Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-24

T0LL morning they had tracked him over
IA the dry, blistering plains. The midday
kS sun beat down upon them with that
t@%&9SI fierce. penetrating heat peculiar to the
Westralian desert, but still they kept
on with unhagging ardor. Two of them were
jealous troopers, intent only on their duty, but
the third, Moran, dark, sour-lookng sergeant,
held raging in his breast fiery, implacabe ha-
tired of the man he pursued.
The binding passion steeled him against the
hardships of the desert track, which were rapidly
becoming a torture to his two mates year
ago, in scufAe they had together in the ranges,
Romany King had disarmed Moran, and had
laughingly ridden off leaving him bound to a tree,
to be discovered a few hours later by the other
troopers 1t was humiliating position, and the
memory of it embittered his soul. He was
half.breed, and all the savage instincts of his
native mothers race clamored nsistently for re-
venge.
As the day went on and the horses began to
pant and whinny with the thirst that shrank
their ribs, the troopers began to talk about re.
turning TO one of the camel-soaks on the plain.
Their supplies of water were exhausted save
for few drops in the bottoms of their canvas
bottles.
There's wind coming straight from the
east said Gordon, big sun-tanned trooper
'and that means dust storm, sure as death, on
a day like this"
Duncan, his companion, nodded assent, but the
sergeant looked at them fercely.
81 guess I'm giving orders in this outfit" he
said, "and we're going to push on till we put the
bracelets on that scoundrel, dust storm or no
dust storm"
His face assumed an expression that was al
most evil in its intensity, and the other two men
were silenced But, as if in confirmation of their
fet-s, there sounded in the distance low hum
ming like that of bee.
Gradually it grew in volume rising and falling
as does the lowing of herd of wild cattle when
they camp at sunset. The troopers knew only
too well what it meant, and their faces blanched
at the ominous sound.
As the moments went by the air grew vibrant,
as II the whole plain vibrated with the notes OF
an organ. Then, in the distance, appeared tny
clouds like volleys of smoke A shadowv film
crept over the face of the sun till its rays grew
dim and yellow and all the atmosphere became
pregnant with an uncanny sensation as if some
thing unearthy were about to happen. The
horses felt its presence and began to whnny VIA
fear, their eyes showing red in their sockets
Even the sergeant began to feel something OF
the animals terror of the tmcoming storm, and
gave the order to gallop back over the track The
horses raced for their lives, their ears laid back
and their limbs stretched out to the utmost All
creation seemed to boom with the roar of the
wind, and behind them came the impenetrable
wall of advancing dust. The singing, whirrirg
note of its music crept into their brains and mad
dened them to greater speed. Then suddenly
with fierce power, it burst upon them. blottinr
them out from one another's sight and envelopipp
them in utter backness.
Instinctivey they threw themselves off .heir
horses, and lying fiat on the plain buried their
faces in their arms 1t was the only way to get
relief from the smothering dust which smarted
IN their nostrs and the back of their throats
The roar had become deafening, and the sand