The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-07-31

ridge rising out of the sand. 1t was
20 or 80 miles away, but there might
be water somewhere along it's base.
1t was the only sign of any kind he
had seen for days. He concluded to
keep on, and by morning he hoped to
reach it. Should he not find water
he had still a little left for the re-
turn. The thought of discovering
water gave him new strength, and he
quickened his pace. The night was
bright, and he had no trouble to keep
his direction. He was saving with
the water now, for he had at least
a two-day's trip back; his %canteen
was not more than half full, and he
would have to rest OF the return trip.
Toward morning and he found the
ground rising. He knew he was ap.
preaching the elevation he had seer
early in the evening. Well worn out,
he stretched himself on the sand for
an hours rest and sleep. When he
awoke it was daylight. He was at
the base of Il hill. The elevation
proved to be three hills, some little
distance apart, and one behind the
other, which, at a long distance, gave
them the appearance of a ridge. They
were also higher than they had
seemed to be on the previous evening.
The mar ate a little of the food
and drank some of the precious
water. What he could low see of the
hills was not encouraging, but his
waking dream came to nina dream
of cottonwood trees, and willows
under, them shading a cool, running
streams on either side of the ridge.
Thinking of this, he gathered his be-
longings and started slowly to ascend
the hill. 1t was a long climb and he
rested often, becoming more excited
as he neared the top, whence he would
be able to see the other side. His
heart sank as it came in sight, for
it was dryer, if possible, than the one
he had traversed. and his vision of an
hour before became as a nightmare.
He knew no time could be wasted in
making the return trip. 1t was a
t~wo-day's journey; he had a scant
o%ne-day's water supply, and he was
very weak. He started around the
hill to get his bearings for camp. He
noticed pieces of queer-looking brown
rock, and through force of habit he
picked up a specimen to examine as
he went. 1t was decomposed quartz
and it crumbled in his hand. He
picked up another and another; they
were the same. Now the brown
chunks on the ground seemed yellow
to him. He picked one up. 1t not
only looked yellow-it appeared very
heavy. He tried others; all were the
same.
Was he dreaming? Or going mad?
He feared the latter. He dropped
the last piece he had picked up and
started for the top of the hill,~rub-
bling his eyes. He sat down in his
excited condition and tried to calm
himself. He looked out over the des-
ert. Everything had it's natural
color; he took a little water; every
thing seemed real; then he went
back. He was neither dreaming nor
going mad. 1t was real! The ground
for a space about two feet wide and
several yards long was covered with
nuggets of all shapes and sizes.
Some had the dark brown quartz
attached, and all were embedded in
a ledge Of honeycombed, decom-
posed brown quartz, with a black
malachite rock on both walls. He
took his canteen from his shoulder
and laid it carefully down while he
inspected his find. He became ex-
cited again when picking up the mug
gets, and in shifting his position
gave the canteen a kick which set
it on it's round edge. In a flash he
realized what he had done.
AS the canteen started down the
hill he pitched after it, though every
second made wider the gap between
it and his reaching hand, and every
time the canteen would strike the
hard, black bedrock with a thud it
was like "a dagger struck at his heart.
He followed it, hoping the tin would
not give way, for there was not a
brush to check it's speed. But as
it struck the bottom his heart sank,
for it bounded high in the air with a
C1Cdi ItnS anu SWeTNeO from 1CS
course. He followed still in the hope
of saving a mouthful of the water
of which he had been so careful a
few minutes before; when he reached
it the can was dry in a little moist
sand where it was resting. He grew
weak as he thought how thirsty he
was, and of the "a hours of hard
travelling before he could reach wa
ter. While he could hear the churn-
ing of the water in his canteen he
had not felt such thirst, but now he
shuddered to think of what this dis
aster meant.
Then he started around the hill to
get his bearing for camp. He cared
nothing for his discovery of a few
minutes before, although it was the
richest sight of virgin gold human
eyes eve rested upon; neither did
he care for food which he would not
be able to eat without something to
drink. He took another look UP the
hill and wondered if he would ever
see it again. AS nearly as he could
he took his bearings for camp and