The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-02-07

W
Very early In the morning, before the
sun had ceased his repentance, two OF
the men slung their canteens to their
sides and started for the river, though
Yost. after they had gone, said: Its
even chances bout them gittin' water;
they mought and they moughtn't. Them
air canyon walls is mighty steep, but
thar may be place to git down
som'ers along thar"
Clearly the sun had determined to be
as wicked as ever, and when his scorch
Ing, blistering rays reached the little
camp on Caliente trail the men soon
sought the shelter of the rocks. Raw
lins made Bunster as comfortable as
was possible, but there was very little
comfort to be enjoyed. The sick man
walled for water, and his purple face
upon while he vigorously famed with
his hat the dry. hot air above his brow.
Hours passed. "Will they never
Gomez thought Rawlins. why did 1
not go myself? Itwas because l thought
he might die while I was gone. and i
wanted to stick to him to the end.
Still should have gone, I should have
gone"
Another hour dragged it's reluctant
way along. 1t was nearly noon. There
they were at last-the water bearers.
But why walked they SO slowly? No
doubt they were tired. Yes, they were
tired aud worn-nearly exhausted. in
fact; their clothes were in tatters, and
they were shamefaced and cowed. for
they brought back no water. They had
started from the walled in stream with
full canteens: but the ascent of the
canyon side had been SO toilsome. the
heat so intense and their thirst so great
that they had drunk every drop.
Ugly glances shot from Zach Raw
Inns eyes at the recreant ones. His
blood was up. He would go down to
the stream. though 1t be guarded by
fiery dragons, and he would bring back
canteen full Of water and steep the
heartless ones In their shame. Yes,
Big Bunster should have the all need
full draft II he had to go through fire
to get 1t. And he did 60 through fire,
for IL proved useless for Yost to tell
him that a journey down to the waters
edge In the cool of the morning and one
made at midday were two very differ.
ent things to undertake. He jerked the
cant zen strip over his shoulder and
strode quickly away over the baked
mesa, under the burning sun, and soon
began the descent. From one great
step Of the rough. natural stairway tc
another he went. and at last he gained
q point where he could look Off and
down into the canyons dark depths.
Like a sinuous piece Of steel the river
ran its way far below him. strip Of II
visible here, another there and still
another beyond, so that it seemed as il
the stream burrowed through high
rocky barriers. Rawlins paused not t.
note the brilliant patches of color alons
the face of the great escarpment, ant
the sharply sketched chiaroscuro that
marked the naked grandeur Of til.
scene made no impress. He only saw
running swiftly ut the base of the grea
walls which hemmed it In from human
hand the water for which the friend o.
bis youth lay dying. The way dowI
was difficult He was almost stiflet
by the heat he was tortured by an In
tolerable thirst; his clothing was tori
by jagged rocks; he was struck at b!
rattlesnakes, and, as IL this were no
| enough, one of the soles Of his boot
had become SO warped by the heat an'
| SO split by the rocks as to make hi
| step unsafe.
In a fever Of excitement he fnall
reached the rivers edge. He threy
himself down by the brink and eagerl
gulped the sparkling water Then h
filed the canteen and darted up tn
rocks. Fleet as had been his descen
| to the base of the canyon wall, 1t ha
taken him nearly two hours to max
1t. 1t he'd been hard enough comm
down, but now came the real worl
So steep was the rocky escarpment tha
its ascent was one Of great effort an
peril even for a strong man at earl
dawn, but for q weak man at in tn
afternoon 1t was fearful task.
How intensely hot 1t was there on tn
canyon side! How scorchingly, III
bearably hot! And yet he bore /
Though his whole body reeked wit
perspiration and his muscles wei
tightly drawn under the great strait
yet he paused only to pick his wa
among the rocks. He could not go u
the way he had come down. for 1t We
too steep.
Within an hour the demon thirst ha
seized upon him again. clutching wit
fiery fingers at his throat until 1t seer
ed almost closed. So quickly were Il
bodily juices licked up by the sun u
| der such tremendous effort that b
very marrow seemed to have lost
fluid portion and his tongue to ha'
turned to q chip. Now he was in Il
shadow of q great rock. How gratef
was the shade! He paused there for
moment He scolded himself for b
loss of time. but he felt that nome
was one spent In heaven.
In passing through a great split In
rock the canteen strap was cut, al
down fell the precious vessel with
still more precious contents. The sto
per flew from Its place. and plash
water steamed up from the burnil
J rock on which 1t fell. Madly he jerk
| up the canteen. Thank God, only
little water had been wasted. and y
. he reflected as he replaced the cork,
. would have given worlds TO have 81
. ped what had fallen. But he hasten'
on. The warped and split boot SC
, finally cracked clear through. and
! could feel the gridiron heat of I
: rocks upon his naked flesh. for |
, stocking was quickly worn away.
1t was now so hot that the ratt
I snakes did not venture forth upon 4
rocks, so there was no longer any da