Semi-weekly herald., 1911-05-22
:, AALE Ut The pANS
by RANDALL PARRISH.

"whar 70 propose goin', hassa
Jack!"
ITO the Bar X on the Canadian.
I've worked with that outft. They'll
give us whatever We need, and ask
no questions; / don't know OF anything
In between. It's going to be hard
ride, boy. and mighty little to eat ex-
cept what saved from supper
How far Am It to dis yere Bar xr"
"A hundred and ffty miles ss the
crow dies. and sand all the way. ex-
cept for the valley of Salt Fork. Come
on now. and keep close. for it's easy
to get lost In these sand hills"
Keith had ridden that hundred and
nifty miles of sandy desolation before,
but had never been called upon to
make such q journey as this proved to
be. He knew there WAS little to fear
from human enemies, for they were
riding far enough east of the Santa Fe
trail to be out of the path OF rldinx
parties, while this desert country WAS
Stunned by Indian hunters. 1t con
sisted of sand hill after sand hill, =
drear waterless waste. whore nothing
grew, and mid the dread samsnsss Of
which \ traveller could only nnd pass
age by the guidance OF stars at night
or the blazing sun by day. To the
eye mile after mile appeared exactly
alike. with nothing whatever to dis
tinEuish either distance or direction
the same drifting ridges of sand
stretching forth in every direction, no
summit higher than another, NO sem
blance Of green shrubbery or silver
sheen OF running water anywhere to
break the duh monotony-s vast
sandy plain. devoid OF life. extending
to the horizon. overhunG by barren
sky.
They had covered ten miles Of 1t by
daybreak. their ponies travelling hesvi-
ly. fetlock deep. but could advance no
the east the brooding storm burst
upon them in wild desert fury, the
fierce wind buffeting them back. lash
ing their faces with sharp grit until
they were unable to bear the pain.
The flying sand smote them in clouds.
driven with the speed Of bullets In
vain they lay nat. urging their ponies
forward the beasts. maddened and
blinded by the merciless lsshing of the
sand. refused to face the storm. Keith.
all sense OF direction long since lost,
rolled wesrily from the saddle, bur
rowed under the partial shelter OF \
sand dune. and called upon Neb to
follow him. With their hands and feet
they made slight wind. break, drag
king the struggling ponies into Its
protection. and burrowed themselves
there, the clouds of SAND skurryin 4
over them SO thick as to obscure the
sky. and rapidly burying them alto
Gether rs though In 4 grave. Within
an hour they were compelled to dig
themselves out. yet It proved partial
escape from the pitiless lsshing The
wind howled Ike unloosed demons.
and the air grew cold. adding to the
sting of the grit, whom some sudden
eddy hurled 1t into their hiding place.
To endeayor further travel would
mean certain death. for NO one could
have guided q course for q hundred
feet through the tempest. which seem
ed to suck the very breath away. To
the fugitives came this comfort-if
they could not advance, then no one
else could follow. and the storm was
completely blottinE out their trail.
1t was three O'Clock before It died
sufncisntly down for them to venture
out. Even then the Air remained full
Of sand. while constantly shifting
ridges made travel dificult. Only
grim nscessity-ths suffering Of the
ponies for water. and their own need
for soon reaching the habitatioa Of
man and acquiring fsod-drovs them
to the early venture. They must At
tain the valley Of the Salt Fork that
night. or sass perish in the desert
there remained no other choice. Ty-
Ing nsckerchiefH over their horses
eyes, and lying nat themselves, they
succeeded In pressing slowly forward.
winding In and out among the shift
ing dunes. with only the wind to guide
them. II WAS an awful trail, the hoofs
sinking deep In drifting sand. the
struggling ponies becoming so ex-
hausted that their riders finally dis
mounted. and staggered forward on
foot. leading them stumbling blindly
after. Once tho negro's horse
dropped. and had to BE- dashed to its
feet again: once Keith's pony stun
hled and fell On him. hurting him faoe
down into the sand. and he would
have died there. lacking suficient
strength to lift the dead weight, but
for Nsb's assistance. As It vas he
wont staggering blindly forward.
bruised. and faint from hunger and
fatigue. Neither man spoke; they had
no breath nor energy left TO waste;
every ounce OF strength needed TO be
conserved for the battle against ma
turs. They were lighting for life:
nghtinG Grimly. almost hopsisssiy. and
alone.
About them night finally closed in.
black and starless. yet unatsly
with 4 gradual dying away Of the
storm. For an hour past they had
bssa struggling on. doubtiaS their a.
rsctioa. wondering duly II they were
Aot lost and merely drifting about In
= circle. They had debated this
nsresly oacs. the ponies standing de-
1sctsdly. tails to the storm. Nsb srEu-
ing that the wind still blew from the
south. and Keith coatsAaiAg It had
nj