The Tupelo journal., 1909-11-26


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
outc- garments outside, and they
meant that she should die also, with
her secret. In a week, or a fortnight,
or a 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 %receding 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 m%otionless, and his thoughts
ran madly from hope to despair and
back again to hope. The water was
going down, beyond question; if it
was merely draining itself through the
sand to some subterranean channel,
he was lost, but il it was flowing
away through any passage like the
one by which he had entered, there
small chance. When death is at the
| gate the tiniest loophole looks wide
enough to crawl through.
The surface of the pool subsidized,
but there was n~olloophole; and as the
traveller watched, hope sank in his
heart, like the water in the hollow of
the sand; but Baraka slept on peace
fully, curled UP on her side like a 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 a cool light in a 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 looked
up at the rocks high overhead, and
they were already white and red and
yellow in the light of the risen sun;
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
a 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
a sort of quicksand that would suck
him down. He therefore threw himself
fat on his back, stretching out his
arms and legs, and, making move
ments as if 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 t. 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 a 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 a funnel-shapped hollow in
the sand where it had been. If any
out it lost itself under the sand, and
the man and the girl were at the bot
tom of a great natural well that was
quite dry. Baraka looked up, and she
saw a vulture sitting in the u 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 a little and let
himself down awkwardly, half-flying
and half-scrambling. When he had
finished, he would sit and look at her
bones and 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
took off his loose jacket, and opened