The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-01-25
CHAPTER XIV.

Il Arizona. The first faint tince
on the eastern horizon fades.
4 and the stars shine the more
brilliantly in the brief, darkest hour
before the true daybreak. An lev
wind sweeps down canyons and over
mesas, singing the marrow of the
wayfarer's bones. In the heavens the
innumerable stars burn steadily in
crystal GOODNESS. Shadows lie in styg-
ian blackness at foot Of rock and val
ley. Soft and clear the lights of night
swathe the uplands. An awesome ST.
lence hangs over the desert flushed
and humbled by the immensity of
space. one expects to hear the rush of
worlds through the universe. At times
the bosom swells with a wild desire to
sing and shout in the glory of pure
living.
The day comes quickly. The sun.
leaping over the edge of the world.
foods mesa and canyon, burning, with
ering, sparing no living thing, lavish
ing reds and puppies, blues and vio-
lets, upon canyon walls and wind
sculptured rocks. But a remorseful
glare. binding. sight destroying, is
thrown back from the sand and alkali
of the desert. Shriveled sagebrush and
slrnnken cactus bravely fight for life.
A narrow pathway leads from the
mesa down the canyons wall, twisting
and doubling on itself to Apache
spring. The trail then moves south
ward between towering cliffs, a lane
through which is caught q far distant
glimpse of the mountains. Little Whirl-
winds of dust spring up ever and
anon, twirling wildly across the sandy
wastes. The air suffocates like the
breath Of a furnace. Ever the pitiless
sun searches and scOrches, as con-
science sears and stings q stricken
soul
spring, ride in single file the Apaches
slowly on tired horses, for the pursu-
ing soldiers have given them no halt
ing space. Naked save for a breeeh-
clOut, with narrow red band of dyed
buckslin about his forehead, in which
Sums a AClIhCi, SdIu AIOCS SIicnt.
grim, cruel. hideous human reptile,
as native to the desert as is the ella
monster. The horse is saddleless. For
a bride the warrior uses a piece Of
grass rope twisted about the poDy's
lower jaw. His legs droop lax,v by
the horses sides. In his right hard l,e
graSps his rifle. resting the butt on IT."
knee. The only sound to break the
stiffness of the day is the rattle o.
stones Slipping and sliding down tn
| pathway when loosened by the hoo.
| of the ponies.
Creeping down the canyon wall, the:
cross the bottom. pass the spring AID
| disappear at turn III the canyon
| walls. Nature ard Indian r,net GO
| merge in Il world CT torture al u
spair.
Dick had Jared badly FL the lava
| beds. One spring after the other l;'
| found dry. His horse fell from ex
| haustion and thirst. He ended tn
sufferings Of his pack mule with rc
volver bullet.
| Dick sta ggered ON afoot across thn
| desert hoping to find water at Apao hr
spring. His blue shirt was torn anG
| faded TO q dingy purple. Hat and
| shoulders were gray with aikali dust.
| Contact with the rocks and ca tus had
rent trousers and leggings. His shoes.
! cut by sharply pointed stones aud with
| thread rOtted by the dust Of the des-
erts, were worn to shreds. Unshaven
and unshorn, with sunken cheeks and
eyes bright with the delirium CT thirst.
he dragged his weary way across the
desert. He reached Apache spring
shortly after the passage of the In
dams. but his craving for water was
so great that he did not observe their
trail
| Keeling toward the spring. he cast
aside his hat and flung down his rife
In his eagerness to drink Throwing
nImseIr on his face before the hollow
In the rock from which the water trio
| killed., he first saw that the waters had
dried up. With his bony fingers he
dug into the dry sand, crying aloud in
despair. Stiffiy he arose and blundered
blindly to a rock, upon which he sank
in his weakness.
Another day like this and I'll give
up the fight" he moaned. apache
spring dry, the first time In years
Little Squaw spring nothing but dust
and alkali. 1t is twenty miles to Clear.
water spring-twenty-mil I can
make it,
Dick trembled with weakness. His
swollen tongue Glove to the roof Of bis
mouth. His lips were cracked and
blackened. Bits of foam fiickered
about the corners of his mouth. The
glare blinded his eyes, which were hall
closed. At times fever waves swept
over him; again he shuddered with
cold.
Sounds Of falling waters filed his
ears. The signing Of the wind through
the canyon walls suggested the trio
king Of fountains. Rivers flowed be
fore his eyes through green Meadow