The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-04-12

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every step of progress was toiling
pain and where there was no means
whatsoever 90 give him key TO direc-
tion. He stood still for few minutes
to think what was best TO do. He
had no compass, and while he knew
that the northern edge oi the chaparral
was within comparatively short dis
tance he had not the remotest idea
whether that edge lay before him, be-
hind him or at his right or left. For
two days thick, heavy clouds had OH
scured the sky. They were full of the
promise OF rain, which would not
come. Time after time the few people
/ living in the region had looked upon
I Just such lowering clouds with some
CLEAN OF hope that they might let fall
| burden OF blessed showers. There
was promise, but no fultilment. The
heavy, murky bank, however, served.
with the ail Of the matted canopy of
! the chaparral, to prevent the lost
cavaryman from getting any idea,
however faint, Of the position of the
sun. North, south, east and west
were alike TO him.
Trooper Thomas finally determined
to trust TO luck, and taking the course
which he thought was right he worked
his way through the thorry growth.
For two hours he toiled on, and then
in despair he realized TO certainty
that he was hopelessly astray. When
the line had been deployed Thomas
had left his cantecn behind, and he
low began TO suffer severely from
thirst.
Hours passed, and still neither open
ing in the chaparral nor the CLINT of
water gladdened his eye. The trooper
slipped n cartridge from his belt, and
taking his knife cut the head bullet
from the brass cup. He put the mis-
sile in his mouth and it momentarily
relieved his raging thirst.
1t was beginning to grow dusk, and
the soldier realized that he must spend
the night in the chaparral. He cut
some of the thick leaves Of the prickly
pear, and scraping oil the thorns from
the green surface chewed the pulp for
the slight relief that the juice afford
ed. Then he cleared place, and ly-
ing down tried to sleep. Physically
worn ont though he was, his thirst
and the horror OF his situation kept
him awake. Toward morning lie had
little feverish sleep that brought no
rest. As the first streak of daylight
stole into the chaparral the trooper was
ON his feet and on his way once more.
The puckering juice of the prickly
pear leaves seemed simply to have ag-
gravated his thirst, and his suffering
was beginning to be more intense than
can be expressed in words. Painfully
making his way along, Thomas came
to an open place in the chaparral. At
the farther side of it he heard crack
ling, and in II moment a peccary-one
of the little wild hogs OF tho Texas
iungle-broke into the clearing.
Thomas steadied himself with an ef-
fort. He raised his carbiue, aimed
aud fired. The shot was n clean one,
and the little wild pig fell dead in its
tracks. To ease the pangs of his
thirst Thomas drank of the animals
blood, and it gave him strength and
courage to keep on. The effect Of the
drink, however, was not lasting, and
in an hours time he found himself
suffering as keenly as before. He
strobe along, however, with occasional
rests, all through the morning and
the long afternoon. AZ night ne was
half delirious with suffering, but the
utter exhaustion of his body forced
linn into slumber. He slept in
troubled way for some hours, and
then, waking, found his suffering so
intense that remaining still was i'm
possible, and through the darkness of
that Southern chaparral be stumbled
on. Finally he fell from sheer cx-
haustion and lay for some time in a
half-dazed condition.
Then the morning came. Little by
little some expression of returning
sense came into the troopers face.
He looked straight ahead, and there,
not ten yards in front Of him, he saw
that there was break in the thicket,
New life came to him IN an instant,
aud he fairly dashed through the un-
derbrush. In moment he stood ut
the chaparraps edge. Before him lay
a great clearing, with house in its
center. With cry of Joy the soldier
made his way to the building. 1t was
deserted. There was not sign of
life anywhere, and all around, com
pletely inclosing the clearing, lie saw
the chaparral walls. A great wooden
cistern, such as one finds in southern
countries, rose beside the house. In
the times when there had been rain
water had poured from the roof into
the cistern. Thore was faucet
six inches from the bottom of the
great tank. Thomas almost staggered
as lie went to it aud turned the han
die. Not drop of water trickled
ont. He was at the verge of despair.
but with that hope which is always
present even at fortunes lowest ebb
he thought that it was possible that a
little water might still remain in the
cistern below tho point tapped by the
faucet. He climbed upon shed and
from thence TO the roof OF the dwell
ing. The top of the cistern was COW
cred, save for the small hole into
which the pipe from the caves trough
ran. The trooper tore off two of the
rotting boards and looked into the
cistern depths. Far down, below the
entering place of the spigot he saw
something glisten. 1t was water. He
cut strips from his suspenders and
from hia olotL;Oo aud latino do,yn