing through his veins.
"No-no," he said, sinking down up
on the sand. And there was Il pitiable
weakness in his tone.
Selby took the bottle from his hand.
As he did so shade of fear arose to
Robbins face. Selby saw it and
smiled. The swollen face made the
smile grotesque; but none the less, it
was a smile of god He came for
ward and kneit beside the crouching
form of Robbins, who living on his
face, with his eyes shut. begged him
not to think of him. but of himself
But The tome was growing weaker.
The other said no word, but, lifting
his friends head, uncorked the bot
tie and held it to his lips A look of
came to Robbins face,
aud he raised his hand to push away
the bottle. just then he glanced up
ward a buzzard was circulating
aroand in the clear blue air. He
shivered, and, as the neck of the bot
lie was forced between his teeth, and
selby was holding back his head how
,ould he help swallowing? The look
If remonstrance faded slowly away as
he liquor gurgled from the bottle.
Soon it was all drained The boys
lead sunk to the ground, and heavy
leep laid hold upon him.
When he awoke there lay by his
'ide the body of man with a pistol
bullet in his head-Erdnk b, Nilldrd
n Tie San Francisco 4gronaut.
Chill is great country Tor newspa-
,erS. There are more than forty of
hem in Valparaiso and Santiago, and
here are others in all tho head towns
IF departments. Chilli has many liter
Try men. including a regiment of
poets. and also many scientific men
i l.. =. 4 !.