The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-11-09
PREPOSTEROUS.

Beats branding calves, insisted the
other
Yes, if you re built that way. y
Ten miles or so from the ranch the
oircling buzzards looked down upon a
PROSTATE man When the sun set, a cool
breeze sprang up, and the man stirred
and groaned. He lay upon an elevated
mesa, far from any house or tree or
watercourse Here and there stunted
soap weed showed above the level of
the plain. A mile to the eastward a
band Of horses were quietly grazing,
and keen eye might have detected that
one was saddled. The crisp buffalo grass
about the man was crushed down and
broken off. Twenty feet away dog
hole showed fresh hoof mark, and in
the earth beside the man was broad
mark made by the camille of the saddle
as the horse rolled over
1t was nearly dark, and the stars
were shining when the man finally
opened his eyes intelligently.
Boys, give me a drink" he said.
Water waterP' he repeated.
Low in the north fitful hghtnings
played about pillar of cloud. If the
cloud drifted this way, he might get
water; if not, he would go dry Ger
tainly no mans hand would minister to
him that night Soon he realized the
situation
Il was stunned-my leg is broken, -
said he. I'm lie here until l rot before
they will find me. 0 God waterr'
The cloud drew nearer, grew larger
and put out the stars AS it slid down
from the mountain and advanced across
the plain, rumbling thunder gave prom
Use Of imminent rain. Painfully the
man stripped off his coat and spread it
beside him to catch the water. His hat
had fallen and lay several feet beyond
his reach
Quickly the cloud spread overhead.
Following a Earring roll of thunder, a
few big drops fell-one on the face Of
the thirsty man, And that was all. A
brisk west wind wiped the sky clean in
moment, while the man yet, waited
expectant The stars shone out bright
and cold. The man shivered and cursed
and drew the coat about him.
Toward morning he slept and dream
ed he heard the foreman's CHEEKY sum-
mons, Roll out, fellows, " but when
he sat up suddenly twinge in his leg
brought him back to facts-thirst, day
light, helplessness. He had been awak-
ened by the chattering of the little mar
mot into whose hole the horse had
stumbled, now come forth to view the
damage done his home. The man drew
his pistol and fired twice at the prairie
dog
Missed at 90 feet, /" he muttered, ly-
ing down again. "I'll never tell that. "
All night he had lain upon his back.
Now, very slowly and with both hands
clasping the injured leg, which was bro
ken below the knee, he turned upon his
face and reached out toward the hat. It
was still several feet beyond him.
tive got to get out of this, " was his
thought, land it's going to hurt like
hell I'D better begin by going after my
hat. -" And he went It required time
and fortitude to crawl ten feet on hands
and knees. dragging the broken leg,
but it was done at last He reached the
hat and lay down to take account of
himself and his chances.
'Ten feet in an hour is $40 in a day
would get to the ranch in abont six
months at that rate, if could keep it
up day and night. I've got to stay right
here until the buzzards get me. II 1
had water, | wouldn't care If the devil
got me If ever get water, I've got to
get it today. By tomorrow I'll be too
stiff and too silly know ''-sitting up
and looking around there's no water
ON this fat for there isn't a hoof of
stock in sight Over toward the noun
tain there are water holes every spring,
but they have been dry since June By
God, he said aloud that cloud last
night emptied out somewhere before it
got TO me, and those holes may be full
of water now and only three miles
away | could crawl three miles if l
knew there was drink at the finish
but they may be dry Then III be three
miles farther from the creek, and three
miles farther off the trail when the
boys come out to look me up | suppose
they will look me up-in about week
when Mack comes over to see why
the horses have not been sent. I'm get
ting silly already My head throbs so,
and my leg too If | can get started
once, I'll know enough to keep a-going,
but how to decide I'll leave it to
chance .
He placed his broad hat on the end
of his quirt held upright, balanced it
carefully and gave it twirl
Nov, if that side with the bullet
hole stops toward the south, I'll crawl
toward home, and if it turns to the
mountains, will hunt the water holes
Hold onl'' stopping the revolving hat
and closing his eyes, he said in a very
low voice: 20 Lord, l don't know as
one cowpuncher is much object to you,
you got so many, but 1 never did much
dirt only to Billy, and he was so mean
himself, it served him right. IF Won
will help me out OF this scrape and
make the hat stop at the right place.
I'll never forget it. Amen.
Very earnestly then he balanced the
hat and set it turning. After several
revolutions it came to stop, with the
hole toward the mountains
1.-The water holes it is, then, said
he, and carefully noting the direction
indicated, THAT'S rather more to the
left than l would choose, but if you
say SO it goes.
Without delay, but without haste, he
made his preparations for great effort.
Before deciding on a course he had
whimpered little The shock and pain
had unnerved him There was now no
more of that He had a purpose and
meant to execute it With bandages
made from portions of his clothing he
bound up the leg to give it some sup
port He set his teeth down hard in a
strip of leather cut from his shoe Then
fixing his eyes upon a landmark in the
distance, which should remain in view
as he moved over the plain, he pulled
his freight .
1t would fatigue you to follow this
man s trail as foot by foot and hour aft
er hour he painfully progressed toward
the water holes, tortured with thirst,
beset by doubt whether he should not
find them dry Upon the desert man,
for lack of water, may perish in few
hours In the cattle country they can
and do live and suffer for days without