The San Francisco call., 1899-04-16
THE ROMANCE o. LAND SW|NDl-

went to the occupied cot, wrunTg inc
ceaselessIy beating hand and; tuIn,nS, tI.niirs
knelt for a moment before the youiIs
girls photograph. Then blowing OUT INC
lamp he threw himself on his. COT. -,
The restless hands beat ceaSelessly OLt, %
The trickle of the vapOr-spread StI IeeItt d
sounded loud in the outer stlilnesS' ION Iil,r,
the famished roar of mountain ,5 ~
roaming the rocky lastnesses echoeq
round the hills, and mourntutMH M II nloqlloy, rln011
itself into silence. and the peallILiS S -
were fixed forever Then an lnul3 lIIlCt ~
muttering arose on the night anu - 49, 90
on the listeners cara mutteIdIIS " which
ments without sense or SequeI1tIo,1, and
gradually rose to a frenzted snTlehji q,ir, Nv,
arrestng his beating heart, C1I9Tu ~ tcil
to leap from his cot. He struck ,., MAJ,
and f1mbIed as he bent over the lantern
on the table, but his hands t:eIlioLeU ioo ces{
that the match went out ana: 49, a. fo-,a
it. glowing. aside. a mighty hlSSIIls1 - I0.I ne
leapt out from the table and 1T up Jno
tent for moment with its bhndlHS FfoIi
There was the sound OF q CI CIdSilrl5 ,I,IE52oco+
and the air was charged win 4 SUI sISeTlar
ing smoke, but the frenzed VOICE 1EToet
ceased to rave and babble to the sNon'
night. ~ +ba sun
peeped up from behind the hills anG
glanced through the wide open NOUN "a -
the tent on the form OF Dlaon-s az T,i+hin,
He was EetoniDg to the raVing NQIge,s s. -
rapidly striking match after nldtcI4 -
a box which he held In his hana, o. III .
ouaL eTaiSinp the last remaining match
from the box, he struck It ana ~, nei4 a. ~
downward until the flame burnt ms NJ "
gers Then the blank expression Sio 9li iio -
frightful. sightless face. was hoTILLoIg dSor{
see Dropping the box he groplngIy cLTp5{
to the place whence the raFlIB cdlllo' ''''
seizing a beating hand, cried = .,t,
'Unky, Unky! have dropped B7f+ +5e 2 iISdCs Voice
into the gunpowder, and t But nd 9Ie sud sud
denly grasping the figure on the neI'
raised It in his arms and shook It Win Win
fearful force, crying out; ;n ,.nmr3 n9r% Tfben
cursed noise and listen, VIII you Ai0'
he dropped it again and said: -,
Poor old ITnky, What a beast am,
and kneeling by the cot ne oi SooOeI 7ben aIo' he
crept to the place where the water han
stood and cropping with trembling hann5
the gardeners line Taking the line ne
tied It's end to the tent pole ana crept
groaning and writhing from the tent paS-
ing out the line as he went until the SUI ~
on which II was rolled was bare in MS
hands Then pulling the line taut ne
scratched with his fingers in the sun
and torn. and planted the stick in the hole
so made Guided by the line he. crept back
once more and unfastening 1t from ths
tent pole tied 1t round his waist, graSpeu
up the bucket and began to describe a
sweeping circle over the uneven rocky
ground. His journey occupied lnterInln-
able time But he reached the stream
bed. and circling round strained the Ilne
TO its fullest stretch, as he felt in vain
for the singing, trickling stream. Inen
he tied the line to his foot. and lying nat
on his face stretched out his hands,
straininE and striving until ms arms
seemed to crack and his body to stret q
to an abnormal length. He touched the
water and filed the bucket with scream
Of joy and turning commenced TO crawl
again on his endless, tOrturing way: he
reached the tent and crept toward the
raving voice. Then he arose to his feet!
and feeling for the sufferers head raised
the bucket nearer, nearer, and II came up
49, 1srrl,. ~la~,N I1n 0ah
round bald head and fearfully plunged
his arm into its depth. It was empty!
Incalculable time passed away. but the
raving voice shrieked ever on and on IN
the tent, while a form like that of a tor
tured devil tied by a cord to a peg in the
ground kept ever round and round out
side, moving, ever moving in an endless
dizzy circle while the flame Of undying
reproach blazed from its sightless eyes.
Faster and faster the motion became. un-
til the figure seemed to fly in a madden
ing dizzy whirl.
percy! Percy PercyW
The form had risen, and was shrieking
the name, waving its arms and gnashing
its teeth in terrible denunciation, and
even as 1t rose a short, squat, bald-headed
form in paJamas, with frenzled sh1ning
madly laughed as it raised the rusty gun
and drew a bead on the Circling thing
outside. There was a report, and the
thousand voices clamOred in ne air. and
Percy! Percy! Percy; Wake up, you
drunken little devil, you! Inc BrOnCerS
have come and so has the rain. Wake up!
BY Jove. what a stink: your lamp has ex-
ploded. young 'un: Wake up, will you!
Wonder this cur of mine didn't wake YOU:
been yelling and whining like mad. Willie
Broncer's discovery was nothing but
mica. Sheath has brought a letter saying
that their uncle's dead and has left them,
a pot of money. They are going home
but are going to stand treat all round
first. Pot Of money, tell You. Wake up;
the boys shoulder with a kindly arm and
dragged him from his chair.