Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-24

He would sink to his knees; the crust
Of alkali will bear a man. but the rains
have made it too soft for horse" re-
piled the boy. Then he plunged ahead
through the drifting, sitting dust and was
gone.
No sooner had he struck the dreaded
eage OF the desert than gruesome thought
arose in his mind. The hungry coyotes
would be sure to find the boy who was lost!
NOW began terrible search, we'll nigh
hopeless. Getting his bearings by the di-
rection Of the wind. Leo first pushed for
ward and then to right and left, across the
gale. listening ever for sound to give him
guidance. His eyes ware closed: it would
only have made him suffer to hold them
open, and his knowledge of where the wind
was coming from was safer compass.
An hour. two hours. he wandered to and
fro. His mouth began to dry. his lips to
crackle: his hair and ears were filled with
.n s,,d poisonous a powder: his clothes were
At last on the wings Of the hurricane his
signal came "a blood-curdling combina-
ton OF bowling and diabolicai laughter,
Then came the answer of another, followed
by dismal duet that sounded like the
chorus OF dozen: With his hair bristling
t Leo strobe on The shifting of the wind
Tor time deceived him. but suddenly.
through a rift in the clouds of dust, he
caught sight Of the creatures. There were
FOUR or more, gaunt. bony, hairless forms
WIN straight.up ears and grinning faces
Tor the alkaH kills their hair and leaves
their parched. uncleanly hides painfully
pare ana tightly stretched over skeletons
meagerly clothed with flesh.
They were circling about n nrostrata
heap on the ground. AS Leo leaped in their
MIDST ne struck one on the side of the head
with his fist, so desperate a blow that II
lay stunned Catching 1t up by the hind
legs before it had time to recover he
swung it like giant club to beat back the
others. Hungry and savage but essential
cowardiy, they stood their ground only
ior a moment. Leo was master Of the field.
But the worst was to come The lost
BOY. fallen on his face, exhausted. was
quite unconscious. His eyes ran with tears
from the biting dust: his mouth was open.
and was dry and hard. Leo caught the
iran form in his arms and headed about.
In the teeth of the gale. He had scarcely
gone a hundred yards when a whirlwind
smnr,eo t a1out them, and left the stout
thought the wind had shifted; IL it had
God help them!
The fury of the storm had certainly
increased; 1t drove the choking alkali like
oiast OF sand. Laden as he was, Leo
round 1t impossible to breathe through his
nose alone hence his mouth was soon in
a terrible state He feared he should per
ish in that awful atmosphere. To add to
the terror Of it all. his feet now and then
broke through the dampened crust and
he floundered heavily. N
Finally darkness began to descend. In
inns extremity he thought in his desnera-
ton. OF singular thing. Laying down his
burden ne cleared his throat and nostrfls
as best he could, turned his face to the wind.
elevated his head and deliberately sniffed
At the flying dust There was no result.
his heart sank. Then the wind SLOWLY
Feered q trtfie to the southland he hoarse-
~ shouted for Joy.
The powerful odor of the sulphur sprine
was borne on the breeze: they were saved.
one more hour of mighty struggling. and
he had reached the cape-iike projection of
fertile land, and had wet their mouths and
faces with the pungent but wholesome
water And Hardicut himself, who had
raced his team from the cabin to the sprine
ana back dozen times, came tearing
through the brush like q maniac, to take
them home. The fearful ordeal was over
at last.
The next morning the sick bow who va.
singularly improved. though still a little
deiir1ous, was carefully muffled and placed
again in the buggy. to be hurried away
There Is no reward too great for YOU to
ask and receive" said the father to Leo.
as he left the cabin. IF there is anything
in the world o
Il thank you kindly" said the diRnif,ed
young Fellow, but the Borrows bows
would rather not accept a reward for a
plain duty" '
THE Borrows boys!' gasped the man.
as he drove away from the cabin where
the sturdy brothers were standing.
Two days later Frank came IN hastily
exuitant Leo" he cried, ''the Injunction
is dissolved-the ditch Is full Of water.
They are going to let US liver