The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-04-21
A MANS LIFE.

A MANS LIFE.
sit is a question: Professor Kirk,
hotter said, quietly. ''between this and
that"
Saying thus, he looked down at the
two objects between which choice had
to be made. ''This'' was a man, a
brown skinned man of the upper Asian
steppes. He lay prone upon the desert
sand, his eyes unseeing eyes, wide
open, motionless save for an occasional
twitching of the limbs as the fever
shiver shook him; silent, except when
his parched lips moved in the inarticu-
late mutter Of delirium. The professor's
gaze did not linger upon this piteous
figure. It travelled to ''that'-two
loads Of clay tablets, evidently of ex-
treme antiquity and closely covered
with a strange cuneiform character,
which had just been carefully strapped
by his companion to the backs of two
kneeling camels.
"Seeing we are now reduced to two
beasts only," he went IN, his eye shift
ing for an instant to the body of a third
camel, which lay dead some 90 yards
off. "seeing also that we are in a water
less desert, probably "a hours ride from
the. nearest we'll and that this mar is a
dead weight on our hands,
"You don't dream Of abandoning the
poor chap?' Dick Harding broke in.
The professor glanced uneasily over
his smoked spectacles. Harding was a
puzzle to him, a man of distinguished
scientific attainments, capable of strong
scientific enthusiasm, yet occasionally
betraying a vein of sentimentality alto
gether out of place in connection with
scientific exploration. Kirkhoffer had
had inconvenient experience of this pc
culiarity more than once during the
year spent with Harding in the remote
Businesses Of Tibet.
"You wouldn't leave him here to
die? p the Englishman persisted.
The professor rubbed his forehead
thoughtfully. "He's bound to die soon
in any case.
II don't see that at all. If we can
keep him alive till we get out of this
impossible, my friend. He cannot
walk, and these two camels cannot car
~ him in addition to you and me and
the tablets.
'sThen leave some of the tablets be-
hind"
The professor fairly gasped for breath.
"Leave-leave behind some Of the
tablets?' he stammered. "Leave the
records of a civilization to which the
Arcadian is a thing of yesterday-to be
swallowed up by the next sandstorm?
Give my great discovery, the greatest
of the century. MANNED and imperfect.
to the world? Harding. you must be
mad. What's the life of a Khirgiz Tar
tar beside these priceless things?"
Kirkhoffer' 8 shortsighted eyes gleam-
ed angrily behind his glasses; his voice
was thick with passion.
ssWhat's a Khirgiz Tartar?' he
growled like a wild animal.
Hes a man, anyway" Harding re-
torted. "Suppose I refuse to leave this
fellow3"
"Then"-the professor became all at
once ominously cool--'I shall be forced
to remind you that l am the head of
this expedition and you my salaried
assistant; also that th.. animals are
my property. 4 60, and they go with
me. You can join the party or not. as
you please" al
Harding grew pale. THAT is the
choice You offer mea Then say you
are q blackguard.
"And I say indifferently, .sthat
you are a fool. Come. will you mount?'
''Nol' furiously.
The German shrugged his shoulders. |
.'Have it your own way" he said.
And, gathering up the long leading
rein which he had fastened to the head
Of one camel, he prepared to seat him
self on the other.
But here Harding sprang upon him
suddenly. mo, you DON'T he cried. !
'You shall leave me one, you bru,i.
though it were a hundred times your
property
"Stand off, the professor cried.
Harding's answer was to close with
him silently, and there ensued a trial
Of strength whereof the issue seemed
for several minutes doubtful. The men
were not ill matched. Kirkhotfer was
the taller and heavier, but then he was
also the elder by 20 years, and Hard
naturally 1.-the habit Of body had
known an English public school and
training. The result of the
conflict was still uncertain when the
professor suddenly loosed his hold and
lell back, leaving the prize of conten-
tion, the led camel. almost in the others
Harding stopped to seize the
creatures halter and rose again, to find
himself covered by his antagonists re-
..Now. perhaps" the man of science
observed. ''you will consent to hear
reason. No use, my good friend, as
hand went briskly to his
breast pocket. II drew the charge
You were asleep this morning in