Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-02-06

tlluh tltt Tue Willie indu Will lve
now; he has conquered the poison,
said Zilbalbay quietly, and hearing his
words, | returned thanks to God in my
heart.
Then we laid him in n hammock, pill
ing blankets and serapes over him till
at length the perspiration ceased, all
the fluid in his body having evaporated,
taking the venom with it.
For an hour or more he slept, then
awoke and asked for water in faint
voice. We, who were watching, looked
ut him in dismay, for we had not sin.
gle drop to give, and this we were
obliged to tell him. lie groaned and
was silent for awhile, and then said:
ut would have been kinder to let'me
die Of the poison, for this torment of
thirst is more than | can bear"
Can we try the cueva?" faltered
Maya.
ut is impossible" answered her
father "We should all be killed"
"Yes, yes" repeated the senior, ut Is
impossible. Better that one should die
Than all four"
Fear not" said to the senior, ut Is
the poison that has dried you up, but
! thirst will not kill you so soon, and
presently you will feel 1t less. Obi
that we had medicine here to make you
/ sleep!"
He lay silent for awhile, making no
answer, but from the workings Of his
hands and face we could see that he
suffered much.
Maya" he said at length, "can you
find me cool stone to put in my
mouth?'
She searched and found pebble,
which he sucked, but after time 1t fell
from his lips, and we saw that it was as
Try as when 1t entered them. Then his
brain gave way, and he began to rave
huskily in many languages
"Are you devil?" he asked, that you
suffer me to die in torment for the want
Of drink Of water? Why do you stand
there and mock mc? Oh, have pity and
give me water"
For awhile we bore it, though per.
haps our agonies were greater than his
)wn-then Maya rose and looked at his
face 1t was sunkeu as though with
heavy illness, thick black rings had ap-
peared beneath his blue eyes, and his
lips were tleckcd with blood.
81 can endure this no more" she said
in a dr.v voice watch your friend,
Don Ignatio."
you are right" answered; this is
40 place for woman. Go and sleep
Wonder, so that can wake you II there
Is need "
She looked at me reproachfully, but
went without answering and sat down
behind bush about thirty yards away.
Here, 1t seems-for all this story she
told me afterward and for the most
part do but repeat her words-she be-
gan to think.
Only one thing could save him
water. In the depths of yonder hill,
within a few PAGES Of her, doubtless II
lay in plenty, but who would dare to
seek it there? And yet the descent Of
the cueva must be possible, since the
ancients used it daily, and why could
she not do what they had done? Yes,
she would try it! When once she had
made up her mind, Maya set about the
task swiftly.
She provided herself with flint, steel,
timber, n rope, and q small water-skin
Of Unframed hide, which she strapped
upon her shoulder. In another minute
she was running across the desert like
a deer. At the entrance to the cueva
she paused to gather up the aloe torches
which had been thrown down there,
and also to look for one momentat the
familiar face of night-the night that
she might never see again. Then she
lit torch and crept through the narrow
opening.
The place had been awful in the
evening when she visited it in the COM
pany OF the rest of u.s. Now, alone
and at night, II appalled, her.
She halted on the brink to strip her.
self SO that there might be as little as
possible to impede her movements in
climbing the stair, and twisted her
hair into a knot. Next she tied the
cord about her middle and the water
skin, to which she fastened the flint
and steel, upon her shoulders. Light
ing two of the largest torches she fixed
them slantingwise in crevices Of the
rock, so that their flames shone over
the mouth Of the shaft, down which she
threw, first bundle of unlit torches,
and lastly one on fire. This torch did
not 60 out, as she had expected that 1t
would, for presently looking down the
pit she saw a spark OF light shining
one hundred and fifty feet or more be-
meath her
Now all her preparations were COM
olete, and nothing remained to be done
except to descend and search for the
water
BY the time that she was third OF
the way down the shaft her courage re-
turned to her, and the only fear she
felt was lest some of the inches should
be broken. Fortunately this was not
the case, although one Of them was 80
much worn that her toes slipped out Of
1t, and for second or two she hung by
her hands. Recovering herself, she
went on from step to step till at length
she stood at the bottom Of the shaft.
After few minutes pause to get her
breath. MAYA found one Of the dry aloe