The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-03-17

rashnesS or bis b.an, and the mirage OF
hope lured them on day further.
After the second day the Missouran's
talk began to grow less, his raying sub
sided into weak, incoherent babbIing.
AT last it ceased altogether, and he lay
staring wide eyed into the relentless sky.
As they had done everything else they
did this silently, stoically. A shallow
bed was scoOped out and the canvas TAX
en- off the wagon for winding sheet.
When the broken circle closed in around
the open grave, The boss cleared his
throat and said: Boys, before we 60 any
further, some one must make prayer.
Sabe!"
They sabed but, although every mans
soul might be consumed with voicelcss
cry to some power above himself for the
rcposc of the departed soul and release
from like fate, they were all dumb
when confronted with the thought of
taking the name of God reyerently. In
s;inctiyely they turned to East Side"
'lt's your lead, East Side,'" they said.
And East Side" cropping blindly back
ward toward the memories of his youth,
tried to recall something Of religious i'm
port. Slowly through his desiccated
brain percolated a line from church
hymn, "From Greenland's ley Noun
tains." but, although the thought was
pleasant in this burning desert. the words
were not to the point. Besides. that was
all he knew of it. He shook his head sor-
rowfuly. I'm the begnning"-h thought
he had struck the right lead therein
the beginning God created But again
he was stuck and could go no further.
LEAD up. East Side.'" they urged.
Then the light broke. The backward
cropping had brought him down to the
days of his childhood, to the words his
grandfather had been wont to say as
with bowed heads the family to the third
and fourth generation was gathered
around his table on Thanksgiving day.
So under the burning sun. whose only
shadow was cast by the 1ocks Of carron
birds that circled above the remnant Of
the outfit, they stood over the grave of
their dead companion, waiting for like
fate or death by their own hands, to be
torn by coyotes perhaps before the breath
was out Of their bodies, the six gaunt
men with bowed. uncovered heads. while
East Side" pronounced in solemn tones:
20 Lord. for what we are about to re-
ceive make us devoutly thankful. Amen"
A prayer was a prayer to East Side"
that began with Lord" in rev.
erent terms and ended with "amen" was
a prayer. His grandfather had been
gcdly man, and he had said it. therefore
it was appropriate on this occasion. The
effect was the same upon the others. for
Z hS,x ack1 ne >hucc - !
the wandering exhorters they had heard.
After the passing Of the Missourian
there was even less to d The men
were moi taciturn with each other. but
there was noticeably less profanity
among them, possibly because they har
bored their strength more jealousy and
the exertion was unnecessary or because
their mouths were too dry to articnlate
many words. 1t was now six weeks since
they had set out across the "sink." OK
pecting to get the cattle off their hands
and have little "time'' in the city be.
fore starting back to the camp. but the
wild eyed. sorry looking things seemed
enough now even for a glue
factory.
As East Side" lay on tn ground look.
4
stood upright and walked no more than
was absolutely necessary. for that re-
lured DIN expenditure of sire th-laziy
Tatching the nocks Of birds swooped ,
Ind poised in the air above aim, he dis ,
covered. or thought he did. that they cast
! shadow against the sky-a tiny gray
hadow that he watched for the utter
ack Of anything else to watch. When {
he birds few lower. the shadow seemed
o grow larger, but when finally they ;
lew away there was still the shadow.
anger and darker. With wild whoop /
lie sprang to his feet, forgetting the value
i harborng his strength as he grasped q
he import of that shadow. 1t was y
my speck and went to work with white
ace and unsteady hands. The speck n
rev larger, and the men worked harder. n
Every hole or trough that led to the
asin was cleared for action SO that not e
ne precious drop might be lost. Their Il
lords were few but kindly as they 9
craped away. with one eye on the \
round and the other on the cloud slow !
! but Enthusiastically growing larger and y
oming their way.
During the night those sun scorched o
reamers dreamed Of moist winds and
linclouds foregathering over the moon.
len Of rain drops pattering gently until r
ley made soaking downpour. But they ?
nd often dreamed that-dreamed II Z
hen their parched tongues hung out Of n =
leir mouths and cracked for dryness.
' this time they had grown wary. +
g.. a. Al A. -.