The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-10-05

was still a chance of escape-a very
small chance. When death is at the
gate the tiniest loophole looks wide
enough to crawl through.
The surface of the pool subsidized
out there was no loophole; and as the
traveller watched, hope sank in his
heart, like the water in the hollow of
the sand; but Baraka sNpt on peace
luliy. 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 cool light in a few moments
Immediately, because it was day
Baraka stretched herself on the sand
ana 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 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 1t; 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 If he we're 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
beautiful in tho
world, and she loved him, and she was
going to die with him.
1t comforted her to think that no
other woman could get lin now. 1t
was almost worth while to die To- tl.ct
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
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 a vulture sitting in the sun on a
pinnacle, 300 feet above her head. He
would sit there till she was dead, for
he knew what was coming; then he
II l., nd LOT
himself down awkwardly, half-fying
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 we'll, till he was almost
overhead, and there was scarcely any
shadow left. 1t became very hot and
sitting, because the passage through
| rnaich the air had entered with the
water was shut up. Then the traveller
took off his loose jacket, and opened
his flannel shirt at the neck, and
turned up his sleeves for GOODNESS,
and he crept backwards into the hol-
low where the ruby mine was, to shell
ter himself from the sun. But Baraka
edged away to the very foot of the
cliff, where there remained belt OF
shade, even at noon; and as she sat
there she took the hem of her one
garment in her hands and slowly
famed her little feet. Neither he mol
she had spoken for many hours, ant
she could see that in the recess of the
rock he was sitting as before, witt
his forehead against his hands thai
were clasped on his knees, in the at
titude and bearing Fl despair.
He begar thirst now, in the
nDCTDR0 DIRECTlRY