Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-05

DOUGLAS FELL IN A HEAP OVER THE
YOUNGER MANS WEAPONS.
air contains over 100 degrees of kiln
dried heat, the great thirst is born.
You see the heat racing upward in
palpitating waves. The valves of your
heart burn. The blood scalds in your
veins. The great thirst is fighting for
the moisture in your brain-your san
ity.
1t cracked the woman's lips and
drank from them. The cracks healed
and the great thirst tore them apart.
She lost the power to move, even to
toss her head. She strove for the
power to suffer. to know. Gradually
her eyes closed. Conquered! When
they opened again, she raved, quite
mad. The power of acute sensation
was gone.
In Il rough claim shanty across the
valley the young prOspector smiled
hopefully into his firstborn's eyes as he
raised the cup to its lips. Then he
walked to the door. and the smile fad
ed Two weeks before Molly had left
them-him and the baby boy-to get
the assay and record their claim. She
had laughed at his fears. She knew
the country by heart, and while she
Travelled he would dig further and fur
ther into the precious vein. When she
returned, they would go to Los Angeles
and stay till the great heat died down.
He glanced across the valley to the
point where he knew their first home
stead stood. He loved its rough rubble
walls. He had brought Molly there n
bride. He looked at the thermometer
1t stood 100 in the shade. And still the
babe in the shack crowed.
He left the shanty and walked to the
ledge of rock that held fortune for him
and Molly Then his alert black eyes
caught sight of horseman leading
pack burro down the narrow trail.
Skirting the canyon wall, the prospect
or reached the path to the forlorn claim
shanty. The child was crying. Taking
the little one in his arms. he ran to the
brook and dipped it in the water; then.
filling his canteen. he hurried back to
the shanty and laid the little one on its
bed. Snatching his rife, he advanced
to meet the stranger.
With muttered oath he recognized
the man as Douglas. the assayer. Mol
ly must have gone to him after all in
spite of her husbands warnings. And
Douglas knew of their strikeI
What's wrong?" asked the stranger,
pauslng at sight of the gun.
''What brought yOu?"
Douglas scowled ominously.
"Well, hearin' bout your find, thought
you might take a notion to sell"
81 amt sellin'-leastwise to you,' re-
piled the prospectOr significantly. There
had been bad blood between them ever
since Dan Donovan's Molly had shown
her favor for the pennless prospector
and had scOrned the crafty. unscrupu-
lous assayer. There amt room for
both of us in these diggins You'd bet
ter scoot."
He turned to the house, and a bullet
tore its way through his hat. He
turned quickly. Douglas had dropped
back of the trees that edged the creek
The prospector dropped to the ground,
stretched fiat and began to throw up
the earth in front of him. Bullets
whizzed around him. wish to the
Lord / was nearer the shack he NUT
tered to himself, but maybe III catch
him fore SHUTDOWN" The breastworks
were a foot high now and his rifle was
pointed over the top, his keen eye
glancing along the barrel.
So an hour went on. Two bullets
struck him, but he made no outcry.
The great thirst stole up from the
ground. and he fought It off until tho
gun sight danced on the barrel. He
reached for his canteen. but two more
bullets from the man who lay by the
creek emptied it for him.
The enemy began to tempt.
Want water? Give it to you fur