Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-03-31

of the ponies
Creeping down the canyon wall, they
cross the bottom, pass the spring and
disappear at turn in the canyon
walls. Nature and Indian meet and
merge in a world of torture and de-
spair.
Dick had Jared badly in the lava
beds. One spring after the other he
found dry His horse fell from ex
haustion and thirst He ended the
sufferings Of his pack mule with a re-
volver bullet
Dick staggered on afoot across the
desert hoping to find water at Apache
spring. His blue shirt was torn and
faded to dingy purple. Hat and
shoulders were gray with alkali dust.
Contact with the rocks and cactus had
rent trousers and leggings His shoes,
cut by sharply pointed stones and with
thread rotted by the dust Of the des-
erts, were worn to Shreds. Unshaven
and unshorn, with sunken cheeks aud
eyes bright with the delirium of 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
himself 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. Stif1ly he arose and Numbered
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-mi l can
make it,
Dick trembled with weakness His
swollen tongue Glove to the roof of his
mouth. His lips were cracked and
blackened. Bits of foam fickered
about the corners of his mouth. The
glare blinded his eyes, which were half
closed. At times fever waves swept
over him; again he shuddered with
cold.
Sounds Of failing waters filed his
ears. The signing Of the wind through
the canyon walls suggested the trio
king CT fountains. Rivers flowed be-
fore his eyes through green meadows
only to fade into the desert as he
gaZed.
what land-What a land. 1t is the
abode of the god of thirst. He tempts
men into bis valley with the lure of
gold and saps the likelihood from theiI
bodies drop by drop. Drop by drop 1
hear it falling. Mott is water | hear
There it is! How cool it 1ooks!'
Dick rose and staggered toward the
cliff. In his delirium Of thirst he saw
streams Of water gush down the noun
tain side. Holding out his arms, he
cried, Saved, savedr'
His hands fell Imply by his sides
as the illusion faded He then dou-
| bled them into fists and shook them at
| the cliff in last defiance of despair
''YOu shan't drive me madr'
j He seized his empty canteen, press
ing it to his lips.
"NO; l drained that two days ago, or
was it three?" he whispered in panic
as he threw il aside
Picking up his gun, he falteringly at
| tempted the ascent. II won't give up
| | Won't!' he shouted huSkily. Eve
fought the desert before and con
quered. I'll conquer again-I'll'-
His will power ebbed with his fail
ing strength. Blindness fell upon him
Oblivion swept over him. He sank
| dying Of thirst, in the sands of the
desert
AS the buZZards find the dead so an
Apache crept upon Dick as he lay pros
trate. But as the Indian aimed be
heard footsteps from a draw. He saw
man approaching the spring. Silent
" he fed behind the rocks.
1t was Jack. He had entered the
lava beds from the east, closely fol
lowing the man for whom he haC
: searched for so many weary months
Others of the Apaches had marked