The herald., 1895-11-17

must have water, though all the venom
Gus things that live waited at the pool.
Slowly he feels the way with his loot
down toward the water, expecting every
moment to feel sting or q bite. HIS
foot touches the water: Again be brushes
aside the mat OF dead insects, certain that
some are still alive. He gets the water
What next?
He dare not leave there, for without
sight how will be find water2 He dare
not stay. for that means death by stafv-
That was a fearful hour. standing there
choosing his mode Of death A noise
reused him. A train was passing. he
m ust make the railroad track. That was
the only road out of the desert. He swal-
lowed water until he could drink no more
From what direction did the sound
come? He had vague recollection OF
go down the gully.
Slowly at first. and then with more con-
hdence as he gets accustomed 70 feeling
his wav. He is getting along pretty
well.
Brs-rzz.zzz.zzl He knows the sound.
There is a ratt'ssnske in his path: Which
way2 He makes another step. The rat
tie starts again. Back step; il stops.
81 be tries one wayfthen another. To
the left-the snake still Duzzes. 10 the
rieht-it is silent. SO he goes that way.
Had he gone ahead three steps more
would have brought him over fall in
the rocks. he was going down the
ground again. He knew it by the crust
Of alkaii that cracked beneath his feet.
On he went, almost strung. He had gone
half q mile when he stopped. The track
must be near. He had stumbled enough
in his blind travelling to bruise his Sims,
and he did not want 10 fall over tie. So
for q hundred yards ne went forward.
He heard o hoarse neigh-far, far OIL,
bur still 1t sounded clear.
He fairly ran ward the point whence
II seemed to come He ran until he fell.
Then he crawled and as he orawled he
screamed as loud as his parohed tongue
would let him.
But he did not hear the neigh again,
and his shouts were unanswered. The
smoking plains, with their changing air
strata, pay strange tricks with sounds.
He wondered II he was going wholly mad
as he lay with his face against the burn
ing earth.
Something crawled over his extended
hand. lie shook 1t OIL and ran forward.
His foot caught and he fell. The rail-
road track at last! So he began to walk
How long he walked he did not know.
but It was as long as he could lift his
sand bruised feet.
Then he heard putting away off.
II came closer and the rails began to
He got of the track and lay down with
his hand on the end Of tie. He would
take no chances of losing tho railroad
track again. He shouted as the train
came close. If he had kept still they
might have stopped. But live tramps are
too plentiful to stop a train for.
When the train passed he got on to the
track. His walked until he tainted. When
he came to between the tracks be won
dered what would happen If the train
should come along and he be lying there.
He did not feel the sun much now. SO he
thought it must be night again. What
was the use of going on. anyhow? Sup
pose he did get to the station-whst
then? No; he would 10 no further. Let
them run over him; there wasn't any
body who would feel bad about it.
By and by be heard the train coming.
he got hold OF a tie and dug his finger
nails into 1t, as if to hold bimsslf in the
LOGON ot.ve's path. The rails began to
jerk anu rattle. How long it took it to
come up! Louder and louder clanked
the rails. His ear was filled with the
,oar Of the engine and the whistle seemed
almost to split his ear.
The ground shook.
He sprang up and ran.
Next morning the newspapers pub
lishel this item:
LOST WELLS Aug. 22.-Freight train
No. "a last night ran over and killed an
unknown tramp ABOUT eight miles from
here. He was lying on tho track. The
train whistled. but he was too slow about
getting out of the way. 1t IS supposed
he was drunk and fell alssep OIL the
track. "-Charles Nicholson in New York