Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-12-10

once it had flowed with streams, but that was before the curse of God came upon it. and in it's harsh, dry barren ness it grew to be a menace to living things.
 The saddle stock had been watered at some fetid alkali holes that had scarce given enough to slake thelr thirst. The effect of the water had weakened them, and the steers that had been without water for thirty-siX hours were being pushed on course slightly northwest as rapidly as the enfeebled condition of the saddle horses would permit. Creek after creek that they had made for proved to be but a dry bed
 The glare of the red earth under the scourge of the flaming sun tormented the eyes of the men into strange lliu- sons. The naked red plain stretched flat like the colossal background of a screen, over which Writhed huge dragon spined with many horns, head less, trailing it's tortuous way over the red world. Sometimes it was as un- real as a fever haunted dream, drug inspired nightmare, when Chinese screen. perchance has stood at the foot of the sleeper's bed. Sometimes the dragon curled itself into ball, and the foreman sung out that they were mill ing, and the men turned and rode away from it, then dashed back at it, after getting the necessary momentum, en- tered like a flying wedge, fought their way into the rocking sea of surging bodies shouted from their thirst pafeh- ed threats imp"ecations that We're lost in the dull, sulen roar. Then the dra gon would uneoil and again trail it's way over the Ted Waste lands.
 \ red sun had begun to set over a red earth, and the men who had Eeen out since noon securing the country for water returned to say that none had been found. and they began to look in to each others face for the answer that none could give. At sunset they made a dry camp. There was but enough water left to cook with. Each man received as thirst 4uenching Ia ton a can of tomatoes After supper they consulted, and it was agreed to trail the herd till midnight, taking ad- vantage of the coolness to hurry them on as fast as possible to Green river. The grave nature of their plight Was indicated by the fact that no one smoked! after supper Silent sullen, they sat round. waiting for the fore man to give the order to advance. He waited for the moon to come up. Slow 1x-i hh I huag. round and full like a gigantic Ian tern.
 The watches were arranged for the night with q double guard. Every man ill the outfit was beginning to have a feeling of panic that communi cated itself to every other man. and as they looked at the herd. tractable now no longer. but q blind force that they must take chances with through the long watches of the night, while the thirst grew in the beasts parched throats. they foreSaw what would ill all probability happen: they thought of their women, of all that most strongly bound them to life, and they sat and waited aumbly.
 The moon that night was too bril- liant for benisons; the gaunt. red world lay naked and unshriven for the sin that long ago had brought upon it the wrath of God Sometimes the cattle split and one of them tried to turn back to the last water they had drunk. for cattle. though blinded with thirst never forget the last stream at which they have quenched thirst and will turn back to it though they drop on the way. But the men pressed them farther and farther, and for yet little while the cattle yielded.
 At midnight the saddle stock was in. capable of moving farther. One horse had fallen and lay too weak to rise The others. limping and footsore, no .onger responded to Huirt and rowel The foreman ordered the herd thrown >n the bel grounu for the night. The Aerders for the first watch began to c.rclc The rest of the out fit took to it's l.ankets to snatch q little rest for tlc
 ouble duty that awaited every mat
 hat night. Now, it is d time honorc, .el;cf amcrg cow men that the hero rust be sung to. particularly when i;
 restless. and tonight they tried al he old favoritcs;. the "CowDoy's La :rnt' bein.- chef among them. Bu' -, herd refused to be soOthed. an'
 o;nd and round it circled; not once
 -nuld it lie down.
 he moon gieamcd almost brazcn.
 owing the cruel scars, the trenches :. hy cloudbursts, the lines wrought :. t..e long. psstient waiting of the
 s:'.h for the lifting of the wrath of ,)i. Imperish;;L.e grief was writ on l..e land as on a human face. The S,t wore on, the watches changed, the herd continued restless: not more | ,.an d third of it had beddel down. he third watch was from 1 o'clock to half past 3 in the morning. S.mp- Gon and another XXX man, win two of the Wetluore outfit, made up