Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-02-11

/ riers. Rawlins paused not TO note the
! brilliant patches OF color along the face of
the great cscRrpment, and the sharply
sketched char oscuro that marked the
/ naked grandeur Of the scene made no inn
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 way
down was difficult. He was almost stifed
by the heat; he was tortured by an intol-
erable thirst; his clothing was torn by
| jagged rocks; he was struck at by rattle
snakes. and, as II 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 bis step unsafe.
In a feverof excitement he finally reached
The rivers edge. He threw himself down
by the brink aud eagerly guped the spark
ling water Then be filled the canteen and
darted up the rocks. Fleet as had been
his descent to the base Of the canyon wall
It had taken him nearly two hours TO make
SC. IL 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 a
strong man az early dawn, but for a weak
man at ia the afternoon IL was fearful
task.
How intensely hot it was there on the
canyon sidel How scorchingly, unheara-
bly, hotl And yet he bore H. 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 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 portion and
his tongue TO have turned 70 chip. Now
he was in the shadow of great rock
How grateful was the shaded He paused
there for 4 moment. He scolded himself
for his loss OF time, but he felt that mo-
ment was one spent in heaven.
In passing through a great split In
rock the canteen strap was cut, and down
fell the precious vessel with its still more
precious contents. The stopper flew from
its place, and plash Of water steamed up
from the burning rock on which it fell
Madly he jerked mp the canteen. Thank
God, only a lttle 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 he could feel
the gridiron heat Of the rocks upon his
naked flesh, for his stocking was quickly
worn away.
IL 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 no would be able but a short time
longer to keep the neck Of the canteen from
his lips. The water had become warm, and
YET il was his one source Of Identification
to.place the Hat side Of the canteen against
his sun scorched face This was at once a
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 70 bis lips, and then, pushing it
from him by a mighty effort, he dashed
wildly on Soon he came TO place where
the ascent was almost perpendicular, and
where the heat was So sitting AZ almost 10
close his nostrils. The way up was lined
18th cactus scrubs, whose spines pierced
his hands Ike 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 wistful 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 minep he moaned,
as for a fourth time he uncorked the can
teen. "He is lying in the shade and his
brow is fanned by kindly hands, while II
am burning
Then the swollen, purple face Of Bunster
rose up before him, and hA showed back
the cork into the mouth Of the canteeu
with a spasmodic effort that seemed almost
superhuman. Again he toiled on. slowly
now, for his strength seemed almost spent.
It was dreary waiting up at the camp for
the return Of the water bearer. Yost gazed
for hours over the white ground ia the di-
rectiOn Of the canyon, and at last he grimly
gave up Zach Rawlins rs 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 ellis or when
a rattlesnake nips 'em 'bove the boot top.
He's gone fur sartin,n muttered the guide
wen have to bury the big un afore
nightfal fur he's most gone, an then pus
bnck fur the stage station afore we all
drop. It's just hell, this desert life, an
I've bout got my I'm on IT,"
Then the ghost OF a man, with tatters Of
clothing hanging from his form, dartcd
into view around the rocks. Yost cursed
the oneomer for fool for running SO hard
under the burning sun. His legs seemed
very unsteady, for he reeled as he ran. Ii
was fully d 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 whereBig Bunstlr lay, and, IN.
/ eorking the canteen, had showed the neck
Of il into the nearly unconscious mans
mouth.
Drink, old mani It's water-good, pure
\ wateri Drink hearty, and God bless your
/ came in thin, sepulchral tones from be-
I tween the hlackened lips OF the ghostly
one Drink, drnkw
And the water bearer fell beside his com.
rade. Great throbs shook his frame. His
breath failed. His eyes become glazed and
his dust covered head, which had hours
Z ago lost its covering, sank down upon the
sand. But in the rigid clasp Of death his
hand held the canteen to his comrades
lips.
knocked out by the sun, y was Yost's
comment; "but he brought back full
oanteen. Wal, I've seed lots on em, but
never seed one with his griti"
They buried him by the rocks and wrot,
his name on a stake, thrust into the SAND
at his head. And Bunster, who was com
ing out Of deaths shadow, looked on ant
mourned.
That very evening came jingling along