Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-26

~ MzGzsA.SAMM Lu
The sailors rifle aren't OF aUitIl an amer
pcctCd hama.
After panse she said:
81 think l understand now why YOU
Herc so upset by the loss of our wa
ter supply. Before tie day ends we
will be in great straits, enduring ago
MES from thirst"
LET us not meet the devil halfway"
he rcioined. He preferred the unfair
retOrt TO confession which could only
foster dismay
But, please, am thirsty now
lie moved uneasily. He was only too
conscious of the impish weakness, COM
mon to all mankind, which creates a
desire out of sheer inability to satisfy
it. Already his own throat was parched.
The excitement of the early struggle
was in itself enough to engender an
acute thirst. He thought it best to
meet their absolute needs as far as
possible.
Bring the tin cup" he said. "Lct
us take half our store and use the re-
mainder when we eat. Try to avoid
breathing through your mouth. The
hot air quickly affects the palate ana
causes an artificial dryness. We can
not yet be in real need of water. 1t is
largely Imagination"
Iris needed no second bidding. She
carefully measured out half a pint of
the unsavory tluid-the dregs of the
casks and the scourings of the ledge.
II will drink first" she cried
mo, no." he interrupted impatiently.
"Give it to me-"
She pretended to be surprised.
"As mere matter of politcness'-
II am sorry, but must insist"
She gave him the cup over his Shout
der He placed 1t to his lips and
gulped steadily.
"There," he said gruflly. 81 was in a
hurry. The Dyaks may have another
rush at any moment"
Iris looked into the vessel.
you have taken none at ALL" she
said.
"Nonsense.'
"Mr. jerks, be reasonable! You need
it more than /. l d-dont want to-live
w-witlout-you.'
His hands shook somewhat 1t was
well there was no call for accurate
shooting just then.
II assure you 1 took all required"
he declared, with unnecessary vehe.
mence.
at least drink your share to please
me- she murmured.
You wished to humbug me-" he
grumbled. IF you will take the first
half will take the second"
And they settled it that way. The
few mouthfuls of tepid water gave
them new life. Nevertheless by high
noon they were suffering again. The
| time passed very slowly. The sun
rose to the zenith and filled the earth
and air with his ardor. 1t seemed to be
a miracle now appreciated for the
first time in their lives-that the sea
| did not dry up and the leaves wither
on the trees. The silence, the deuthly
| inactivity Of all things, became intol-
cradle. The girl brayely tried to con-
fine her thoughts to the task of the
hour. She displayed alert watchful-
ness, an instant readiness to warn her
companion of the slightest movement
among the trees or by the rocks to the
northwest this being the are of their
| periphery assigned to her
Looking at sunlit space from cover
| and look intr Mt thp cnT ,,In
sweltering in the direct rays of trop-
ical sun are kindred operations strange
ly diverse in achievement. Iris could
not reconcile the physical senstiveness
| Of the hour with the careless hardi-
hood of the preceding days. Her eyes
ached somewhat, for she had tilted her
| sou wester to the back of her head in
the effort to cool her throbbing tenn
| pies. She put up her right hand to
shade the too vivid reflection of the
glistening sea and was astounded to
find that III a few minutes the back OF
her hand was scorched. A faint sound
of distant shouting disturbed her pain
full reverie.
Glow Is it." she asked, "that we feel
the heat so much today? l had hardly
noticed 1t before"
"For two good reasons-forced idle
ness and radiation from this confound-
ed rock. Moreover, this b the hottest
day we have experienced on the island.
There is not n breath Of air, and the
hot weather has just commenced"
Don't you think" she said huslsily,
that our position here is quite hope
less"
They were talking to each other side
ways. The sailor never turned his
gaze from the southern end Of the val
ley.
at is no more hopeless now than last
night or this morning" he replied.
but suppose we are kept here for
several days?"
THAT was always an unpleasant
probability"
1--WE had water then. Even with an
ample supply it would be difficult to
hold out. AS things are, such course
becomes simply impossible
Her dependency pierced his soul. A
slow agony was consuming her.
at is hard, l admit" he said. "Nev-
erthecss you must bear up until night
falls; then we will either obtain water
Or leave this place"
Surely we can do neither"
I'VE may be compelled to do both"
But how?"
In this his hour of EXTREMIST need
the man was vouchsafcd shred of
luck. Before he could frame feeble
pretext for his too s:nguine prediction
sHEpan appeared 500 yards from
Turtle beach. stienuously padded by
three men. The vague hallooing they
had heard was explained.