Morris tribune., 1906-02-17

There was not cloud to temper the
| ferceness with which it beat upon his
head, not breath of air to blow across
his fevered brow. The binding rays
struck him like hammers of molten
iron He stared at it out Of his fren-
zied, bloodshot eyes and writhed be-
| meath its blazing heat. All his faculties
were merged into one consuming de-
sire for WHITEWATER The thirst was
intolerable. Unless he could get some
his brain would give way. He was dy-
ing, dying, dying! Oh, God, he could
not die; he was not ready to die! Oh,
for one moment of time, for one drop
OF water-God- God-God!
Suddenly before his eyes there arose
a figure. At first he fancied it was an
other of the apparitions which had
companied with him during the awful
night and morning, but this was hui
man figure, an old man, bent, haggard,
like himself, with watching, but with
fierce mad joy in his face Where had
he come from? Who was he? What
did he want? The figure glared upon
the unhappy man with one fiery eye,
and then he lifted before the captive's
distorted vision something. What was
it-a cup of water? Water, water brim-
ming over the cup! 1t was just out of
reach Of his lips-so cool, so sweet, so
inviting! He strained at his chains,
bent his head, thrust his lips out. He
could almost touch it-not quite! He
struggled and struggled and strove to
break his letters, but without avail
Those letters could not be broken by
the hand Of man. He could not drink
ah, GOdl-then he lifted his blinded
eyes and searched the face Of the other
''Hornigold!' h. whispered hoarsely
, with his parched and stiffened lips tIs
it thou?"
there was water here. You must be
thirsty You'd like drink? SO would
l. There is not enough for both of
us. Who will get it? L Look"
s'Not all-not air. screamed the old
captain family as the other drained the
cup. "A little! A drop for men'
mot one drop" answered Hornigold:
mot one drop! If you We're in hell and
held river in my hand you would
not get drop! It's gone
He threw tht- cup from him.
Il brought you to this-I! Do you
recall it? You owe this to me. You
had your revenge; this is mine But
it's not over yet I'm watching you.
shall not come out here again, but
I'm watching you, remember that! |
can see your
Take that knife you bear-kill mev'
Il don't want you to die-not yet.
want you to Twelve a long time,
and remember
''Hornigold, I'll make amends! I'll
be your SLAYER
AYE. crawl and cringe now, you dog!
l swore that you should do it. It's use
less to beg me for mercy. know not
that word; neither did you Remem-
Der, watch"
He threw his glance upward, stopped
suddenly, a fierce light in that old eye
of his.
Look up" he cried, land you will
see! Take heart, man. [ guess you
won't have to wait for the tide and
the sun won't bother you long. Re-
member, | am watching your
He turned and walked away, conceal
ing himself in the copse once more,
where he could see and not be seen.
The realization that he was watched
by one whom he could not see, one
who gloated over his miseries and suf
ferings and agonies, added the last
touch to the torture of the buccaneer.
He had no longer strength or naan-
hood. He no longer cried out after
that one last appeal to the merciless
sailor. He did not even look up in
obedience to the old mans injunction.
What was there above him, beneath
him, around him, that could add to his
fear? He prayed for death. They
were the first and last prayers that haze
fallen from his lips for fifty years,
those that day Yet when death did
come at last he shrank from it with
an increasing terror and horror that
made all that he had passed through
seem like a tride.
w ueu OlG ilOFLlSOiN udu lOOhSu up
he had seen a speck in the yaulted
heaven. 1t was slowly soaring around
and around in vast circles and with
each circle coming nearer and nearer
to the ground a pair of keen and
powerful eyes We're aloft there pierre
ing the distance, looking, searching in
every direction until at last their
glance fell upon the figure upon the
rock The circling stopped. There was
a swift rush through the air. A black
featnereI body passed between the
buccaneer and the sun, and d mighty
vulture hideous bird of the tropics,
alighted on the sands near by him.
So this was the judgment of God
upon this mani For a second his tor
tured heart stopped it's beating. lie
stared at the unclean thing, and then
he shrank back against the rock and
screamed with frantic terror. The bird
moved heavily back a little distance
and stopped, peering at him. He could