Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-10-28

1 uIuSt nave SkllILulIy lUICSu QuduItIlSS
of the stuff into the openings all round
the big stone, making a regular dam
against the spring, which would soon
run down in the opposite direction.
They knew, of course, that Baraka
had led him to the place and had gone
in with him, for she had left all her
outer garments outside, and they
meant that she should die also, with
her secret. In a week, or fortnight,
or month, they would come and dig
away the dam and pry the boulder
aside. and would get in and find the
| white bones of the two on the sand.
after the vultures had picked them
clean; and they would take the trav-
eler's good revolver, and his money,
He thought of all these things as he
sat there IN the dim light, and watched
the slow recedil-ss of the water-line,
and listened to the girls soft and reg
| ular breathing There was no death
in her dream, as she slept away the
last hours of the night, though there
might not be many more nights for
| her. He heard her breath, but he did
not heed her, for the water was sink
ing before him, sinking away into the
| sand, now that it was no longer fed
from the opening.
He sat motionless, and his thoughts
ran madly from hope to despair and
back again to hope The water was
| going down, beyond question; il it
was merely draining itself through the
sand to some subterranean channel,
he was lost, but if it was flowing
away through any passage like the
one by which he had entered, there
was still chance of escape-a very
| small chance. When death is at the
| gate the tiniest ioopho!e looks wide
enough to crawl through.
| The surface of the pool subsidized,
but there was no loophole; and as the
| traveller watched, hope sank in his
heart, like the water in the hollow of
the sand; but BaraRa slept on peace
| fully, curled up on her side like lit
| tie wild animal. When the pool was
| almost dry the traveller crept down
| to the edge and drank his fill, that he
| might not begin to thirst sooner than
| need be; and just then day dawned
! suddenly and the warm darkness gave
| way to cool light in few moments.
Immediately, because it was day,
| Baraka stretched herself on the sand
| and then sat up; and when she saw
| what the traveller was doing she also
, went and drank as much as she could
| swallow, for she had understood why
| he was drinking as soon as she saw
that the pool was nearly dry. When
| she could drink no more she locked
up at the rocks high overhead, and
they were already white and red and
| yellow in the light of the risen SUM-
| for in that country there is no very
| long time between dark night and
| broad day.
Baraka sat down again, on the spot
| where she had slept, but she said
nothing. The man was trying to dig
little hole in the wet sand with his
hands, beyond the water that was
| still left, for perhaps he thought that
| if he could make a pit on one side,
some water would stay in it; but the
sand ran together as soon as he
| moved it; and presently, as he bent
| over, he felt that he was sinking into
it himself, and understood that it was
sort of quicksand that would suck
him down. He therefore threw himself
| fiat on his back, stretching out his
arms and legs. and, making move
ments as il he were swimming, he
| worked his way from the dangerous
| place till he was safe on the firm
white beach again. He sat up then and
bent his head till his forehead pressed
on his hands, and he shut his eyes to
keep out the light of day. He had
not slept, as Baraka had, but he was
not sleepy; perhaps he would not be
| able to sleep again before the end
| come. Baraka watched him quietly,
! for she understood that he despaired
| Of life. and she wondered what he
would do; and, besides, he seemed to
her the most beautiful man in the
world, and she loved him, and she was
| going to die with him.
! 1t comforted her to think that no
| other woman could get him now. 1t
| was almost worth while to die for that
| alone; for she could not have borne
| that another woman should have him
since he despised her. and if it had
| come to pass she would have tried to
kill that other. But there was no
| danger of such thing now; and he
would die first, and she would kiss
him many times when he was dead,
| and then she would die also.
The pool was all gone by this time,
leaving funnel-shapped hollow in
the sand where it had been. II any
water still leaked through from with
| out it lost itself under the sand, and
the man and the girl were at the bot
tom OF a great natural We'll that was
quite dry Baraka looked up, and she
saw q vulture sitting in the sun on a
| pinnacle, 800 feet above her head. He
would sit there till she was dead. for
he knew what was coming; then he
would spread his wings little and let
himself down awkwardly. halffying
and half-scrambling. When he had
finished, he would sit and look at her
bones ard doze, till he was able to fly
away
The hours passed, and the sun rose
higher in the sky and struck deeper
into the shady well, till he was almost
overhead, and there was scarcely any
shadow left. 1t became very hot and
sitting, because the passage through
which the air had entered with the
water was shut up. Then the traveller
80 h Sc,