The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-05-16

small Sp1r1t-lamp. When this was
done he spread a blanket upon the
sand, and, motioning the other to be
seated opposite, they ate slender
meal of crackers and canned corned
| beef, washed down with the steam
ing coffee, and topped off with spar
ing drink from the water-bottles.
| Dinner over, the Mexican stretched
himself at ease upon the blanket, with
a brown paper cigarette between his
| slender fingers; fixing the American,
| between the smoke wreaths, with a
sustained, impersonal regard under
which the latter soon found his eyelids
| dropping with irritating persistency.
| rhe significance of this over-mastering
| 1rowsiness did not dawn upon him I'M
| til, in moment when he had wrenched
his gaze from that impenetrable, idol
mask of face opposite, with the Gig
arctic smoke curling above it like
streamers of incense, his eyesfell upon
the others tin coffee cup. 1t was full.
In the act of rising to shake off the
deadly lethargy which was overcoming
him, he swayed unsteadily for mo-
ment, and then fell heavily back upon
the blanket.
When the American next opened his
eyes, his gaze rested on strange
sight. Far down near the horizons
rim, cold, glitterihg moon was flash
ing pale radiance overa frozen white
sea. At least this was the first i'm
preston on his confused senses, from
which the numbing effects of the drug
he had swallowed had not yet disap-
peared. The weird appearance of the
desert was further heightened to him
by the fact that his eyes were nearly
on level with the sandy surface; and
he had much the feeling that a swim
mer in a heavy sea, and out of sight
of land, might experience.
His gaze roamed duly over the
bleak expanse, and finally rested on a
dark blotch a few yards in front of
him.
He watched it in puzzled way, his
logged mind struggling vaguely to
shake itself clear of the mist-weight
that lay upon it. Suddenly the blotch
stirred, and the marble face of the
Mexican cleaned like white cameo
in the moonlight. Recollection and
physical sensation returned to the
American in a bound. His muscles
tautened in their preliminary to at
tempt movement, but his frame re-
fused to respond His glance dart
ed downward and encountered-sand
He was buried to his neck.
In an ecstacy of madness and fren-
zied terror he strained every muscle,
nerve and fiber of his imprisoned body
until the blood literally burst from
his nose and mouth. 1t was useless.
He was as immovably fixed as if he had
been in bed of cement. Then he
raised his bloodshot eyes in mute ques-
tioning to the silent figure seated in
the moonlight. The response came
quickly.
The Mexican rose deliberately, and
releasing the re-saddled horses from
their tether, he led them in front of
the helpless captive and stood for a
moment looking coldly and specula-
lively down upon him. Then his face
seemed to break up as mirror is
starred in breaking, and he smiled a
frosty, devilishly malignant smile.
Still smiling, he drew from his saddle
bag a paper-wrapped parcel. Care
fully unrolling this, he disclosed an open
book which he deposited face down
ward upon the sand Immediately be-
meath the Americans eyes. The print
ed space was heavily blackened over
with ink, all but one line, and this
stood out, easily readable in the daz-
| zling light from the desert moon.
The line ran: "Ocho por ocho, O'Dente
por dente." Gan eye for an eye, and a
| tooth for a tooth.)
The unhappy American was quick to
grasp it all.
He ran his glance to the top of the
page: "Del Neuva Testamento."
The Mexican mounted his horse and
| grasped the reins of the companion
animal His smile had broadened and
there was cool amusement in his eye.
what you call-ah-some Screep-
ture-No?" he said gayly. Then, lead
ing the Americans mustang and with
out one backward glance he rode placid
| ly back in the direction from which
| they had come.-Overland Monthly.