Evening star., 1896-11-07
THIRST ON THE PLAINS

Old John Hance had taken three of ua
down his trail in the Grand Canon one hot
day. and We were preparing a meager
lunch under the mesquite boughs. had
brought up pail OF water from the tawny-
colored river. and the lieutenant's wife, a
! dainty young eastern woman. peered at It
through her glasses.
Are you going to drink that?"
Certainly" I replied. 'Tha: water will
| settle in a few moments so that you can
almost see the bottom OF the dipper.'
That's only good, wholesome diet" the
lieutenant said. II wish / could be as
sured OF always having as good water as
that to drink Sometimes when we are on
the march We have water that is corrupt
with carrion."
The little wife shuddered. "oh, Harry, you
didn't tell me that before"
We'll, sir" said Capt Hance to the lieu-
tenant, speaking of bad water reminds
me OF trip l made in 1866. / was guide
to old Col Bankhead in an expedition
against the Cheyennes. and We was a
crossln mighty bad country. / just
.eckon you amt got anything worse in
AiZony, lieutenant There was no water
nt 10 drink for plum two hundred miles
put that makes no difference to the govern
ment. The general he looks at his man
ana ne says: Order Col. Bankhead to pro-
ceed from Deathhead creek to Pizen wall
ley. an do hit quick an colonel being a
on, boysr
You see there was a small garrison I'M
.he,e al cheyenne wells a needin our aid,
ana heedln 1t right bad. So We let out an
other link and pinted their way The water
was punishin'. We had 10 drink water that
was stinkin. That was bad-but a day or
two later water that only stunk wasn't
worth shetun' your eyes to. When il como
to haulin out dead buffaios-beg your par
don, Mrs. Scott-wny we thought we'd
reached the limit, but when II come TO
usin' water that you could take hold of am
shake like blanket"
"Oh, captain" L shouted.
He turned gravely toward me-
Yes, sir-certainly, sir Shake like a
blanket when yer dipped IL up. OF co Sc
We billed II and rebiled II, and SKINNED il
like yer would suet and thickenod il with
coifee-but We had to drink hit at last Hit
the end.
Well. sir, we got ole day. as cal
ciated 1t, about fifteen miles from the
cheyenne wells, an i said so to the coll
onel on the quiet-cause 1 wasn't Just so
plum shore of it as 1 wanted to be-
dldn want to get the men excited. Their
tongues lolled out so they couldn't cuss.
but they could sure shoot an il wouldn't
do TO monkey with their feelings. No. in
deed, ma'am You know how those things
go, lieutenant. There is a line where dis
cipline stops"
The lieutenant said he understood. and
the young wife looked at him with big
blue eyes. This soldiers life,
Well, now, John said the colonel.
You ride on and pull in good hour ahead
OF US. and tell the commanding officer to
have everything that will hold water filled
up, Tor these boys are sure soin' to siam-
pede when they smell water, and ride like
hell a-swarin, and / can't control 'em.
Iheyll climb over each other like drove
of buffalo
understand. colonel | says and then
pulled out across the sand. My life and
soul. but it was hot. Something like it
Is right here, lady, only worse / could
hear the red-hot iron hiss and spu:ter OF
my horses shoes, but L rolled the rowel
INTO him cruel and We KEEP nlovin'. Seems
reins.
Finally we sighted green trees-I hone
canaan VIII look as good 10 me when 1 die
as them green trees did The horse broke
Tor 1t an L let him &c. My tongue WAS
big as your arm an scalin' off like a sick
pickerel. When l rolled off my horse ne
was up to his eyes in water an the ser
geant splashed me with a bucket full But
enough of it. / wanted il all inside of me.
We'll. after l could shet my teeth on the
outside o my tongue ] delivered The coll
onels orders. They hustled together all
| the old cans. tubs ami barrels and filled
en- TO the hrim. and every man stood ready
to nelp. 1 laid there soakin' water. and
my horse walked like carpenters bench.
Pretty soon we see Il line OF aIkali a
1yin' on the swell. an then tney ccme a.
nyln-but no yelis. They couldn't yell
and their eyes. Lady, 1 hone you'll never
see troop of soldiers iooh that way The
| horses had nostris 'em like the bass
norm i'm brass band rcekin with sweat
an dust, an a-squealin' like :hey was
plum crazy. The men were leanin' for
ward and pound!n for life--seemed like
their necks a foot long
They tumbled into one hidgous mass
at the wells. Such a struggle | never
want to see again. There was bout twen-
ty round every barl fightin the horses
lack and tearin' at each other like wild
cats. One feller who couldn't get up, and
didn't have cup leaned over, and bein'
and drank out O. that. Hit was powerful
funny to see. but nobody else noticed it
but me. They were shore busy
They got filled up finally and let the
horses have chance, and that night the
old colonel says to me. John, no use tryin'
to put out pickcts. You and the sergeant
just keep an eye out, an well let the boys
camp around the water bar'ls an trust to
luck
THE boys was just plum drunk on water
water drunk. They yelled and grunted
and cussed In their delight. Cheyennes
couldn't ha' got en- to leave camp. All
night long you'd see a clCmp o. men round
bar'l a-drinkin' an a-gruntin'-'Oh. that's
good" ara such like things. They were
shore 'nough cotton dry. an it did seem
like they never would get soaked up agin-
but they was all right in couple of days.
so jest get all the comfort We can out
o the water ye have back in the states.
Prize It. It's the sweetest thing In tho
world when ye need it-especially In ORR
gong"
And the burning sand. the withering
wind and the sere foliage around u.s. lent
powerful emphasis to his tale. The little
wife laid her hand on her husbands arm
and her eyes grew very thoughtful
HAMLIN GARLAND.