Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-11-10

4
to being called ugly. You're the
ugliest man in Chuckawalla. Ha
ha." and his demoniacal laugh rover
berated over the desert and to add TO
| its grotesqueness he executed fan.
tastic dance.
The man was going maLi stark
! staring mad
Give me some waterp' he asked
sullenly.
put the csnteen TO his lips suf.
| flciently long to moisten them and
dragged it away.
He made dash for the flask but |
beat his hands down.
| He looked as il he would make
rush at me and obtain the canteen |
knew what 1t would soon be-a fight.
and desperate one for the water
Surprising now" said to myself
Il give the fellow all the water he
wanta he'll take it at gulp and then
there II be two dead men. With care
and patience we may both pull
| through"
| Ahead Of us was a low range oil
hills. 1t is the outcropping of the
divide that separates the Mojave aud
| Colorado deserts.
Well get some shade there. Riley "
I said. pointing to the hills, and per-
haps cactus"
That is so" he answered. reason.
ably and from there we can see the
| sea.
His mind had not yet left him. Per.
haps after all. he was sane
Let us push on l"
snail never forget the walk. Our
bodies were actually cracking
with heat. II We could only have
perspired we would have been more
comfortable and at least safer.
My tongue was getting swollen. 1t
grew thick down the gullet at first
and it felt as II it intended to close
the orifce. So choked was my throat
that breathed through the nose
why carry the water much fur.
Their argued. There were but
few drops left. put my hand to the
canteen and dragged it away.
'Confound him. he drank all OF
his and his canteen was larger |
knew l was saving 1t. as / knew IL
was wrong but still the words kept
on forming and reforming themselves.
and was growing furious. 1T was
all his fault-all his fault" Finally
my pent.up wrath broke out in tho
fierce EXPLANATIONS:
1T is all your fault. "
You lie" he answered hoarsely
His face was white. but his eyes
where were they spripging to?
The lids seemed to have drawn
themselves over the forehead. and the
great white balls were growing mo.
mentarily bigger and bullying out
| from the sockets in a hideous way.
The lips were dragged apart and his
teeth glistened like ivory. A little
blood was trickling from the upper
one. which a big black tongue greed
lily Tapped.
Water" he shouted. 1t was not
the voice of a human. II IL had come
from skeleton | would not have been
a whit more startled felt queer
throb in my head and gradual tight.
ening at its base and then it loosened.
Let US finish the cursed cauteen
said.
He gave n gasp for Joy. l. how.
ever would not let him hold it. He
pu. his hands over mine and drank.
The blood seemed to return TO his
face, and few lines came into it red
and streaky like flesh in rasher OF
bacon.
Now it is my turn" The last
drops were gone. Before us yet were
many miles. We stumbled on and
reached the rising ground
The sun was directly over US. but
under projecting rock ran strip OF
| shade.
! There we threw ourselves. Far to
the south lay the glistening sea-
white as the lips of a lily, aud on its
bosom sailed stately ships the spires
OF noble cathedrals lifted themselves
from fairy islands. and here and there
the dark smoke of some big steamer
revealed itself to our startled eyes.
Tall palms grew in garden spots and
so complete was the mirage that we
! smeled the delicious scent of beaute.
Gus flowers.
There we lay. blinking out across
the great sand plains at the cities and
verdurous meads OF Imagination. en-
| ioying the distant sight with the
pleasure critical audience expert
ences from well-acted play. Sud-
denly the mirage lifted. and the blank
! sea met our gaze. As the panorama
melted away a dependency such as
| never wish to feel again possessed
! me.
Every thing | had said or done.
every thing had not said or done.
| presented themselves TO me. The
girls had known and loved in the
quiet depths OF my heart passed like
shadows before me. The lovely
| blonde who had married millionaire.
and In whose house | had only once
been at grand function. came and
looked at me. Her blue eyes which
| so much admired were cold and the
sneer which she, like a true South
erner wore when anything displeased
her was most pronounced
Here was /, lying on my side,
crouching close to a rock. dying by
inches. Would God let me linger
long? How could ever have dared
to even think of her in the pleasant
fantasies OF dreamland. and she then
and now a reigning belle! thought
OF the palms that filed her drawing.
room corners; heard the swell of the
voluptuous music; even felt the
taste of the vino trickling down my
throat All! No. it was not wine
only the blood flowing from my cut
lips.
looked at Riley His eyes were
fastened upon me in furious glare.
He had drawn his revolver from his
belt and was pointing it at me threat.
eningly.
/ closed my eyes Indeed. | felt
thankful that he would end my mis-
cry.
SuddenIv | heard him shout ua