The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-02
DRIFT BY rnIL M. ARnsraUAs
FROM SUN TO SUN.

fh. ~r-,rS WE " -
 .ss Its S. ssass ssss. sss ss,r. Pss ss ,sx Gsrsis{ igsr n Ss st ssSys y @ ssss I vulslve shudder of the frame and what had been live man settled Into q sss ssssss sssss :S.. ss g.s :. s: .sss.s; ss.s; ing himself that he had been unob- served. arose. shook himself and went about the preparations for the last
 But as he attempted to spike the hled so that he cut his finger and he swsfs Wss .. 'ssns0sS ahs sI.ht of blood. a'a ' laushed st his fears and continued y:th his preparations. Every now and then not help siancing in the direction of the Thing under the blanket
 dstting up he spiked the piece of sa Ssek Coward a tps os5es. that ansoysd M him and smiled childishfy as the raw meat began to sizzis in the blaze of
 It was good day light when he fn- ished his rspast. and drawing forth for a few moments in the counforts of
 sespina ssSd s0ss s sSs sssS vas Tasf hs ss sssnks. rolled into small bundle, he lay look ing Into the sky blowing rings of smoke as he did so.. gasing fnte4tiy in tfyins to imagine beltmire's soul beat and thitSsr. Hss seeking 's its sssiding piacs. wiiswdly snissS sssE.s sf h sasSssdRly s deeapi
 Around and around h wids circles slowly. deiiberatsly. nSver in errAtlc ssion sIs forming a nas G xaornstrissi @ aiasra. & ins him nearer and nearsr the. earth. were ' ,.fqlly thapght out n a,q pis'a'
 with a sort of fevulsion and hatred, Baloid began to slowly realize that the vnl&ars uHgsanly scavengef ,. vas sssking s..d feoe and was setting nssFer
 what ccuid De the . object of his ray-
 s Bsioid soaiidn't imagine. as hs had just cooked and eaten the last piece of
 The last piece watch hs apa pelt- mire had Intended to divide, but over gaiea ti,sy has fought a llFs ySivssS p,r ssSs ths tt R tin can wisiich had 1ontGinsd lbs- fore ne drank it1 tas lAst dfsp & of s,s wa- a Iy the huddled Tnins under the .
 naloIa must have dropped eis te slssp & fSE ws sv s sNsn tFhsd i. 0ss ws af e sftsr noon and he had . raging fever: There were other buszafdA, hundreds. In fact, the earth and sky seemed alive with red neoks extended inquirlnglY. were all drawing tlnidly with great aTk- ward hopes and many pauaes towaxd@- God--eould fl Der Yes. 1t was poor
 Being too weak and sick to set up on his feet and lift to his shouldef the gun from which, though be had nrsd a Club. Baioid prcpped his fever rseked head upon ihis enaaciated hand afd looked at the siEht before hiEn- He tsIsd Ss t9 csat a1s ths up TisSs ss ts e fort only made ais eyes swim and his asVH Win S'as' a whir. they gathered around blanket. % half of which had been drawn aside revealing in startling repufsive- ness what lay beneath.
 Al esa s GSss tss assrs esad of alod raEe and a determination for revenge on the vile creatures that would deTouF the body of a feliownaan. Much az ne h4d na- tsers tSe shS SnaSis as tc protect hinsssii. tAs one spark ,et good left in haaeia ass
 if hs could only crawl ovsr and effort would enable him to trighten the hiF birds from the body
 How he wished Tor just one cart; ridge to scatter that crew Of seathesed
 ss He shouted ana screamed as che top of his voice but with q hop or two from the 2utermost oiras; wne au'Sn- sa- ''GSsVsi; slowly. deliSerately. now sheuling hoarsely, like 6 wild beast, et Dey toward HSs9 GSsa tSe sun GlIS which lay directly De- tween himself and the birds.
 So slowly, inch by inch ne csept as to be sssOt,ssS, t,, by x ss Sss scupi saDw for ,oy as he feit the warm n-baked stock against his head.
 Panting. for breath, for the snors upon, he lay still glad that he had att tained this much Of his auest .a
 With returninE strength, he moves
 wfsa r,t s. sSwara tow npon Tns s Ssn6s and Knees he crawled over the hot alkalai plain.
 As he threw his body Into the mass mass s fisw up into the air but 1t seemed that thousands still remained. stihing him with theid dirty feath CTS beaks ana eyes. oh those sickepihe. sscauns. 0i1IHsplr And ths swrui silence of t all seem: ed to drive hiEn mad. Not q sound they uttered. there was 9niy the stiH- " if they would only flight. but they resisted not. A more frantic. brain wrecking method they had. and Ba- iold knew. 1t; they would preseeniiy T e5ti;' pFSi sSnEinr into a wretched. weakened heap, Baioid dropped his gun and be, gan 10 fight with his bare hands. but this was ike pushing back the surf or wsir whir, whir. was there syer such misery for mortal man to en- dure. T5uddIed Thing under the blanket, It at least. could not feel.
 Bleeding from a dozen wounds wnicn he had inflicted upon himself through contact with sharn healxs and claws. RaloId finally siiuddered and fell across the body. of his comrade and the blackress of annShilatiou. ~hich men call Deat engulfed him.
 Then as the sun dropped Into the syranrd nn the other side. and the hlark snakes wriRg1ed into their holes. and th little thin uoan 9lowed faintlv ir the east a lone covote settled him self on his hsunehes ove~ hehind some cac tus hush es and hawled lonesomely at tNe anprnachine risht.