The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-10-22
A PREPOsTEROUS FACT.

the foreman one August night when the
boys were gathered around the supper
table after hard day in the branding
pens.
"Sent him over to the river with the
horses for Mack replied the foreman;
t'he won't be back for four days"
ooh, picnic" said the first speaker
mot quite; it's a long stretch without
water"
"Beats branding Calves" insisted the
other.
eyes, if you're built that way"
Ten miles or so from the ranch the
circling 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 water-course. Here and there a
stunted soap-weed showed above the
level of the plain. A mile to the east
ward band of horses were quietly
grazing, and keen eye might have de-
tected that one was saddled. The crisp
buffalo-grass about the man was
crushed down and broken Off Twenty
feet away a dog-hole showed a fresh
man was a broad mark made by the
cantle 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, water!" he repeated.
Low in the north fitful lightnings
played about pillar of cloud. If the
cloud drifted this way he might get wa
ter if not he would go dry. Certainly
no mans hand would minister to him
that night Soon he realized the situa-
ton.
II was stunned-my leg is broken"
said he. 'I'll lie here until I rot before
they will find me. Oh, God, water!"
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 Earring roll of thunder, a
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 ana cursed
and drew the coat about him.
Toward morning he slept, and
dreamed he heard the foreman's CHEEKY
summons "Roll out, fellows!" but
when he sat up suddenly twinge in his
leg brought him back to facts-thirst,
daylight, helplessness. He mad been
awakened by the chattering of the little
marmot 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 twenty feet" he muttered,
lying down again. 9TH never tell that"
All night he had lain upon his back
Now, very slowly, and with both hands
clasping the. injured leg, which was
broken below the knee, he turned upon
his face and reached out toward the
hat. 1t was still several feet beyond
him.
'I've 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. 1t 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 him.
self and his chances. ...
'"Ten feet in an hour is two hundred
and forty in day. I would get to the
ranch in about six months at that rate
if I could keep it up day and night.
I've got to stay right here until the
buZzards get me. If I had water l
wouldn't care if the devil got me. If I
ever get water I've got to get it to-day.
BY tomorrow I'll be too stiff and too
silly. I know"-sitting up and looking
around-"there's no water on this fiat,
for there isn't hoof of stock in sight.
Over toward the mountain 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 1t got to me, and
those holes may be full of water now
and only three miles away. l could
crawl three miles if l knew there was a
drink at the finish-but they may be
dry. Then I'll be three miles further
from the creek, and three miles further
off the trail when the boys come out to
look me up. I suppose they will look
me up. I suppose they will look me up
in about week-when Mack comes
over to see why the horses have not
been sent. I'm getting silly already.
My head throbs so and my leg, too. If
I 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 care
fully and gave it a 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 1 will hunt the water-holes
Hold on!" Stopping the revolving hat
and closing his eyes, he said in a very
low voice: "Oh, Lord, l don't know as
one cow-puncher is much object to you
you got so many, but I never did much
dirt, only to Billy, and he was so NEAR
himself it served him right. If you will
help me out of this scrape and make the
hat stop at the right place I'll never for
get it. Amen"
Very earnestly then he balanced the
hat and set it turning. After severa
revolutions it came to stop, with The
hole toward the mountains.
1.-THE Water-holes it is, them" said he