Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-03-01
CHAPTER /.

Inc sun was just gong down. Il Mss
nlS gIo"o VI nre ana torment Already
'he loWer ui!lo was IN contact with inc
Jagged backbone OF the mountain chaln
'ilal rllllllcu tllc desert with purple
anu Solu' 'ut Oh the parreh' haru
pak'd flat III front or the corral Just
Wherc II hau pcen ulhltched When the
PaNliaS'er ana MS saIe We're dumped
BOO II ai'ef CIVIL Woathernea'eh am
u"'"iiC' M'9 tHI"" ing "ll!Ioheh lH!le
Iong ShauoW '"War" inc distant NhrIs-
i"'dl me E'te""E 10 'ile eaa' through
me santa Marl"' Sharply notched III inc
tIe"iillg range STOOL oaE iharch
a"ay-a day marcn now only maze
ny night, for tins was Arizona, md
from the rising OF the sun TO the GONG
down OF the same anywhere south OF
that curdllng lhud Da'h' the Ulla' me
only human belhXS lmperNlouS 10 the
herceness OF It's rays were the Apach's'
Ana they. growled the paNlhaSter
as ne pe'ulullIE snapped inc lock oi
MS NIUE sale' ihey re no more human
thal SO MANY h!eHas'
a olS man pnNSlcallF was Tue Gus
todlan ana dlspurser OF government
grecnhacks-so blg that, as ne stepped
torth through the aperture IN the hot
adoho wall, ne ducked ms mead to
avert unwilling contact with its upper
edge Green glass goggles, broad
mlnmcd straw nat, pongee SHIRT,
loose trousers OF brown linen and dust
colorcd canvas shoes made up the outer
man of personality as distinctly I'M
military as 1t was ponderous. Slow and
Iabored In movement the MAJOR was
Corrospondlngly sluggish III speech
He sauntcrel out into the glare of the
evening sunshine and became slowly
conscious of desire to swear at what
he saw; that, though in minute or two
the day god would - ouse his glm
behind the black horizon, no prcpara
ton whatever had been made for a
start. There stood the ambulance. ev-
cry bolt and link and tire hot as a stove
lid, but not mule i'll sight.
turning to his left he strolled along
toward a gap in the adobe wall and
entered the dusty interior of the corral
One of the four quadrupeds browsing
under the brush shelter languidly turned
=
III his direction and conveyed, after
the manner of the mule, suggestion
as 10 supper. a Mexican boy, sprawl
ing III me shade or bale OF govern
hleht nay ana cad IL cotton shirt and
trousers wei nigh ms brown as the skin
mat pcepcd through occasional gaps,
glanced mp III nm with languld inter-
est ah instant ana then resumed the
more agreeable contemplation or the
winnings OF an llnpaIrd tarantula.
Under another section OF the shed two
p,acia ht'le b''1ro9 We're dreamily
olihklhS III Vacahcy'thrlr Srlzzled fronts
expressive or that lneftable peace found
Only IN me races Oh SAINTS ana donkcys,
III me mludie OF inc lncloSure rude
Wlndiass coiled with rope stood stretch
ING i"rth Il decrepld lever arm. The
Whllpletree' dangling from the end
over the beaten clrcu lar track, seemed
cracked with heat and age. The stout
rope mat stretched faulty from the coil
passed over wooden wheel and dis
appeared through broad framed aPcr-
lure INTO the bowels OF the earth.
Close at hand III the shade of a brush
covered leanto hung three or four
iuSe oIIas' earthen water Jars, swathed
IN EUnlYSack ana blanket. Beyond
them warped ont Of all possibility Of
iuture usefulness, stood what had once
been the running gear of California
blackboard. Behind it dangled from
dusty pegs portions of leather harness,
winch all the neatsfoot oil Of the mil
tary pharnacopceia could never again
restore to softness or pliability. \
newer edition of the same class of We
mcIe was covered by canvas "paulin.
a huge stack OF barley bags was piled
at the tar end of the corral, guarded
from depreciation (quadrupcdaD by IA
barrier OF wooden Stats mostly down.
ana ny tattered blped, very sound
hsieGp,
Nhcre 5 the sergeant querled the
payhaaster SLOWLY addressing no one
III particular Tut looking plaintively