The Cairo bulletin., 1908-05-12

Brucie Annie Dunno.

with look of fear In his eyes. His
glance stared across the grim level,
down the faint white line of the trail
then back, to fall upon the face OF
his companion, and the look deepened,
Sleeping? He knelt feebly, again
placing his hand upon the face of his
companion and the look deepened
AS he did so the always shoulder
Ing wrath of his soul toward that
other man miles ahead now--thal
man who had robbed them, sweled
to its height. He had always mistrnst.
ed him, but HIS hate had never as
sumed strength as this. He becams
conscious. as he had never been be
fore, that that man was responsible
for It all. the strayed pony, leaking
water bottle, even to the BROWNING
horror and certainty OF his and this
his brother's-death.
HIS distorted brain wrought upon
the knowledge that plainsman owned
or the desert, knew 1t as we'll as his
own name. had told him so-knew the
secret spot of his and his brothers
mine or golden ore back there In the
efar-away hills. He had left them ia
slow death, to claim it; taking the
only remaining horse, the last DROP
of water.
"But Wen live. and wen get the
better of him yet" he muttered ia
the linheedIng form.
A long time he sat there, motion
less as the unconscious man in hts
arms, staring down upon the hypnotic
calm of the blank features, formless
anathemas in his heart.
AS he watched the stiff caked lips
began to move, and disjoihted words
whispers, halfformed sentences fell
from them, peopling the penetrating
silence with fearsome sounds.
"Jimtel her to-wait for--fIie
We're rich! gold yellow gold TEN
her TO walt-she promised gold
yellow gold!--"
Then silence, rhythmic pause, and
the beat of the words again.
A groan choked past the lump In
the throat of the man listening, and
by and by his feyered eyes lifted in
a prayer, slowly, up to the drowning
deeps
Save him, oh, God'--not me. Save
him.
Over and over these words fell,
half unconsciously, while he wiped
the damp forehead as gently as a
woman would.
Releasing his left arm cautiously
he laid his burden back on the out.
spread coat and stumbled over to
the dead horse. With funlbl,ng
hands he removed the saddle blanke.
and dragged It across the few roas
to the sick mans side, where, around
his head and shoulders. by the aid
of this and chaparal bush. he built
a sort of screen to shield the staring
eyes from the light of the moon.
This done his gaunt figure swayed
a bit as he stood for moment aid
looked down at the helpless, whis.
pering wreck of him who had once
been bigger and stronger than he,
then with a muttered word he turned
his steps forward to the dim. white
trail, tangling and twisting Its tor.
tuous way, faint and fainter, on to
the point of disappearing uncertainty.
All night the dragging feet shuffled
doggedly, making little headway,
stopping every now and then at short
and shorter intervals, to start again
with pickering squirt of strength as
the thickening sense OF necessity
urged, pursued by the thought OF the
form under the chapparal bush, back
here--somewhere. AA*
But when the silver yellow light
flooded the east the lone figure ceased
TO stumble andfhitch along: II sank
down on the crest OF sand dune and
sat bowed over it's knees
The'sun CAME over the desert. fiili
and red, and famed into the face OF
the man, who stared and nodded. The
man shivered, too, for the fever had
communicated Itself TO him and had
full control, while the grip OF its haze
settled upon him.
Higher rose the sun, beginning at
once its shimmering dance over the
arid waste. II danced in giddy cir.
Giles, maddening waves, chasing each
other, deep into the cavernous eyes
that stared into vacancy: and by and
by wrought in them the eowed. help.
less appeal of dogs under the lash
of his master. He moved his head TO
and fro, and closed them, blinkingly
They opened again. shut, opened and
fixed upon a dark spot directly in
the path of the grinniug sun
II grew large and distnrted. that
spot, to the eyes watching; which
opened wider. staringly. flashed and
steadied. and great cry rose to the
mans lips--choked- suundless: while
a sudden spasm. wild and glad, swept
his face, and he dropped weekly to hts
knees.
"Jim---lt's Jim, He never meant
TO desert-us. Helm" With
this strained. thickened whisper on
his lips he fell face downward in the
sand.
For a moment he stirred there. then
lay quite still. tn eglad Hight on his
face: Just as the two men in the
prairie team drew up. and one swung
= T..