The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-09-23
CHAPTER XXxVI.
The Duel in the Desert,

The Duel in the Desert.
Keith rode straight forward into the
sandy desolauon, spurring his horse
Into swift trot. After one glance
backward as they clambered up the
steep bank, glance which revealed
Hopes slender form in the cabin door,
his eyes never turned again that way
He had mans stern work TO do out
yonder, and his purpose could not be
swerved, his firmness OF hand and
keenness Of eye affected, by any
thought of her. His lips compressed
his fingers gripping the rein, he drove
all regretful memory from his mind,
until every nerve within him throbbed
IN unison with his present purpose
He was right he knew he was right
IT was not hate, not even revenge,
which had set him forth, leaving love
behind, but honor-the honor of the
South, and of the frontier, of his an
cestry and his training-honor that
drove him now to meet Hawley face
to face, man to man, to settle the feud
between them for all time. And he
rode smiling, gladly. as to q tryst.
now that he was at last alone. free
In the desert
The hours passed, the sun rising
higher in the blazing blue of the sky;
the horse, wearied by the constant
pull of the sand, had long since slowed
down to a walk; the last dim blur of
the cottonwoods along the Fork had
disappeared; and the rider swayed in
the saddle, the dead lifelessness OF
sky and desert dulling his brain Yet
he had not forgotten his errand-rous-
Ing constantly from lethargy to sweep
his shaded eyes about the rounded
horizon, keenly marking the slightest
shadow across the sands, taking ad-
vantage OF every drift to give him
wider viewpoint, rising in his stirrups
to scan the leagues of desolation
ahead. Twice he drew his revolver
from out It's sheath, tested 1t, and
slipped In fresh cartridge, return
Ing the weapon more lightly to its
place, the flap OF the holster turned
back and held open by his leg. The
sun beat upon him like ball of fire,
the hot sand fin3inR the blaze back
into his face. He pushed back the
upper part of his shirt and drank q
swallow Of tepid water from q can.
teen strapped behind the saddle. His
eyes ached with the glare, until he
saw fantastic red and yellow shapes
dancing dizzily before him. The
WEAKNESS of the long night pressed
upon his eye-balls; he felt the strain
OF the past hours, the lack of food,
the need Of rest His head nodded,
and he brought himself to life again
with a Jerk and q muttered word, star.
ing out into the dim. formless dis
tance. Lord, II there was only some
thing moving; something he could
concentrate his attention upon some.
thing to rest the straining eyes!
But there was nothing, absolutely
nothtng-just that seemingly endless
stretch Of sand, circled by the blazing
sky, the wind sweeping It's surface
soundless and hot as though from the
pits OF hell; no stir, no motion, no
movement of anything animate or IN.
animate to break the awful monotony
Death! II was death everywhere his
aching eyes rested on nothing but
what was typical of death Even the
heat waves seemed fantastic. gro.
tesque, assuming spectral forms, as
though ghosts beckoned and danced
In the haze. Turing him on to become
one OF themselves. Keith was not
dreamer, nor one to yield easily 20
such brain fancies but the mad delirt.
um OF loneliness gripped him, and he
had TO struggle back TO sanity, beat
Ing his hands upon his breast to stir
anew the sluggish circulation Of his
blood. and talking to the horse In
strange feverishness.
With every step Of advance the
brooding silence seemed more pro-
found more deathlike He got to
marking the sand ridges. the slight va
riations giving play to the brain. Way
on to the left was the mirage of a
lake, apparently so real that he had
to battle with himself 10 keep from
turning aside. He dropped forward
In the saddle, his head hanging low,
so blinded by the incessant sun glare
he "o';'d 70 longer bear the glitter OF
that horrible ocean Of sand II was
noon now-noon, and he had been rid
Ing steadily seven hours. The thought
brought his blurred eyes again to the
horizon. Where could he be, the man
he sought In the heart OF this soli-
tude? Surely he should be here by
now, II he had left the water-hole at
dawn. Could he have gone the longer
route, south to the Fork? The possi-
bility OF such thing scared through
him like hot iron, driving the dull
ness from his brain, the lethargy from
his limbs. God. no! Fate could never
play such scurvy trick as that! The
man must have been DELAYED: had