The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-08-31

Hope, as it were. The shock Of it made
him sane. He staggered TO his feet
and looked about him klinking.y.
Not 50 yards away stood . woman,
or a girl child, he could not tell which.
The figure stretched its hands toward
him and he went to it doubtingly. IT
was in slightly better case than he,
for it could still talk. 1t said:
"For Gods sake, water."
Hope mumb.ed something. intended
for There is not water in this coun-
try" He stared at the figure; the fig-
nre stared at him from under loose
hair. In these circums sances sex
ceases. He put his arm about the fg-
ure's waist and supported H. He was a
brave man. was Hope. and he tod him
self in that instant that here was life
miserab.y dependent upon his own and
that he would work harder TO save it
than he had yet worked. The thought
seemed 10 give him strength. and he
stood erect for the first time in many
hours His implaca bic science told him
that there was no drinkabie water in
Death valley. but he remembered that
,
boy he used to read BeadIe's dime nov
els. and in one Of these novels was
heroic Indian slayer who had got water
in the valley by digging for ii with his
tomahawk- He almost smiled II the
recollection and he wished that he
might have the snug. we-l-fed. IN
thirsty author Of that roma nee for ~
hours in the valley itself instead Of
in his New York ROOM with hot md
cold water pipes within ten feet Of
him. Nevertheless he kept his arm
about the figure and gently urged it
onward.
| They came TO 4 cleft. or lengthy de-
| preston, 10 the internal soil. Possibly
| 100000 Of years ago IT had been a
1 creek Its bed was xti-. defined and
il was of sand Hope cast about
| him until he found silver of red rock.
sharp-pointed. a foot wide and three
feet long-just scale of the stone in
| fact-and with this he set to digging
slowly The sand was Dose and BY
/ heroic effort al the end Of ar hour or
two he had gone down fonr feet in \
/ narrow hole The woma n sat near him
She had not uttered a word since her
first piriful plea and she did not watch
him while he dug Six inches further
and the sand became moist Ano; he r
foot and water could be squeezed from
il. another foot and a small pool of IL.
six inches across and half inch deep.
. was visible. II was hot but xweetish
evidently a seep from some one of the
I IL
eral had been filtered from il in its
passage. Set il down TO the ever.sss-
ing credit of Francis Hope that he
climbed from the hole. went to the
woman. brought her TO its edge. took
half pint in his hat and poured IL
down her throat while his own lips
were bleeding l say that Sir Philip
Sidney. riding from battle with .
broker thigh and giving his last drop
TO a wounded soldier. did not do finer
deed Five small swallows of the water
restored the scientific mind to its nor
ma precision. and he saw that nett her
his compa MON nor himself got too
much of L. They rested by the little
pool unit. the sun set then took a Fl nal
drau2ht and set out Reason had come
back to her eyes. and she placed her
hand in his as she stepped out bravely
his eve on a fixed point dimly seen in
the dusk Al ten that night they ca me
to a trail. broad and beaten and ,ay
down beside ii 10 x,eep. the woman
resting her head upon his shoulder ike
tired child Al midnight a 16-muls
team came by II dragged a huge
wagon loaded with crude Sorax. and
the driver alternately xwore and sang
He gave them food and drink asked
few questions and. suppo<ing them Ia
be man and wife offered them a bed
in his huge enormous vehic'e. Sex had
reasserted itself. Hope laughed and
the woman b.ushed. So she curlsd her
self in the rear end Of it and Hop- wen;
20 the forward end. 20 feet away. and
between them was Z mountainous bar
rier of borax.
Next day she toli him her story Her
father and brothers were Californiaps
and prospeetors camped upon the edge
of the desert She had quit school nd
accompanied them for the novelty OF
it and had wandered from the tent in
pursui, of beetles. She had been more
saving with her water bottle and had
been out IL hours longer than Hope
Her name WAS Beatrice Holden. and
while she rode she blos<omed out won
uerfuyy. finally ending as = frank
somewhat pump and very pretty CIR
of 20. with a constant trustfu,ness in
aud dependence upon her rescuer
They went TO the Needles together and
from there TO Los Ange.es. where she
had friends The end of i, was that he
asked her to marry him. and she did
He took her to Warrington with hin
aud has got gu, of his experience =
charming wife. magazine article ol
two. an impressionissic description OF
the pangs of thirst. an elucidate9 and
iprinted theory to the efeet that WON
en- are caps bic of more endurance thar
men and a profound pamphlet on the
possibility and desirability of irriga,
ing Death valley.
Thirdly Was AAaDln9
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