Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-07-29

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 a 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 few rods dis
tant. Benoni produced healing salve
and showed his two companions how
to relieve the worst of their distress.
The tropical incoming sped in heat ST.
| lence and half-slumber. At o'clock
| Benoni 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 stag
nant, shallow rivers. And even when
the dawn came there was no resting.
The horses jaded and covered with u
coating of dust and sweat, stuck their
feet weariedly into the sand or clung
listlessly to the hilly slopes. Larry
was weak as a woman, and Johnny
too worn to talk. The sun centered the
| sky when Benoni let them halt. They
were just past a strip of desert waste,
and near tiny oasis of parched grass
and scrawny palms. A murky pool of
water Knocked them with resemblanc >s
Of Apollinaris, settlers, ice-flushed
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 unshaken as the palm
tree standing motionless in the desert
calm. He pulled Johnny up, bolstered
him along with 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.
1--WE can rest but an hour or two,'
volunteered Benoni, curtly. "Then we
must go on"
But where?" asked Larry. 81 con-
fess / wanted to go into darkest Afri-
ca, but this affair is growing too shad-
owy for me. l don't care about being
handled like a packinghouse cow!"
Benoni turned a reproachful eye
upon him. Il have promised to helI
you find the girl you seek, can you
not rely upon me? I know my Africa
am trusting you, and trying to repay
you for aiding me to escape from thai
cafe mob-that corral filled with worse
than the beasts of the jungle-drunken
infuriated swine that once were men.
Hello, what's this?" asked Johnny
I'm always finding things-now ain
I? Look at this, and in the desert
tool" He held up to view a PLUMP
pigeon. Apparently it had been hur
in fight with some heavier denizen o
the air. For it was quite dead, and it.
head was severed almost from its body
Benoni reached out his hand for tn,
bird.
Doves like that nest In but on,
, place in all this continent" he remark
ed, and his face became ashen gray a.
, he noted the odd markings of purpl
/ and brown on its snowy breast. "Onl.
, one place." he repeated.
. Johnny had been turning the bir,
over and over, rumpling up the help
less wings. Something caught his eye
and he held the dead dove out with up
raised wing for the others to sec
Scratched on it's wing in rude letter
they read:
Betty Lancey Africa!"
= "Betty!" cried Larry Then he SELF
. ed Benoni by the wrist. IF doves lik
, that nest in but one place on this con
tinent, take us there, take us at once
What place Is it? Where? Would sh
y be safe? Or in the hands of savages ?
"That is where we have been trav
= cling to, my friend" answered Benon
:, Il had suspected, but l had not Ger
+, tainly known. We will not even res
= for the hour, If you wish"
= II must" answered Johnny. "Safet
:, razors! I'm beat out. I'm not a cam,
in the legs, If / can go without drin
for six months!"
!. Tell me, tell me something" plead
ed Larry.
But the sands were not more silen
q Benoni made but one reply. II dar
D. not. 1t might destroy all hope!"
Day after day, clinked off this ardu
GUS travel Once they met carava
and Benoni bargained for fresh horse
The erstwhile novelty was succeede
>. by feverish unrest. Both American
: were dead with fatigue, the little Ara
a stood the journey well, and Benol
n was in the pink of condition. Ten day
o later they found a second pigeon.
a This one was alive and futtered I
10 their very luncheon table. Larry COY
cred 1t with his hat, and bent its wing
e back fiercely only to find bitter dis
Ie appointment, for there was no messal
le traced upon the WIN"