Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-09-07

| ''Is II ppssible ! can have been asleep
for 10 hours? II Is now 2 o'clock.
And Rayburn. what on earth has hap
pened to him!" he calculated. look
Ing round In u confused way.
Presently the bewiiderment passed.
and he began to understand his posi-
tion more clearly.
He was alone In the bush. having
slept for 10 hours. Rayburn had ut
tcrly disappeared. He had never come
back. that was quite evident. II he
had done 70 he would have awakened
Cieiand. What was cleland to make
out from this ~
II was some time 1.fore he came to
the conclusion that he had been delib-
| erately deceived by Rayburn. ana led
into this unhappy position for pur-
poses OF Rayburn's own. Cleiand was
not a supers,itious man. and he was
too honest and upright himself to
think evil OF others: but he could ar
rive at no other conclusion.
What had caused him to sleep so
soundly? He remembered his sudden
| drowsincss-a very unusual condition
with him. Was It possible the cigar
given him by Rayburn had anything
TO do with that!
uc remembered now he had noticed
a somewhat peculiar flavor. not unlike
that known to the hashish eater.
about II. He had thought nothing OF
II at tho time. but now the rcmem-
brancc confirmed his worst suspicions.
For some purpose OF his own Ray
httr hnl AatlhaV sal lAI him InHn
the jungle. druggcd him. and then left
him there. To whatever fate might
overtakc him.
But what could his purpose have
been?
Suddenly IL flashed upon Clcland
that the camp had expected In all
probability It would be called upon TO
march forward to Hudi to-day. II
that were the cnsc. the brigade would
have left mt break Of dawn-at least
eight hours before this!
Would they have noticed his alb
sencc! II was highly improbable.
Paul Clcland WAS a brave man. ana
rs ready to face days hard march
or n sharp brush with the enemy as
any old and seasoned soldier: but at
the prospect OF n solitary march over
that dcsolaic and pathicss desert. In
utter Ignorance OF the direction taken
by the army. his heart sank. What II
he should take the wrong direction.
and get further and further into the
unknown depths OF that vast sandy
descrt-''a dry and thirsty land where
no man is'-nnd wander there aim
iessly. fruitlessly. endicssly. until
thirst and starvation did their work.
and he dropped on the torrid sand.
never more TO rise from II. only to
leave his bones bleaching there. where
never n human eye should see or pity?
Cleland reused himself from these
thoughts with n shudder. His first
effort must be TO get out OF the jungle:
his second. to find the camp.
III they're really gone.'' he thought
to himself. time enough then to in
dulge In these CHASTITY anticipa;ions.
And even II they arc-why. must
make bold effort to make up with
them
Getting out OF the jungle was easier
said than done. Rayburn had made
that as difficult as possible by turning
and twisting several times instead OF
taking n straight path But 1t was
accomplished at last. and Cleland
found himself in the open once more.
He knew In which direction the camp
lay. and n quarter of an hour took him
down to the deserted village.
Alas! his worst fears were realized.
Not tent. not man remained! Like
tho Arnhs fbpnnsalyeC ha ,,.ba hri
gade had. in the early dawn, silently
folded their tents and as silently
passed away like dreams OF the night.
Cleland stood still for moment. a
sense OF sickening disappointment
coming over him. To find oneself ut
terly alone in that vast. unknown des-
ert. with no human companion, no
chart to guide the way. nothing to eat
or drink. no hope of ever again seeing
a human face. save through ones own
unaided efforts. Is enough to appall
the stoutest heart.
But Paul Clcland had the obstinate
and determined nature OF his country
people. Nothing but death itself
would ever make him give in when
once he made up his mind to n thing
He paused n few minutes to take
his bearings. He had little pocket
compass with him. and by that alone
he could hope to guide himself. Once
he decided which direction to take he
marched forward without hesitation.
Walking in the desert Is slow work.
by O'Clock Cleland calculated that
ne had walked 10 miles: but he was
no nearer the moving brigade for any
thing he could make out.
AT rundown a sandstorm arose. Gle
land had been in one before, but this
seemed to be the most terrible expe-
riencc he had yet been through The
sand blew In his face and soon formed
hard crust over it, which cracked
palntully with every muscular rnntinn.