The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-02-11
A DESERT DREAM.
(From Advance Sheets of February
Eornhill


|
| (From Advance Sheets of Februar,
Cornhill)
| OF the four who had steamed past tn,
| Needless and away under the low bacl
of the Dorsetshire coast six months be
fore, only two were left. OF these tw,
Lee Carson was the worse case.
The fever mist was drawn like a silk.
en- cobweb low across the swamp, hid.
ing the black. eye-shaped pools and the
| yauegated putrescence of rotting vege.
tatlon. The heavy air rang with the
! shrIiI pinlOning of wild fowl changing
their haunts, and the ceaseless "troat-
| troat' OF the bull frogs in the quaS-
| mires 'rounu.
The two men We're making a fire on
| a dark-green ridge somewhat raised
| above the chliling level OF the marsh.
The mist Is rIsing," said Lee-Car-
son; "oh, Tor a sixtn-story attic!'
I'D better go and shoot something
| before it gets any higher" said the
/ other man.
What was it you Knocked over down
| there?" nodding back at the swamp.
only q longbeaked atrocity, srecies
unknown. A brace of duck or wild
soUn would suit us better.
Give me flesh and not fowl-the
| ooze-bred, mud-breasted progeny OF
this forsaken swamp, Give me cOrned
beef or German sausage, for I'm sick
Of feathers,"
Three more days should do it," re-
marked Grammel, cheerfully, with a
broad, optimistic glance westward
where, however. there was no reassur-
ing break in the dead sea-like level of
the horizon, above which brooded a
sullen sunset.
Then go on and leave me here
with food and ammunition. You can
come back for me afterwards"
"Tll get supper FIRST said Grammel:
keep the fire in"
When his companion was gone, Lee
Carson lay down beside the smolder-
ing blaze. and his eyes wandered slow
~ over the amending Vista of seething
mist. Presently he began To talk out
loud.
"Grammel could reach the highlands
If / were out of the way. I'm dying
anyhow. and 1t scenes a pity
- A day less or more, at sea or ashore,
We die-does il matter when?'
mo, it doesn't matter. It's d relief.
Grammel won't leave me, so I'll leave
him"
Loaded for swamp fowl he said as
he snapped il to and laid il on his
knee. I'm not write a note To you.
Grammel, because you would worry
yourself, being q fool. No. I'll come
to a nicely arranged natural end. It's
waste to let two mer die when death
only puts in a claim for one. GrammeI
will get through this, and lecture be-
fore the Geographical Society about
the swamps and the forests and our
scientific researches, and then he'll
write a book with the help of female
literary cousin. and marry her after
wards, and then tR6rEh De Title Gram
mels. and I'm be forgotten
Then he made his arrangements with
the gun. 1t had 32-inch barrel and
Lee-Carson's hand was unsteady for
he was very weak Therefore. when
the charge sputteTed into the mud and
rush behind his shoulders, he sank
down insensible. -
When Grammel returned he found
the fire blackening. and his comrade
with his feet tangled in tuft Of grass,
and the gun lying across his chest
Grammel examined him hastily.
$50 that was your little game. was it?
As if ] shouldn't have known" he ex-
claimed. It's all so like the young ass
too" he added gently.
Within an hour Che night had closed
in. and Lee-CarsOn. wrapped up in
blanket and couple Of empty provi-
sion sacks, sat blinking over the fire
made of dried reeds mi the molder-
ing remnants of q forest. and shivered
his head humning with the twenty
grains OF quinine which was to be his
garrison against the now almost due
attack OF swamp fever.
L
fire. watched him narrowly through the
smoke. and wondered how soon it would
be safe to make him comfortable with
part Of his own clothing.
Il wish you wouldn't sit there and
stare like a night-owl. Grammel.' Lee
Carson was saying fretfuliy. u like be-
ing alone when I've a go of this mon
grel malaria. If YOU would push on to
the higher ground you might save US
botlr"
IN start when the moon rises" re-
piled Grammel with ready unTuthful-
ness.
That's all right." said the sick man
drowsily: pile up those reeds at my ell
bow and Ill keep the fire going. I'll
do"
Grammel rose at once and began ~
arrange the heap of reeds to humor his
companions fancy.
Lee-Carson leaned against them and
dozed and Grammel, seizing the oppor-
tunity, added his own blanket To the
others coverings.
Lee-Carson opened his eyes with an
effort.
once too often. friend Grammel," he
said
Grammel glanced confusedly at the
offending blanket.
I'm not sleepy" he replied; be
sides. I'll be starting presently"
Take it off, was tn peremptory re
joinder.
Let me make up the fire first said
Grammel tempOTizing: but he was saw
ed further argument. for the fever was
gaining upon the sick man.
What's that exclaimed Lee-Car-
son nervously. struggling to sit up.
They are coming. ThatS the tramp
lrg of the hoofsi'
Dare say they are" said Grammel,
with a vague wish that there was
hoof within 200 miles of them. You
might try to rest now"
Iee-Carson made no reply, but sank
back obediently on his blankets. where
he lay moaning and muttering in an
uneasy half-consciOusness.
Thus the night wore on.
Then, because the desOlation was so
intense, Grammel began to grumble;
his voice rang like a minor undeTtone
through the resonant booming of the
bitterns and the harsh chorus of the
frogs in the pools and fens around
them. ts-
Half this tobacco's soaked he said.
shifting contemptuously at the hollow
of his hand. and the rest tastes like