Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1910-10-27

logged along side by side. Benoni paced
them, at times making far excursions
ahead, returning with foaming horse
and flushed face.
At noon they stopped beside scant
little creek for rest. The sun was un-
endurable and despite their visored
and yelled helmets, Johnny and Larry
were suffering terribly from sunburn
and their hands were blistered from
the reins
The little Arab spread their lunch
con for them and went over to rest
with the horses, staked a few rods dis
tant. Benoni produced healing salve
and showed his two companions how
to relieve the worst of their distress
Inc tropical incoming sped in heat, 81
lence and half slumber At 5 O'Clock
Benonf reused the little caravan, and
after hasty supper, told them to
make ready for long, hard ride. All
night they journeyed Through desert
wastes and over rocky Businesses, up
steep mountains and across half-s stag
hant, shallow rivers And even when
the dawn came there was no resting
The horses, jaded and covered with
coating of dust and sweat stuck their
feet weariedly into the sand or chung
hstlessly to the hilly slopes. Larry
was weak as a woman, and Johnny
too worn to talk The sun conferred the
Sky when Benoni let them halt They
were just past a strip of desert waste,
ana near tiny oasis of parched grass
and scrawny palms. murxy pool of
water Knocked them with resemblance IS
or Apollinaris, settlers, ice-fiushed
lemonades and carbonated beverages TO
be quaffed in the blessed land at home.
Johnny, exhausted, had dropped from
his horse and was trying to drag him
self towards the muddy pool
Benoni was as mistaken as the palm
tree standing motionless in the desert
calm. He pulled Johnny up, bolstered
him along with a draught from his
flask, and set him to rights generally.
How are you, Morris?" he asked.
"Oh, fair" replied Larry. This gaunt
American found it hard to admit ply
steal inferiority to the black
I'VE can rest but an hour or two"
volunteered Benoni. CURLY. Then we
must go on"
But where?" asked Larry. I con-
fess L wanted to go into darkest Afr-
ca, but this affair is growing too shad-
owy for me. don't care about being
handled like a packinghouse Govt"
Benoni turned reproachful eye
upon him. Il have promised to help
you find the girl you seek, can you
not rely upon me? 1 know my Africa
L am trusting you, and trying to repay
you for aiding me to escape from that
cafe mob-that corral filled with worse
than the beasts of the jungle-drunken
Infatuated swine that once were men,"
Hello, what's this?" asked Johnny
I'm always finding things-now amt
1? Look at this. and in the desert
too" He held up to view a plump
pigeon. Apparently it had been hurt
in fight with some heavier denizen of
the air. For it was quite dead. and its
head was severed almost from its BODY
Benoni reached out his hand for the
bird.
Doves like that nest in but one
place in all this continent" he remark
ed, and his face became ashen gray as
he noted the odd markings of purple
and brown on it's snowy breast "Only
one place" he repeated.
Johnny had been turning the bird
over and over, rumpling up the help
less wings. Something caught his eve
and he held the dead dove out with up
raised wing for the others to see
Scratched on it's wing in rude letters
they read:
Betty Lancey, Africa!"
Betty" cried Larry Then he seiz-
ed Benoni by the wrist. IF doves like
that nest in but one place on this con-
tinent, take us there, take us at once
What place is it? Where? Would she
be safe? Or in the hands of savages p,
That is where we have been trav-
cling to, my friend" answered Renoni
Il had suspected. but had not GER
tainly known. We will not even rest
for the hour, if you wish"
Il must" answered Johnny Safety
razors, I'm beat out. I'm not a camel
in the legs, if can go without a drink
for six months"
Tell me. tell me something" plead
ed Larry.
But the sands were not more silent.
Benoni made but one reply 81 dare
not. 1t might destroy all hopei"
Day after day, clinked off this ardu-
Gus travel Once they met a caravan
and Benoni bargained for fresh horses.
The erstwhile novelty was succeeded
by a feverish unrest Both Americans
were dead with fatigue. the little Arab
stood the journey well, and Benoni
was in the pink of condition. Ten davs
later they found second pigeon.
This one was alive and huttered to
their very luncheon table. Larry COW
cred it with his hat, and bent it's wings
back fiercely only to find a bitter dis
a fln int ont 70