Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-01-27

/ Ing or DUST ne lOOmed larger Lnun uSual.
His eyes were glinting almost savagely.
What are you talking about" he de-
manded. "Who-"
His eyes met Maynard's. A paleness
came upon his face at sight of his for
mer partner, confronting him here In
the desert.
Blake's face was distorted with sud-
den rage. This is robbery he cried.
you don't get an ounce Of the ore I've
got on the loadw
Robbery" said Maynard. II call 1t
part of the game. You've heard the
price. Pull out without watering If
you can"
Yes, 1 will. I'll go on without the
water!" roared Blake In his wrath.
Brown, get up and start along!"
''Nope. No twenty dead horses for
me-" said the teamster. "You and the
ore and me and the carcasses would
land maybe five miles further up the
road"
Its up to you, Blake" said May
nard quietly. "And don't reckon on
| nndlng me gutter.
"Ill fix you for this" cried Blake
suddenly whipping out pistol.
Maynard launched himself forward
and hurled the revolver to the ground
Then he caught it up, and thrusting it
into his pocket.
The harness was all upon the ground.
Blake could see for himself that the
horses were barely able to stand. They
were led to long, empty manger in
the Enclosure, and secured there side by
side. They were pitiable objects for
the lack of drink.
The sun went down. Blake, near the
wagons, and Maynard, near the well,
saw the shades of twilight creep
| athwart the desert. The battle had be-
gun. On Maynard's part the game
was one of alertness and waiting. The
night came on and the moon rose. May
nard remained on. guard beside the
well. Out by his furnishing horses
Brown made his bed. From time to
time he petted and spoke to his ami
mails, and they mutely begged and
pleaded for water. Blake paced up and
down, near his cargo Of ore.
The desert stiffness came across the
world. Maynard was suffering in
tensely. All the heat in his nature had
cooled and left him passionless and
self-accusing. The plight of the help
less horses was nearly driving the man
insane. He fought a mighty battle with
himself, alone there in the moonlight.
He had been shamelessly robbed. He
felt entitled to his vengeance. his price
for the water. The trick was in his
grasp; the game was his own. But
those horses, innocent Of any wrong,
| faithful unto the end, patient, endur-
ing, dumb-they were undergoing I'M
told agonies, with the cool scent of
water in their nostrils
Maynard could endure no more. His
grimness vanished abruptly, and COM
passion took it's place. All the wealth
in Ophir, all the vengeance of hades,
could not have assuaged his mental
and bodily anguish. Quickly, but silent
] ly and stealthily, as one who commits
a deed forbidden, he FASTENED to the
manger, united pair Of the horses and
| led them to the trough. And the way
they drank made him sick and faint
with shame. Then eagerly he led an
other and another pair, till all had
filled their grateful bodies and thanked
him with their eyes.
| He fed them then, and his heart was
yelling with ecstasy and pain as he
watched them eat the hay and MUNICH
the grain with which he supplied their
boxes. He sat on a plank near by, to
listen like a boy to the comfortable
sounds that they made; and vision
of Helen Woodruff's eyes came out Of
the desert somewhere and brought him
| infinite peace. 1t was there that the
pale moon left him, when it sank be-
hind the deserts edge. 1t was there the
sun discovered him when it rose above
the hills. He was fast asleep, leaning
against a post.
Somewhat after 5 o'clock in the
morning he was finally Weakened by the
sounds of heavy bundles falling to the
earth. He started to his feet and
glanced across the intervening space
between himself and Blake's two loaded
wagons. The sight that met his gaze
was unbelievable. Blake himself was
on one of the loads, laboriously hurting
sack after sack of the precious ore to a
heap upon the ground.
Slowly Maynard approached the
place. Howard" he said in his old
time way, you needn't pay the price.
The team has been watered."
Blake stood up among the sacks, and
looked down at his former partner pc
culiarly. 81 know" he said. II wasn't
asleep. l saw it all. But thank God,
Val, 1. had already made up my mind
to give in and admit that half the gold
belonged to you by rights You're