Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-11-01
Il s q LA s t
Resource ~
by MARY cHuNT.

5000: ..Se 9 9 &. 80 .ee:@%:,(:
TAR as the eye could see stretched
the spinifeX, yellow as cornfield,
and the illusion was heightened by the
desert oak dotted here and there-neat
busy trees such rs one may see any day
in gentleman's park in England; only
John Weston knew these were no Eng
lish oaks, and the thorny spinifex cut
his mares legs cruelty.
Overhead was the hard blue deep
ening to purple. and there was not the
smallest heck of cloud in the whole
expanse. The sun poured down his
fierce rays on the young mans head,
till the heat seemed to burn through
his hat and deaden his senses.
Surely" he muttered to himself,
slipping off his tired horse, the sta
ton ought to be hereabouts Fifty
miles to the westward, 90 miles back
from Lonaghan's RIDGE reckon, old
girl, we must have done that, and he
patted his mares flank and took off
the water bag that hung at her neck.
There was only enough water left 10
wet his mouth and the canvas up at
the top was dry as bone. He could
not afford to let that precious water
dry up as it was doing in the fierce heat,
and he drained it to the last drop.
The mare whinnied pitifully as the
smell of water came to her nostrils
and suddenly she turned and snatched
the empty bag and tore it between her
teeth in vain endeayor to extract
some moisture from the canvas.
Weston stood appalled,. Suddenly
the full significance Of the situation
dawned upon him, and a sweat broke
out on his forehead He had left the
waterhole at midday yesterday, and
he had seen no water since. He should
have reached Wonga Wonga out-sta-
ton last night, and yet here he had
been riding since dawn, and there was
not a sign of it. He had left the rolling
red sand-hills behind, and entered on
the strip Of spinifeX country which lay
between the water-hole and the out
station belt, they said. not more
than 2omiles wide Twenty miles? He
must surely have ridden 40 miles
through this spinifex, and he looked
at the mare with The canvas bag in her
teeth
It looked ae if Heavensl Was
it possible he sprang to the saddle.
put spurs to the horse and turned On
the back track lie felt as if be must
ride like the wind. The only water hr
knew of - hours behind him. his own
throat parehed and dry and his marc
frantic with thirst. He had never seen
steady old Jess behave like that be-
fore. and he had bred her himself iu
the cool wet country down in the
south of Victoria round WarrnambooL
and brought her with him when Fate
decreed he should visit his property
here in central Australia.
For "a moment or two he galloped:
the mare was Hecked with foam. and
then Weston drew rein NO need to
get in q panic; that would never mend
matters He rode up to a tree There
was no SpinifeX underneath its
branches. and there was Some little
shade from the burning sun He dis
mounted. and tying the old stock
horses rein to the stirrup laid him
self fiat on his back and pressed his has
down over his eyes to shut out the
garish light
Lost-born bu~hmau as ne was. he
knew he was lost; but where had ne
missed his way2 The thought Of the
"ator-hole flied him with longing. and
v.fe's fair face pushed itself uubid-
before bis minds eve What if he
were a. die here and leave her and the
boy. Bot no, now was not the time
think Of her. lie must have missed
way some time after leaving the
ter-hole He had been riding west
reforeh he thought Of the well.
,wn tendency to bear 10 the right
h must be too much to the north. Fas.
Ill put right surely-if only-if only
horse and man could hold out.
lie must start, he must, the precious
minutes were wasting away; but
should be go backward or forward?
Forward, Of course he must 90 for
ward; with the nearest water "a hours
behind him he dared not turn back
and the out-station must be away tC
the southwest So he arose, mounted
took a good look at the sun, and sci
out in that direction