The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-09-05

ed that to his being q little more than
, kid-and really. that was all he
was. had Just reached the decision
TO tell the boys that they must let
him alone or else 60 up against me.
when he disturbed my thoughts by
opening his eyes and asking in q
timid, scared sort Of way for drink
Of water. OF course gave Il to him.
I'd have done the same for q dog. hut
Il was the first kindness any. Of us
had ever done him, and SO seemed to
get right next to his heart. Two big
tears rolled out Of his eyes while he
wss drinking, and when reached
Down for the empty cup he grabbed
my hand and thanked me a. earnestly
As though had just saved his life.
The upshot Of IL all was that met
the others just as they were coming in
and, telling them what had been run
ming in my mind. ended by playfully
promising to make dead meat of the
first one that should spring another
accident on Hays. And the Old Man
backed me up. The boys took It in
the right spirit; they had had their
little fun, and. besides, they were not
half as tough as they thought they
were-their hearts were too big. And
so Hays came to have an easier time.
1t was in the first part Of the spring
that all of this happened. Every day
that passed was carrying MS farther
iown the country. farther away from
civilization, and by tho time July with
its roasting heat came we were swal-
lowed up by the desert foothills of
the Sierra Mndre. One day, about the
middle OF July, we knocked of for
Sunday, at least we called It Sunday
we'd been away from civilization 30
long we'd lost all track Of the day IL
really was-and made camp on mar
row ridge, where scattering of
Grub cedars gave us little shade. And
maybe we didn't need that shade. If
you've ever been. out in the desert
when there is not q breath of air stir
ring, when the sand and rocks and
Everything else get 10 hot you can't
afford to sit down without first put
ting your hat down TO sit on, you will
be able to understand just how much
we needed It, for Il was that kind Of
a day.
"Phew!.. Tex cried, mopping the
perspirstims sfron his brow, III that
place the parson used 70 tell about
down = San Antone's any hotter'n
this, I hope II won't never git sent
there to take a job surveyin' . fool
railroad" :
"Humphi I'll bet Il amt . be hot.
tern this" Bill answered. "An We
need is q devil. Now, II old ceronimo
an bunch O. his bucks 'osld come an
jump us, we wouldnt need to ak hell
or no other place any. odds"
"Yeu bet!" Tex exclaimed. "say,
let's all hands cut the cards 70 SEQ
who'll 60 an bring . bucket Of cool
water" gt 7vr.
This was q proposition that aroused
interest in all of Us, and everybody
came in, except Hayv-he was OF by
himself enjoying good company. Low
man was to win the Job, and DO of
course had to turn up . duce.
That is the kind Of luck I usually
have. on to one side Of the camp the
bare, blistered foothills stretched
away hill after hill cleen TO tho Gulf
of Mexico, for all that any Of us knew
TO the contrary; and on the other,
with only an arroyo between,
lowered high above us one
of the peaks Of the spur
Of the Sierra Madre. Up the ar
royo, about a hundred yards away,
was q deep tenaja, . natural tank
formed in the bedrock, which held
an abundance of water for our needs,
and water that was cool. it being pro.
tected from the sun BY mass Of over
hanging rock. Naturally, I wasn't In
a hurry to get out in that withering
heat. but I knew It would only make
it worse to delay, 1t was getting hot.
ter every minute, 30 I picked up q
bucket and started for the tenaja.
had covered perhaps two-thirds OF
the distance, following the bottom OF
the arroyo, when, heard wicked
little hiss, and . pun Of dust few
from the bank Of the arroyo at my
side. The next instant I heard faint
"spang," the crack Of the rife almost
muffled by the dsncing. heated air
I dropped the bucket snd wheeled
around, just in time to seo the men In
camp grab up their Yiies and be!ta
and start for the rocks on the jump
The Old Man stopped long enough tc
!yell and wave his hand 10 me, and
then hustled on; I didn't make Out
what he said, but didn't wait TO ash
him what it was, nor did I trouble tc
ask who had fred the shot. I just
took it for granted that IL was some
long haired, saddle-colored gentle
Imam in gee-string and cartridge belt
who might even then be peering n
me through the sights of his rift
from somewhere up on the side o
the mountain, and I started running
as fast as 1 could fck II for pile O
rock little farther mp the arroyo.
The next thing I knew I hit th'
ground with crash, and when
tried to get up my left leg wouldn'
lwork. IL was paralyzed, I didn't neet