Arizona republican., 1901-02-11


 was dead tired and cIaved death. Our water was all gone. l was in but little better condition, and lay down some feet distant.
 After a while Dan rose to his hands and knees and moved stealthily away. l watched him carelessly. I cared not what he did. cared not what anyone did.
 | And then I saw him stop, while his eyes were glued on something that fas- cinated. looked where he was looking and saw a huge rat;lesnake. The snake was coiled and his ugly head was nattened and his \forked tongue was darting rapidly in and out. ! Dan was but two feet away and he raised his hand to go nearer when I seemed to awake to a realization of his |! danger. Taking deliberate aim with i my revolver. I fired. and the ugly | head was cut from the writhing body.
 Then a strange thing happened, { Ean arose and came at me like a mad 1 man. We grapped and In the struggle the gun was again discharged-how, I know not--and Dan fell over dead" { Jim paused and drew n long breath. | Jack was moved to tears. ' | Well, I did not know anything more 1 for long time, and when came to myself I was lying in the shade of a big cottonwood ana four men were i standing around me"
 'Feelin better, are you, pard? ! Tn 3ught you'd come round arter awhile. Been long time about 1t, { though"
 "'Whcre am l. I asked feebly." ! "Down here by the river. Wasn't more than ten miles away when you slot him. i "'Shot who?'"
 "Yer pard, of course.'" | And then it all came back tio me and | I shuddered." -
 Say, b-ss. whatd you shoe: him for, anyhow?'"
 l "I didn't shoot him. I answered, ! He was shot accidentally
 Better 30 tell that to the marines, l said one, the bigg st of the four. How ever, you don't have tJ go into partic- | ulars If you done want to. Don't have to crlminate yourself. you know. We don't care q cuss about the killin'. All We want to know is where you got this ! oIe."'
 He held up a piece of very fine float | that Dan and l had found at the base 1 '1 don't know where l found it, | answered. sullen nly.
 "'Better Gh:nk carefully, now"
 Never saw .t before,' l answered, tunsly."
 Here, rard. give us that rope, will | you? If there's anything l do hate it's a Mar. Let's make one less" 1 Tn five minutes nore l was hanging ! from limb of a cottonwood. When was black in the face they let me ! Cown."
 All hunkey r,w boys, r03 goes the weazel,' said the leader, as soon us they saw I was conscious again."
 |" Hold up.' l cIted, as they made preparations to run me up again Hold on, and I'll take you there!
 "'WeH. now. that's something like. kin understan' that kin of talk to a dot. Things Is easy huff managed in this world of ours if we know how to work 'Gm.''
 What was to be the outcome of this new adventure into which my ill-luck had carried me? Where was l to go and what was to do? These were the questions that racked my brain as we slowly made our way into the desert and headed north. My position was critical, indeed. could find no ore. for there was nothing to find. And when they found out I was only fooling them they would either shoot me like a dog or turn me over to the nearest sheriff. Their story would be amply sufficient | to condemn me in amy court, I we'll knew. My only hope was in being able to give them the slip. very slim hope it was. tco, for they watched me like wildcats. night and day. There was absolutely nothing 10 do but go ahead and trust to luck. Such trust was any thing but encouraging after the expe- rineces of the past few days. Luck didn't seem to be on my side.
 Boiling, lonely days blended into suffocating restless nights, until We | reached the place where Dan and had camped some time before. A low range of rock ribbed and double ser rated hills from the north jutted into a similar range from the northeast, culminateing at the junction into a lofty, weather beaten and rainwashed peak This lonely sentinel of the des- ert was pinnacled by d mighty rJck of grayish granite. which the storms of | ages had worn into a shape almost
 identical to human face. Perrenial rains had furrowed it's vast cheeks. giving it tear-stamed and sorrowful caste. It's mighty head was bowed as though by the weight of endless years.
 Its firmly set jaws were resting on the
 palm of it's left hand, while the right l arm seemed to have been brok- en square off at the shoulder. The whole caste of C1untSglance gave the impression of a calm and mournful cont empiation of history
 in which it had played leading part.
 Irregular outlines at the top of the
 cranium gave the appearance of wavy
 hair, while a long, curly form pendent
 from each side of the massive head
 and partially covering the ears. com
 pleted the resemblance to the face of
 an old woman. When we caught our
 first glimpse of the odd figure Dan call-
 ed it "The old Woman" and as The
 O!d Woman's Mountain it will probab- ly always be known.
 Dan and I had Camped at the mar ] roWest point in the angle made by the