Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-05-22


hair. In these circumstances sex
ceases He put his arm about the fig
ure's waist and supported II. He was a
brave man, was Hope, and he tod him
self in that instant that here was a life
miserabiy dependent upon his own and
that he would work harder to save it
than he had yet worked. The thought
seemed to give him strength, and he
stood erect for the first time in many
hours. His implacable science told him
that there was no drinkable water in
Death valley, but he remembered that
when he was nm idle and purposeless
boy he used to read Beadle's dime nov
els, and in one Of these novels was a
heroic Indian slayer who had got water
In the valley by digging for 1t with his
tomAhawk. He almost smiled nt the
might have the snug, we,l-fed, un-
thirsty author Of that romance for AZ
hours In the valley itself instead OF
In his New York room, with hot and
cold water pipes within ten feet OF
him. Nevertheless he kept his arm
about the figure and gently urged It
onward.
They came TO cleft, or lengthy de-
preston, in the Internal soil. Possibly
50,00O,0O0 OF years ago II had been
creek. Its bed was still defined and
II was OF sand. Hope cast about
him until he found silver Of red rock,
sharp-pointed, foot wide and three
feet long-just a scale Of the stone in
fnct-and with this he set to digging
slowly. The sand was loose, and by
heroic effort at the end OF an hour or
two he had gone down four feet in
marrow hole. The woman sat near him.
She had not uttered word since her
hrst pitiful plea and she did not watch
him while he dug. Six inches further
and the sand became moist. Another
foot and water could be squeezed from
II; another foot and n small pool Of It,
six inches across and half inch deep,
was visible. II was hot but sweetish,
evidently seep from some one OF the
saline or alkaline lakes, and the min
ernl had been Altered from Il in its
passage. Set II down to the everlast-
ing credit OF Francis Hope that he
from the hole, went to the
woman, brought her 90 Its edge, took
a half pint in his hat and poured II
down her throat, while his own lips
were bleeding. l say that Sir Philip
Sidney, riding from battle with
broken thigh and giving his last drop
TO wounded soldier, did not do finer
deed Five small swallows " the water
restored the scientific mind to its nor
nal precision, and he saw that neither
his companion nor himself got too
much Of II. They rested by the little
drNught and set out, Reason had come
back to her eyes, and she placed her
hand In his as she stepped out brnvely,
his eye ON n hxed point dimly seen in
the dusk. At ten that night they came
to trail, broad and beaten, and lay
down beside II 10 sleep, the woman
resting her head upon his shoulder like
q tired child Al midnight l6-mule
team came by, II dragged = huge
wagon loaded with crude Nora1, and
the driver alternately swore aud sang.
He gave them food and drink, asked
few questions, nud, supposing them to
Ia mi ~ L. - L.
In his huge enormous Vehicle. Sex had
reNsssred itself. Hope laughed and
the woman b,ushed, So she curled her
self In the rear end OF Il and Hope went
60 the forward end, 30 feet away, and
between them was q mountainous bar
rier OF boraI.
Next day she told him her story. Her
father and brothers were Caliiornians
and prospectors cnmped upon the edge
of the desert She had quit school and
accompanied them Tor the novelty Of
IL and had wandered from the tent I'm
pursuit oi beetles She had been more
saving with her water bottle and had
been out IL hours longer than Hope.
Her name WAS Beatrice Holden, and
while she rode she hlossomed ont won
hcriully, finally ending as frank.
somewhat plump and very pretty girl
Uf 20, with q constant trustfulncSS in
and dependence upon her rescurr.
They went To- the Needles together and
from there TO Los Ange,es, where She
had friends The end ot IL vas that ne
asked her TO marry him, aud she dad.
lie took her 90 Washington with him
and has got out ~ his experience a
charming wife, a magazine article or
two, an imprcssionistic description ~
the pengs ~ thirst, an ,lucijatcl and
printed theory TO the cfrcc, that wom-
en- are capable ~ more endurance than
men and a profound pamphlet on the
and desirability OF irrigat-
ing Death valley.