Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1909-01-22


N'.st err as, ithel hint chip does tirea How
ever. there's lots Of cactus around
here. and they're natural water Jars.
Ny knife may get naeaa drink out OF /
the deserts thorns as we'll as kindle
a fire from it's stones! And right here's /
my watermelon. the bisnaga. the first !
one I've found In -months"" he exclaim-
ed, going over to the edge Of the cliff.
above the level Of which peered the
fat head OF cactus covered with
spines that were barbed4 like d fish,
hook. Its short taproot was fixed In
a crevice few feet below the para
pet. Lying, on the edge, Of the cliff.
the man, sliced off the top of the cac-
tus and began jabbing into it's interior,
breaking down the, fibrous walls Of the
water cells, Of which the top heavy
plant Is almost entirely composed. In
a few moments he arose. .:~s'., -
SNOW 1 can empty my canteen in the
cofeepot. sure of a. fresh supply Of
water by the =, time l., am ready to
mosey along"
He filed the pot, set 1t on the fire
and then pressed the uncorked and
empty 1'canteen down into the macer-
atedc interior of the bisnaga. -: = ~
While his coffeejwas boiling the pros
pector continued his examination of
the fortificatton, beginning, in the. man
ner of his kind. with the more minute
"signs" and ending with what to
tourist would have been the first and
only subject Of ot,servation-the view.
On the inner side Of the large bowider
In the wall he discernedi he faint out
tine of a crosa painted with red ochsx.
Scraping with ibis. pick beneath the
rock to see If the emblem was the sign
Of hidden treasure or relic. he, ,unearth
:ud;a rattlesnake. Before it could strike
with quick 9ihg of his tool he sent
the reptile whiting high in the air to-
ward the precipice. Butt from the clump
Of cactus growth along the parapet
arose a sahuaroa with branching arms,
and against this the snake was flung.
Wrapped around the thorny TOP by the
momentum OF the cast, IT nung, Missing
and rafting with pain and hatred
The prospector looked up at the i'm
paled rattlesnake with a smile Rem
iniscences of Sunday. school flashed
across his mind. ~. :i..s.
Gee, Pm regular Moses!":s he ejac-.
ulated. First l bring water from the.
face Of the rock. and then lift up the
serpent III the wilderness. The year
I've spent in the mountains and desert
seems like forty to me. and now at
last l have u sight of the promised
land. God. what q magnificent vieW!
f. Dropping his pick, he stretched out
his arms with instructive symboliza-
ton of the wide prospect and expires.
sion Of an exile's yearning for his ma
, tive land AZ AZ sS85 $S!
lover there is Gods country. sura
enough" he continued, giving the trite
phrase q reyerential tone which be had
not, used in his first expression Of the
; nameSof Deity. THANK him, the paral-
lel*$with old Moses stops right here.
. Many time I thought I would never
get of the: mountains alive and that
my grave would be unmarked by 50
,, much as bowlder with red cross
upon it. But now before night I'll be
back in the States and in three more
, days at home on the old ranch. alt
promised to return ina year, and I'll
make good to the hour. / sure did hate
to leave that strike. though. after all
\ the hard luck 4 had been having. Sixty
! dollars day and growing richeri But
/ the last horn was blowing no tobacco,
six matches and nothing left of the
+ bacon but rinds., Well, the, gold IL
there. and the claim II bring whateYe,
choose TO ask for 1t. And Echo shall
have a home as good as Allen Ha,
! cienda and q ranch as fine as Bar One
Yes, It'll be Bar None, my ranch!
Out Of the sea Of molten air that
4 stretched before him. that nebulous
chaos Of quiverfng bars and belts III
heated atmosphere which remains
above the desert as memorial OF the
first stage of the entire planets exist
ence, the ina inat lion Of the prospectoE
I. created a paradise OF t,is own. There
took shape before his eyes a Mexican
hacienda, larger and more beautiful
even than that of Echo's father. ttle
beau ideal OF home to his limited
4 fancy. And on the piazza iii front
4 covered with lowering vines, there
stood awaiting him the slender fgurs
Ssof ~ woman, with outstretc hed arms
B and dark eyes, tender with yearnins
love.
Echo Echo AIleni,' he murmured
fondly repeating the name No. mo-
W Echo lien but Echo Lane. for lDicl
#5 Iane has redeemed his promise III
s ID aturns claim you as his
lAs he gazed upon
ss heat Yes pliis