The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-05-12
THE WAY or THE TRAIL


desert, turning the chaperai INTO
tawny beauty.
The man got to his feet unsteadily,
with a 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 HE
companion and the look deepened I
AS he did so the always shoulder
ing wrath of his soul toward that
other man-miles ahead now-thai
man who had robbed them, swelled
to its height. He had always mistrust-
ed him, but his hate had never as
sumed strength as this He became
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 crowning
horror and certainty of his and this
his brothers death.
His distorted brain wrought upon
the knowledge that plainsman owned
of the desert, knew it as well as his
own name. had told him so-.knew the
secret spot of his and his brothers
mine of golden ore back there in the
far-away hills. He had left them to
slow death, to claim It; taking the
only remaining horse, the last drop
OF water
But We'll live, and Wen get the
better of him yet" be muttered to
the unheeding form.
A long time he sat there, motion
less as the unconscious man In his
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 dlsjointed words
whispers, half-formed sentences fell
from them, popping the penetrating
silence with fearsome sounds.
"Jim-tell her to-wait for-me
We're rlch!--g gold yellow gold TED
---her to wait-she promised gold
yellow gold"
Then silence, a rhythmic pause, and
the beat of the words again,
A groan choked past the lump 10
the throat OF the man listening, and
by and by his fevered eyes lifted In
a prayer, slowly, up TO the drowning
deeps.
Save him. oh, God!--not me. Save
hint II
Over and over these words fell
half unconsciously, while he wiped
the damp forehead as gently as
woman would IT
Releasing his left arm cautiously
he laid his burden back on the out
spread coat and stumbled oyer to
the dead horse. With fumbllng
hands he removed the saddle blanket
and dragged 1t across the few ron,
to the sick mans side, where, around
his head and shoulders, by the aid
OF this and chaparal bush, he built
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 a moment ana
looked down at the helpless, Wills.
pering wreck Of him who had once
been bigger and stronger than he
then with 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 shufIied
doggedly, making little Roadway.
stopping every now and then at short
and shorter intervals, to start again
with a 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.
But when the silver-yellow light
flooded the east the lone figure ceased
to stumble and hitch along; II sank
down on the crest Of sand dune and
sat bowed over its knees.
; 4 ne sun NdIHG UNHT the desert, Iilil
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 it's haze
settled upon him.
Higher rose the sun, beginning at
once its shimmering dance over the
arid waste. II danced In giddy cir
cles. maddening waves, chasing each
other, deep into the cavernous eyes
that stared into vacancy; and by and
by wrought In them the cowed, help.
less appeal of a dogs under the lash
of his master. He moved his head 10
and fro, and closed them, blinkingly.
They opened again, shut, opened and
fxed upon a dark spot directly in
the path of the griDning sun.
II grew large and distorted, that
spot. to the eyes Watching which
opened wider staringly, flashed and
steadied, and great cry rose to the
mans lips-choked- soundless; while
sudden spasm, wild and glad, swept
his face. and he dropped weekly to hts
knees.
"Jim--it's Jim, He never meant
10 desert--us. Helm" With
this strained, thickened whisper On
his lips he fell face downward in the