Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-08-17

] "Aun5 my hchAt y tuONSH "
witness the terrible torture that
Marie suffered. l famed her, but the
breeze stirred up by the fan was SO
seorching that she begged me to stop,
Just about sunset, when we were
about thirty miles out from Sa,ton,
the train came to a stop in the middle
Of the desert, for the engine, despite
the slow speed it had made, was suf-
fering from hot box.
THAT meant an hours delay, the
conductor said, 50 proposed to Marie
taat we leave the unbearable train and
take a short, slow walk. The idea ap-
fpealed to Marie, FOR she was tired of
the car and felt sure that the desert
couldn't be any worse,
Probably there wasn't much relief
in that walk, but we thought there
was. We talked a great deal, and in
spite Of our sufferings from the awful
heat and intense humidity | was be-
ginning to grow sentimental. | believe
that | was actually on the point of
proposing, when toot from the en-
gines whistle, followed instantly by
"a shrek from Marie, brought me to
!. jmy senses.
slhe train, some distance away, was
beginning to move 1t was out Of the
question to run after it, so we simply
! stood there, shouting and waving fran
tic signals. But no one saw or heard
- ~ desperation Iidrew my revolver
N FETaafg'-emprfeii its chanbers III
I f4e air. The train was now too far
away for the reports to be heard over
the noise of the revolving, rattling
wheels.
by the time that we stopped our
noise and signals, the train was a
mile off, and going at thirty miles an
hour!
81 gazed into Marie's face, and saw
there an expression that strongly re-
sembled utter despair. She was a
plucky girl, but the situation was too
terrifying. Saltou was thirty miles
away, and between us and that little
desert station there was not house
of any kind. To walk that distance
over the treacherous alkali soil. and
through such a hot and humid atmos-
phere, was task from which men
used to the desert would have shrunk.
g What shall we do?' Marie gasped.
g Il don't want to alarm you, / re-
piled, but We have choice between
only two courses. One is to walk on
to Salton; the other is to calmly lie
down and die. Wen walk, won't we?'
!" But surely, she insisted, 'as soon
as we are missed the train will come
back for us.
= My dear girl, I'm afraid you
don't understand California railroads.
They won't alter their schedule time
by putting back after us. The train
may keep ON for half an hour, or an
hour, before we are missed. Then the
passengers will demand that the con
ductor put back after us. He won't
do it-he wouldn't dare to.
'And tho next train?'
C viii not come along for twenty
four hours. Traffic over this desert
isn't extensive enough to demand any
better service. Come, Miss Mason,
we, must walk, and we shall do we'll to
cover the whole distance, if possible,
between now and sun-up.'
"She compressed her lips, and, like
the plucky girl she was, uttered not a
word of complaint. We took hold Of
hands and walked along the track.
"The sufferings of that night were
kond my powers of description. II
med as If we were being slowly
sted alive; in five minutes we were
iOinehed with perspiration. It drop
| from our foreheads, ran into oul
| Is, well nigh binding us. Thirst
| shades of Tantalus how we long
1for even a spoonful Of water!
ut must have been midnight when
| atsore and ready to drop from ex
o,lstion, we came across a shallow
l gnant pool of alkah water. Witt
hriek Of delight, Marie ran towarC
Il | rushed after her, caught her ane
ID her fast in my arms.
Don't! Don'tn l cried, as sh
.uggled with me. If you drinl
y oEsthat poisonous water 1T wi
We you mad
She desisted then, though she va
pbing and gasping. We started or
rd again An hour later We can
oss few stunted cactus plants Il
ct told me what TO do. / cut {
1 e Of the prickly leaves, remove
prickles, and We fell to chegil