The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-11-05

sand. and Il was twice ~ vide ~ It
had been. The water was still rum
ming out somewhere, but It was no
longer running in. and in an hour or
two the pool would be dry. The trav-
eler was something Of an engineer.
and understood sooner than an or
binary man could have done, that his
enemies had Intentionally stopped up
the narrow entrance through which
he had to come, beth to make his es-
cape impossible, and to hasten his end
by depriving him Of water. The fallen
boulder alone could not have kept out
the overflow Of the spring effectually.
They must have shoveled down mass
es Of earth. with the plants that grew
in It abundantly and filled Il with
twining threadlike roots. and they
must have skillfully forced quantities
Of the stun into the openings all round
the big stone, making 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 q week. or q 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 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 1t 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: II 1t
was merely draining itself through the
sand to some subterranean channel,
he was lost, but II 1t was flowing
away through any passage like the
one by which he had entered. there
was still . chance Of escapes very
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 no loophole: 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 I'LL, 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 1t 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
little hole In the wet sand with his
hands. beyond the water that was
still left. for perhaps he thought that
II he could make pit on one side.
some water would stay In It; but the
sand ran together as soon as he
moved II; and presently, as he bent
over. he felt that he was sinking into
1t himself. and understood that 1t 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 II 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 be 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.
It comforted her to think that nc
other woman could get him now. II
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 II II had
come to pass she would have tried to