Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-02-25

exhilarating to a degree that was sur
prising, wheT one remembered how
the desert eXpa" ses over which it had
been borne had so recently been broil-
ed beneath fiery sun and swept by q
flaming tornado. The moonlight, too.
was very beautiful, and the stars, dim
med by the light of the moon, yet dis
tinct, shone with that perpetual calm
suggestive of eternity. Gradually n
sense of euthanasia, a longing for
death, came over Anderson's spirit. 1t
would be so easy to breathe away from
that broken tenement and to become
a sentient yet indestructible portion of
the mighty universe which upheld
those brilliant points of light through
an infinity of space.
In this frame of mind Anderson no
longer replied to the pleadings and
groanings of Grimes until they had al
most completed the ascent of the can
yon, and the burros paused, from sheer
inability of move further, upon the
highest point where the sides of the
gorge dropped abruptly away into I'M
known depths, shrouded in darkness,
where there was no fantastic play of
the moonlight. Here Grimes called
softly for water, asking in the tone of
a spoiled child who believes that it's
mother denies its request from caprice.
There was something in the tone, and
in the repeated, insistent demand that
cut Anderson to the heart. 1t was real
ly such a little thing, yet so impossi-
bic. Water, water, won't you give
me water? Only a drop, one little
drop, and I'll be satisfied"
Come said Anderson gently, "can't
you be yourself for jest minute?
Don't you know that can't give you
water? Try to reason, jest little"
'Water!' was the imperious reply
water, or kill me, in mercy"
Anderson drew his revolver from it's
holster for the first time. The moon
light glanced from the polished steel
as he held the handle toward Grimes.
He intended to test him.
Here is the revolver" he said. "Take
it and use it,
81 can't" was the reply. "My arms
are paralyzed. l can't lift my elbows.
Don't you see that I'm only n wreck
of man-nothing left of me except Il
voice and a brain that's all on fire?
Anderson, Pm myself now. | know
what I'm saying, and call on you, as
you are my friend to do your duty"
Anderson hesitated for a moment.
He wavered to and fro and toyed with
the revolver, undecided. Then, with a
with quick movement, he turned the
weapon upon his own heart and pulled
the trigger. There was a report, fol-
lowed by Il Cry. Anderson threw his
arms into the air, fell, clutched vainly
at the edge of the precipicc, and dis
appeared into the depths.
Again, at the first break of day, In
dian Tom stood at the door of his
wiclliup, holding erect his meager
form, unbent by the weight of n hun
dred years, and gazing into the far
reaches Of the landscape. The atmos-
pherc, swept by the norther of the day
before free from every particle Of
moisture, was perfectly transparent.
and every outline of the mountains,
every naked rCck and shrunken desert
bush, was distinct with startling in
diyiduality.
Here and there iack-rabbit bound
cd over tie barren plain, or coyote
sneaEed away from the approach OF
day. Shutting ursteadily across the
sands came two gray forms which
Tom watched intcntly from their first
appearance in the distance. Mobiles
YVES in advance, with the lighter load,
craZed for wate:', and frantic to bury
her nose in the black, sluggish ooaa
beneath the shadow of Toms habita-
tion. Then came Jerusalem, trembling
with fever and weariness and stag
gering under her twolold burden. For,
lying lack upon the blankets. tied so
that it could not fall was a human
form, rigid, uncovered, the beard and
cheeks tlecked with bloody foam, the
CLASSY eyes staring unmoved into the
face OF the morning sun.
Then Indian Tom, lifting his hards
othc east chanted in cultural mono
tone, a verse of thanksgiving to the
spirit on high who puts into the white
mans heart the lust of gold, and sends
him forth into the wilds, driving his
deft-fcoted little beasts laden with the
miners pick and pan, with tobacco,
with bacon, and, best of all, with wnis.
ky, which warns the marrow and
gladdens the heart of the Great Fatn.
ers dusky servant.-William NJ. Tis
Gale, in San Francisco Argonaut.
She Called, but Alas!
| Il rever was SO dlsguSted and angry
| Il, ,,,,, Iicn eot1 NTpe 4