The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-06-03

time seemed bigger than he had any use
kfor, face foremost into the corner. Luck
L lily they were sinking square shalt.
The we'll was 125 feet deep, and Dams
body was only a few seconds in fall
| ing, vet to Dave it seemed an hour, till,
with q tremendous thud, it struck the
bottom. Even then Dave did not move,
except to turn his face upward 30 as to
see the daylight above, for he dreaded
what was coming next. ''It was moth
ing strange" he thought; "the only
strange thing IL that men will go on
trusting themselves to Mexicans, when
| they know perfectly that no one is ever
safe when his back is turned to one OF
them"
In this strained position he waited,
and soon saw the two devils peering over
the edge and listening, but they could
not see him, nor could they hear him.
for Dave was holding his breath and all
was quiet. Even when they had re-
moved their ugly faces from the mouth
OF the shaft he was afraid to move. for
fear they might return; whether he was
to be killed by them or not, he gave him
self up for lost. He expected nothing
else but to perish slowly in agony tor
want of water. He knew that there was
not one chance in thousand that any
body would pass by the well. for 1t was
a quarter OF O Mile from the road, and
there was very little travel. he waited
two hours or more. hoping against nope
for deliverance; and already, 80 cruel ls
the Imagination, he was suffering dread
fully from thirst. The body OF poor Dan
living there go still, the head mashed into
an unsecogniza able mass, was not pleasant
company; but his own thoughts were
worse company still. He almost envied
Dan for being over all his troubles, and
was half wishing that the Mexicans
would come back and finish him, when
wonderful piece OF good fortune hap
pened.
ALMOST A MIRACLE.
Johnny Duff, the mail rider, had
started out that morning on his weekly
ride from Wicksnburs to La Paz. AT
2:30 o'clock he was passing along the
road in sight of Kings camp-there
were no trees tbere-nothing but brist-
ling cactus and low greasewood-and he
said to himself, 81 don't see either OF
the boys around. I wonder If they've
left. Guess I'll ride over and see." On
reaching the camp he left his horse and
walked over to the well. Peering over
the edge into tbs semi-darkness, he
shouted, "Heliol down there" Dave
saw the mans head projecting over the
edge and shuddered, thinking the Next
cans had returned; but the next instant
he recognized Johnny's voice and called
out, 'Is that you. Johnny? For Code
sake haul me out! There's dead man
here with me.' No sooner said than
done. Poor Dave looks again with Joy
on the sunshine, and it seems sweeter
to him than ever before: and presently
Johnny Daft jumps on his horse and
goes on his way toward the Colorado
while Dave starts out on foot for Wick
enburg, So miles away in the opposite
direction. 1t was long, weary walk
without water, but it seems a trifie to
man who has just escaped horrible
death.
Dave reached Wickenburg early the
next morning and coon a party started
back to raise poor Dams body, and give
him more Christian burial, Tor. on the
frontier, men are brotherly, and "125
feet ia too blamed deep for q man to be
buried" says Joe Blackwell. Reaching
the well, Creed Bryan and Joe Black
well-this is history, remember, and
those names are we'll known in Arizona
attend to Dams burial, commence to
"pick up" the trail OF the two Next
can devils, and noting that it leads
off to the southeast, start off in that
direction on lope. They know there
is only one watering place in that
direction-the crossing OF the Hasa
yampa, 40 miles distant. They are
sure they can overtake the fugitivss,
who. although they are on foot, have
"a hours start.
Before midnight they camp at the
first water, and, sleeping few hours,
daylight tinds them again in the saddle.
pushing southwark on the trail to Salt
river. The Mexicans have doubtless
taken that road-the shortest ronte TO
Sonora-but our two man hunters are
not at ease, for they have seen no tracks
of them since yesterday. Soon they are
assured. Thoy find two muskets that
had evidently been thrown away by the
fupitiyes. No doubt they are weary,
travelling afoot, without food and with
little water, and have thus ilghtensd
their loads. But they are not without
arms. for they have the pistols stolen
from the camp. Still, Mexican must
be pretty hard pushed to throw his gun
away at any time. On they push all dav
over the crisp, alkali desert, under the
burning sun, and just before sunse,
they reach Salt river, with it's broad
belt of cottonwood. They know they
have passed the iugitives on the way
as they have travelled briskly and taken
advantage of several short cuts, and
sure of waylaying them on the morrow
they turn aside into dark grove O
cotton woods and unsaddle. Not desir
ing to be outwitted by the Mexicsns
they camp without fire and supperless
watching and sleeping by turns Til
morning.
VENGEANCE.
By daylight they are up, for Creed ha
heard splashing and subdued voice
during the night and stealing neare
has seen the Mexicans CROSS the ford
Just before sunrise they, too, cross, AM
taking now the plain trail OF the tugI
tives, that leads off the road to the right
up the river bank, in another mile theJ
descry their men further up the river
fishing. 1t seems they are hungry an
airy trying to get some fish to eat be
fore etarting for Sonora. They ar
wrong-they will never need anothe
meal.
Making wide detour, Creed and 10
leave their horses, and taking advan
tage Of the numerous cottonwood trunks
arrive within forty PAGES of the doome
men. Cautiously clipping from tree t
tree, they reduce their distance to thirty
then twenty PAGES. Then one OF tn
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