Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-24

whired along like limitless column Of tiny hail
storms shutting out the sky above and the light
OF the sun. To the troopers it seemed like being
buried alive.
Then suddenly the thunder of the rushing col
umns grew fainter The troopers, raising their
heads. saw the sunbeams struggling weakly
through the mist of fine dust, and knew that tho
fury OF the storm had abated. But the tiny par
tices had penetrated their throats sucking up
the moisture of their bodies, and making them
burn with fiery thirst
Guess we'd better make tracks for the nearest
oamelsoak' said Gordon. I've mopped up ev
cry drop of my water"
The sergeant looked at his own empty bottle
and suenly assented. He felt bitterly that an
adverse Fate was dogging his footsteps, for hc
had made certain of getting the outlaw that day.
He knew that they were hot on his tracks, and
that the storm was the only happening that could
have saved him. Wherefore his passion for re.
venge ragged more fercely as he rode back.
But as they hurried on feeling of horror came
over them they found the track bottcd ont
completely by the storm. On that lonely desert
there were no landmarks, their horses foot.
marks were the only guide to show them the
trail over which they had come. Now that these
were filled in by the shifting sand they were
as hopelessy adrift rudderless boat at sea,
With the consciousness of this they felt more
keenly the burning dryncss of their parched
soaking up bit by bit the life of their systems.
Their joints ached with dryness, and they looked
at one another uneasly, each seeing the fear If
horrible death written plainly on his mates
faces.
At sunset, though they pecred eagerly around
the rim of the horizon they could see nothing
but the long stretches of sand. The sergeant
cast himself down and said he could go no fur.
ther. He had not the stamina of the other two
n hOOdSh0t IN
frenzy OF pain.
The other troopers lay down beside him, and
night came creeping over the desert They tried
to sleep, but their tortured throats clamored for
water
The sergeant. growing demented with agony,
tried to tear the clothes from his body feeling
the choking sufocation of their touch but his
hands fell weakly by his side Then, towards
morning, dreamy stupor came over them, max
ing them for a time unconscious of their parched
and withered bodies.
Moran the sergeant awoke first to find fig
ure appearing over the stretch of desert His
eyes were blinded by the films of dust, and .
was not till the stranger was but few yards
away that he recognized Romany King, his enemy
Instantly the old passion swept in a tide over
his BRAIN and gropng feebly for his revolver he
fired quickly at the bushranger.
But the shot flew wide of the mark In a
flash, Romany King knocked the weapon from
his hand and knelt down beside him on the
ground
Il guess this isn't the time for shooting" Re
said curtly.
He took the water bottle from his belt, and ap.
piled it to the mouth of the sergeant. The lat
ter drank eagerly, the cool liquid acting like balm
on his swollen tongue and throat There was
something almost magical in the way it restored
the shrunken tissues of his body and soothel
his fever-wrecked frame. The bushranger no.
ticed that the frenzied look was passing from
his eyes and he turned his attention to the
others.