The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-08-01


strength ~. liit the dead weight, but
for Neb's assistance. As II was he
went 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.
ture. They were fighting for life:
fighting grimly. almost hopelessly, and
alone tH
About them night finally closed In,
black and starless. yet fortunately
with a gradual dying away Of the
storm. For an hour past they had
been struggling on, doubling their d.
rection. wondering duly II 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 contending II 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, aud
struggling to break away. Swaying
IN then 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.
antil, at last satisfied, the ponies con
sented to be forced back up the bank,
| where they nibbled at the short tufts
Of heritage, but In a manner expires.
sive OF WEAKNESS. Keith flung him
self on the ground. every muscle OF
bis body aching, his exposed flesh stiii
smarting from the hall OF sand
through which they had passed.
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 intricacies they
had somehow found passage. the black
| ness OF the night yielded no clue az to
their point OF emergence The vol
| ume OF water In the stream alone
suggested that In their wanderings
they must have drifted to the east
ward and come out much lower down
than had been originally intended. IL
so. then they might be almost directly
south OF Carson City, and In section
with which he was totally unacquaint-
ed. One thing was, however. certain
they would be compelled to wait for
daylight to ascertain the truth, and
There was another barren. sandy
stretch of desolation lying between
this isolated valley and that Of the
Canadian, and their horses would
never stand to be pushed forward
without both rest and food. As to
themselves-they had eaten their last
crumb long since, but this was not
the first time both had known starya'
ton.
Keith arose reluctantly, and remoy.
ed the saddles from the animals, hob
bling them so they could Craze at
viii. Neb was propped up beneath an
out-cropping of the bank, which partly
protected him from the wind, a 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 saddle He
found 1t impossible to sleep, the chill
OF the wind causing him to turn and
twist, in vain search after comfort
while unappeased hunge. 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 steady, yellowish light. II
was no flicker of a camp fire, yet re-
manned stationary. Surely no star
could be SO low and large; nor did he
recall any with that peculiarly OF
color IL such miracle was possible
In the heart OF that sandy desert he
would have sworn II 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 Neb
into semi-consciousnes dragging him
! bodily up the bank and pointing down
! the stream.
do you see that7" he inquired anx-
lousy, There, straight ahead Of
you?"
The negro stared, shaking with cold,
and scarcely able to stand alone.
Maybe It am de moon, Massa Jack,
! he muttered thickIy ''or "a goblin q