The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-19
all" said Dubs in a tone OF accusation.

~, salu DuOs IN tone oil accusation.
"Now hc'll want his knitc,n
Sure enough, tho REPRESENTATIVES
did shake his brown legs and arms
quito vigorously, but tho last
two big swallows oil mescal held
him down. So, after turn.
ing over and burying his hatchet.like
face In the sand, ho lay quiet again. W
Whom he had thus turned over, was
brought into. view tho rifle, which had
been concealed by his dirty blanket.
Dnbs eyed tho weapon with covetous
eyes. llo could not Withstand tho
temptation OF feeling 1t MI over, stand.
ing 1t up on its butt and trying to
shoulder 1t, but this last feat ho could
hardly accomplish. Just what II was
that Kept his llngorg OH tho hammer
and trigger, and prevented sound that
would surely have brought tho Coyote
to his feet with yell, nm sure | can.
not tell, but Dubs played with that ias.
cinatiug weapon for nearly IN hour,
while Gay poured sand over tho cart
ridges, hiding nearly all OF them from
view.
by this time tho suns rays were on
tho long slant, and tho Children wcro
very hungry. BY this time, too, the
Apache was growing restless, for tho
mescal had nearly lost Its crib upon
him. A train thundering by, or, much
less, a swift" brushing against his BLACK
foot, spider dropping on his le., or
even hlg fly buzzing ut his car--any OF
these would have set his demon force
into play again.
But the children could not wait for
such demonstrations as these, though
why 1t did not occur to Dubs that tho
Coyotes car needed tickling with 4
grcasewood twig, tho Lord only knows.
Tho wind was up, and the wires were
murmuring louder than ever. Tho wee
ones had sportod in tho black shadows
long onough-had played with the fancs
OF the deadly serpent until they had
tired and their stomachs were ompty
so they sot oil on trot for home.
Jus: as they turned the bend and
came in sight OF the low roof oithe sta
ton, adjust devil" swept by tho rocks
where lay the Coyoto-Thai-Bitcs. He
jumped to his feet, grasped his empty
sheath, gave q mad whoop, and stared
about in fevcrish ragc. Thcre was his
knife, hall covered by the sand, and
there was his rifle, far from his side.
Here was the cartridge belt, empty, and
all about him in tho sand we're count
less little footprints. q 'slT '.,lLN
A bewildered lool; stole over his face,
but it passed away when his eyes rested
on the empty demijohn. The express
sion that replaced it was one OF demo.
niacal ferocity, and the lust OF slaughter
lay heavily upon him. But the car
tridges-where were they2 lie saw
Gays mound OF sand, and kicking it.,
gave grunt OF delight to see the brazen
capsules that were scattered right and
left by his foot. ; :
He picked them all up, cruntnc ovor
each one. Filling tho belt and grasping
his rifle, he started off in tho direction
in which the small footprints led. Like
q bloodhound, he chased along the
track. His eyes scanned the plain at
every turn, and his breath was hot and
strong. But when he turned the big
curve and saw the station, he knew that
he was late-too latc-and he gave q
grunt OF disgust, and was oil like the
wind over side trail that led toward
the sunset.
In the low rooted station house the
mother crooned to tired little Gay,
lying SO soft and limp in her arms.
She looked out over the desert, saw the
sun touching the tips Of the solemn 81
ant cacti with(purple dots, saw the
prlckly pear shrubs holding their gro
tesquo arms above the great sweep Of
sand that ran down to the low horizon,
and felt the inspiration of the scene, as
she had often felt it before. For the
desert has beauty that is Lifts: own.
She knew that other women in the
great cities and in the cool, green val
lcys might pity her in that desolate
spot, but sho felt that she needed not
their pity. Dubs came and loaned his
head against her arm, whore she sat,
and Gay nestled down with alfred sign.
Yes, there was much, she thought, for
which to be thankful. /.
And in truth thorc was.