Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-05-31

j believe that this was the haprieSs kour
T her life, for she coosd with delight as
she nestled close to my side.
We had been working the lest part of
an hour. l imagined, and he sky over
head was getting dark, from Shich I con-
cluded if must be about seven o'clock, it
being now the end of March.
I'VE have done enough for to-day,
Psyche" said /. greatly elated by our
progress, ''and you have done admirably
quite as much as | have. l daresay
we've knocked the hole six inches deep
between us. That's good. One thing
l perceive now that / might have fore
seen at first. We haven't got 1t large
enough by two-thirds. We may have
fifty feet of the stuff to work through,
and we must, therefore. make the hole
big enough to stand upright and work in.
That's discouraging, but We won't think
of it, will we?"
She attempted to respond, but her voice
had lost it's clear sweetness, and was
husky and thick. My own voice rasped
my throat: but the knowledge that she
was already suffering from thirst was
harder TO bear than my own craving, and
the anticipation of what she must yet
suffer before the end came mnidened me.
~ "N''t q '''N'F = ~ ANe ~ 49,
peration. "What can l do?"
She nestled yet closer to my arm. as IL
to comfort me in my evident distress.
Suddenly l remembered the water at
the bottom of the well, and the bucket
and rope l had in the next cave. / sprang
to my feet, and raised my little comrade.
And then, striking a match, hurried into
the great cave and seized the bucket. TIT
match went ont. but l lit another. feel
ing that we might be prodigal at such Il
time. We went to the edge of the well.
and | drew up a bucketful of water and
put it to my lips it was brackish. fetiS
and undrInkable. | struck my head with
n groan, and / would not let Psyche touch
it again. eager as she looked ut the sight
of it. Then | bethought me that if we
had any kind of a filter it might be rem
dered sweet and wholesome.
Come along. little one I said. well
see what we can do" and tn. light being
out | left her to guide me back to the
cave.
But now, though it seemed to me no
darker than it had been in the earlier
part of the day, there was a difference,
and Psyche. who could not see in absolute
darkness, had to feel her way back. !
got out our precious candle and lit it,
and choosing a suitable lump of chalk,
| followed it out quickly with the ak.
Setting it firmly between three stones /
filed it with water from the bucket, and
set that piece of the crock in which we
had found water underneath to catch the
drops as they filtered through. Then I
blew out the light. knowing that we must
wait some time for any result. After
waiting as 1 guessed best part of an hour,
I lit a match the water was gone from
the hollow, but not a drop had fallen
into the crock, the chalk having absorb
ed it. When 1 looked at Psyche she
smiled, and putting her finger to her
throat signiied that she was no longer
thirsty. My own thirst had subsidized
somewhat, for it was the heat of our ex-
ertions and the dust from the chalk that
had made us so dry, and fearing that
after all the water might not be drink
able, 1 thought it better that we should
now lie down and try to sleep, with a
view to rising early to begin work again.
(To be c~optinued.)