River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-08-24

black and starless, yet fortunately
with a gradual dying away of the
storm. For an hour past they had
been struggling on, doubling their di-
rection, wondering DULY If they were
not lost and merely drifting about in
a circle. They had debated this
fiercely once, the ponies standing de-
jectedly, tails to the storm, Neb argu-
ing that the wind still blew from the
south, and Keith contend1ng 1t had
shifted into the westward. The white
man won his way, and they staggered
on uncertain, the negro grasping the
first pony's tail to keep from being
separated from his companion. Some
instinct of the plains must have guild
ed them, for at last they dragged
themselves out from the desert, the
crunching sand under foot changing
into rock, and then to short brittle
grass, at which the ponies nibbled Gag
erly. The slope led gradually down
ward, the animals seeming water, and
struggling to break away. Swaying
in their saddles, the riders let them
go, and they never stopped until belly
deep in the stream, their noses buried.
The men shivered in their saddles,
until, at last satisfied, the ponies con-
scented to be forced back up the bank,
where they nibb1ed at the short tufts
of heritage, but in manner express
sive of WEAKNESS. Keith flung him.
self on the ground, every muscle OF
his body aching, his exposed flesh still
smarting from the hail of sand.
He had not the slightest conception
as to where they were, except he
knew this must be the Salt Fork. Ut
terly confused by the maze of shifting
dunes, through whose intr1cacles they
had somehow found passage, the black
ness of the night yielded no clue as to
their point of emergence. The vol
ume of water in the stream alone
suggested that in their Wander1ngs
they must have drifted to the east
ward, and come out much lower down
than had been originally intended. II
so, then they might be almost directly
south of Carson City, and IL a section
with which he was totally t;Eacqualnt-
GU. OuG Lu1LS was, wi 1884,
they would be compelled to wait for
daylight to ascertain the truth, and
decide upon their future 1Iovements.
Keith arose reluctantly, and remov'
ed the saddles from the animals, hob
bling them so they could Craze at
will. Neb was propped up beneath an
out-cropping of the bank, which partly
protected him from the wind, mere
hulk of a shadow. Keith could not
tell whether he slept or not, but made
no effort to disturb him. A moment
he stared vacantly about into the
black silence, and then lay down, pill
lowing his head upon a saddle. He
found it impossible to sleep, the chill
of the wind causing him to turn and
twist, in vain search after comfort
while unappeased hunger gnawed in
cessantly. His eyes ranged about over
the dull gloom of the skies until they
fell again to the earth level and then
he suddenly sat up, half believing him
self in a dream-down the stream, how
far away he could not judge, there
cleaned a steady, yellowish light. II
was no flicker of a camp fire, yet re-
NAMED stationary. Surely no star
could be so low and large; nor did he
recall any with that popularity OF
color. If such miracle was possible
in the heart of that sandy desert he
would have sworn it was lamp shin
ing through a window. But he had
never heard of any settler on the Salt
Fork, and almost laughed at the
thought, believing for the instant his
brain played him some elfish trick.
Yet that light was no illusion; he rub
bed his eyes, only to see it more clear
ly, convinced now OF it's reality. He
strobe hastily across, and shook Neh
into semi-consciousnes s, dragging him
bodily I'D the bank and pointing down
the stream.
do you see that?" he inquired anx
iously. There, straight ahead OF
your"
The negro stared, shaking with cold
and scarcely able to stand alone.
Maybe it am de moon, Massa Jack,
he muttered, thickly, "or goblin's
lantern. Lawd, 1 don't jest like de
looks OBJ dat ting"
We'll, do" and Keith laughed un
easily at the negro's fears. 'All
wanted to know was il you saw what
1 saw. That's lamp shining through
a window, Neb. What in heaven
name it can be doing here l am I'M
able to guess, but I'm going to find out
1t means shelter and food, boy, even il
we have to fight for it. Come on, the
horses are safe, and Wen discover
what is behind that light yonder"
CTO BE CONTINUED.D