The sun., 1897-06-13
THE BOZ ON THE HILL.
An Incident or n Burning Nay on the Kansal
Barrena.

Barrena.
For about ten miles a nearly straight road
leads eastward through the level fields that
girdle the town Of s. in Kansas, then IL climbs
a nest OF smoky, low-browed hills. Through the
deep, hot dust OF this road boy Of l3. perhaps
a poor thin. wearied little body-dragged his
bare feet. A vast prairie Of short, crisp grass
lay to the right OF him: on his left was thick
brake OF tall. dead sunfiower stalks; a half mile
ahead were the hills.
1t was mid-afternoon of 4 sitting day In Au-
gust. The broiling earth breathed slow waves
of heat; the still =rass and rigid sunfower
stalks seemed ready to crumble at a touch.
Somewhere above, II one could have found the
courage to look for it. in an expanse of blue,
glared down a white. intolerable splotch of
splendor.
My God!" said the boy. 81 wish had 9
drink
He did not halt. but gave a swift look around
and gasped the words. Presently he stopped
and jerked his hat back, for he thought he had
heard cry. He could not be certain; his whole
body seemed furnace OF pain, and his senses
were clouded. He had misty remembrance of
something that had been repeatedly attempting
to force its way to his attention. A few feet
further. and he heard rustling in the brake;
then a cat limped out and stood before him in
the road. 1t was a great, NANCY animal. driven
mad by the heat, the lack OF food and water.
and the pain OF mangled foot which it
dragged. 1t stood still. and through the clotted
muZzle gistened the teeth. The boy halted.
Then shouting and waving his bundle and stick
he rushed forward. The cat did not move, so
he sprang aside. and passing it at a leap raced
down the road. A few minutes later he dropped
exhausted in the shadow of an oak tree at the
foot OF the first hill. He was painting; his blood
was boiling; and he felt himself grow sick.
He clutched the shaggy bark OF the oak and,
with his cheek against it, supported himself.
The next moment there was a stir in the oak
leaves overhead, q whispering sound and a
rustic; then bit OF breeze dropped down,
touched the boy in the face, and ran its cool
fingers over his forehead and through his hair.
1t wound a drapery of mist about the sun; the
glare went into a hazy slumber and the atmos-
phere ceased TO trcmble. But this not long; the
breeze soon blew itself out the mist passed. and
the sun leaped forth Yet the air seemed milder
and the sky had given sudden birth to small,
dark clouds on the cast and on the west. A low
rumbling ran among the hills.
Though not inobservant of these threatening
signs, the boy had been too weak to move and
his suffering had made him Indifferent.
him start and turn his face to the road. Ono
glance was enough. He picked up two large
sna Tn bs espa hbo mo sne b
| stalks where he had entered, trying to stine his
| gasps stiffness for moment held all the
cool. damp breeze swept over them. To the
| southwest. at the black edge OF the horizon, AN
spreading over the sky. The atmosphere cooled
and darkened as few drops OF rain came down
be began ran to jar and roll. Tic boy seemed NOT to
understand the danger. for he was listening for
e % not cay Inc sennSs Of
back. f@e and iurckcd iorward 4 mlfied, crushing
scaiiie sca in the dust. The hoy hurled the socond
stone. He did not wait to see tho blow, with
head thrown back and GInpty arms held out.
Almost at the instant The stone must have
stant beyond the hills; then came the crash.
Waves OF wind and rain swept across the prairie n.
! ing into the air clouds OF dust and boating them
down again with clouds OF heavy raindropss.
| after Hash, tho thunder beloved incessantly;
the wind crashed and screamed In tho 9 brake =
from his head and stung him on tho cheek; then.
with new change OF Girecti9n II hurled HIN
s9ea Win Gr S%n and made fs fsw Steps forward
| Tho act saved him. A lightning holt struck the
tore 6 nw sgs PsT6 81 IT, na nden
| his feet. He staggered, waverod for an instant
and then fell forward unconscious.
! found himself in a bank OF sticky yellow clay
dozen swelling streams rushed down the
slope; one swept by so close that u lock Of hi;
drowsy; an attempt to move set his head tc
| throbbing so painfully that he fell back. Ht
discovered also that his body, was half imbedded
in the clay, and that he could hardly move Tho
muscles OF his legs; He turned himself over oI
| his elbows and looked round for shelter
Not a. house or barn was, in sight
Then ho remembered tho boulders he @ hat
and the thought came to him that beneath ont
OF then he might ind temporary protection