Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-03-06


the drifting sand. Five minutes later
the burros had been resurrected, the
gunny.sacks Ind been removed from
their heads, and their mouths had been
thoroughly spOnged. When these thisgs
had been done, and everything had
been adjusted for a probable recur.
renee Of the tempest, the men found
that they had just one canteen of wnter
left. one which had been filed ut Coy.
ote Hole az they had come past few
hours before. 1t had been kept until
the Inst rs being the freshest. They
each took ''pull' Mt this.
Its pretty bitter and brnckIslh. isn't
IT. Grimes remarked. "SOme why I
never liked that water. 1t tastes to
me like arsenic and asphalt. But-by
=, It's good! Give me some more.
It's good, It's good. It's good. Ha! this
10 life. No man knows what Joy he can
get out Of little thing until he's been
almost dead with hunger or with thirst.
Don't you think 10. pardy"
Don't be an idiOtic fool" Anderson
replied. "Thc winds a.cOmin' up again.
Better curl down here behind the outfit.
and see TINT you make that water 10
Jest as fur as II will. II we can stand
It till night, and the moon comes up.
and the wind goes down. and the bur.
ros ID alive, and we can gIt to Indian
Toms, where there's water. we're nil
right. But II We can't-why, then we're
Jest dead and buried. and that's all
there Is Of It," was Andcrson's grimly
philosophical reply.
80, as the long afternoon wore t,renr.
lily on. the two men lny under their i'm.
provised shelter and suffered In ri.
lence. their lips too parchcd and swol.
len to talk, their eyes blOodshot. their
cheeks puffed ana blackened as the
blood thickcncd and grew sluggish In
their veins. They turned their faces
apart. rs though each dreaded to wit.
ness the sufferings Of the other, and
pressed their swollen lips against their
teeth to keep back tell.tale groaps.
When the sun went down, blOOd.re
In the west. the wind sunk to rest, like
the spent wrath Of IN angry giant. The
heat. which had been pressing down
upon tho earth, seemed lifted nil ut
once and flung abroad Into space. For
a brief interval the darkness OF night
swept over the mountains, pierced In
the llllmltable vault overhead by thou.
sands Of brilliant points OF fire. Then
the moon came up, swimming In a sen
Of silvery radiance. Anderson ana
Grimes, by supreme effort, aroused
themselves from the lethargy which
had overtaken them In the closing
hours Of the day. and prepared to
leave the spot where 40 much suffering
had been compressed into 20 brief a
time.
They had adjusted the pack upon No.
bles, the smaller Of the two burros. and
were preparing to ''cinch" the load on
Jerusalem. big and brawny specimen
of her patient race. and their principal
dependence 40 pack animal. Ander.
son stood with his foot against her
side. pulling on the rope that held the
pack In place. when properly adjusted.
But there was no answering pull from
the other. side. where Grimes was
standing. Anderson was angered.
why the devil don't you pulli" he
thundered. Then. In gentler tones.
"Why. boy. what In the name OF Simon
Peters ghost 10 ailin' your Have you
got the st. vitus dancer"
Grimes was Keeling In aimless cir.
cles.' frothing at the mouth and max.
ing inarticulate cries OF pain. Then
he fell to the ground. and his legs and
arms threshed the ground with spas.
modic contortions. Then came nausea.
worse than any seasickness. And Q
moment later Grimes sat up and pull.
ed himself together"
"Godv' he said. THAT'S terrible.
Little the worst ! ever had. Who
would have thought q man could live
through such pain 40 thatT
u tell you what" Anderson replied.
you've eaten something that don't
agree with yOu-it's almost like pol.
son. You're locOed. We've got to
camp here again and make some coffee
to settle your stomach"
Fortunately. little alcohol stove and
the necessary fuel were In the outfit.
It took only a few minutes to pre-
pare the coffee. In the making Of which
they used the last water that they had.
Both drank freely; Grimes declared
that he was better; the process Of load.
Ing the packs was completed. and they
broke camp. heading for q curved
notch In the mountains. the head Of q
canyon. beyond which were Indian
Toms and safety.
After mile or two of travel, almost
In silence. Grimes called q halt. T'M
have to rest" he said. I'm sick again.
! bate to say so. but can't 20 on"
I'm pretty bad myself" Anderson
replied. when they had stopped.
Queer. isn't III" Then suddenly the
same symptoms which had 90 tortured
his friend. although In lesser degree
uncomfortable cOntrac-
lions OF the muscles, wretched nau-
Sea. and burning. intOlerable thirst,
which seemed to dry up every atom of
vitality and to cleave to the very cen. |
tiers OF existence. But Anderson was
strong. and he fought like lion
against bis unseen foe. When he rec0v- |
BRED . little from the parOxysms of
pain. he found Grimes PROSTATE. moan
Ing pitifully. and apparently unable to
move.
1T was In the water" said Anderson.
"We've been poisoned. Those devllish