Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-06-20

H6S& years ago.
e@IAH Il amt denyin' it." Bill answered. as
v& U Wu he swung TIP into his burro- saddle. What
k@A4SH I said that if intended to find
GE3 h water, better be hittin the trail" He
n swore at his DOING steed; and, after
Euz& lazily blinking the akai dust from its
thick eye-lashes, the burro ambled pa
tiently on.
Red walked inqusitivey about the tumbed skeleton
He searched around the and the withered mes
quite kicking up the ground expectantly. !he desert
sand rose in little gray puts h then sfted quietly down
You know" Red said abruptly Il believe them
bones back there was that old dago or some kind of
foreigner, who found the rich mine out here bout
thirty years ago.
Too bad you couldn't "a dug up a chart of his
mine while you lookin' him over, Bill returned
drily, then could a stopped this following Our
noses. to walk straight into fortune.
IF he was that dago. we're millionares tomorrow"
Red cried. excitedly and we're travcin' right out
here in the Eage-tal mountains, where they say he
located
."Ive rolled in my blankets millionaire too many
nights, and woke up to cat bacon and frjoles' Bill
declared he dejecedy loosened the dust his face
and neck with dirty red handkerchief.
PERSONALLY ! don't relish fryin' on this red-hot
sand,' Bill continued, presently.
We'll, won't bake tonight, anyway You pitch
camp over there, under them ron-wood bushes Pm
gon to dust along UP the trail and find some water.
We've got Just bout enough for the burros and
two cupfuls over Bill said
We'll, water the horses tonight. We may
have to shoot EN- tomorrow"
you can't find tank tonight" Bill argued
you get the shirts and socks out, ready to wash.
I'm goin to find water hole l seen mountain
sheep to-day. Where there's sheep there's water"
I'll build UP a good fire you can't miss camp,
comm back in Bill called after him. you better
take little drink, Red before you-'
"Oh, I'm all right Red turned back to tell him.
YOU better plug the burros and put EN- out of their
misery And then drink up my share of the water.
l1l It'll keep you a day longer. The he started
on his way toward the distant hills.
Hours later the warped desert moon slid up over
the broken horizon and looked down ENORMOUSLY at
Red as he trudgcd along, the empty canteen rafting
before him like some vast sheet OF etched glass, the
clumps Of mesquite Enthusiastically out of drawing in
great 1nesided eye watching hi9 and the desolate-
ness, the death, Of the desert Clutched with sudden,
cold fingers about his heart For the first time he
was conscious OF quick pain il his throat; it seemed
as II the lining of his mouth breaking into
thousand Interviewing blocks and squares, he had
seen paint crack and blister in the
Il wonder" he said, in thin questioning voice
that came to his own ears as brittle and foreign III
its come time for me to beat it the Big Round
TIP and" he stopped, terrified and broke into a queer
drunken run: knowing that close behind him. over
taking him. lungcd namclcss something whose long
hand was reaching forward to close bony fingers upon
his shoulder.
Where the Eagle-tai mountain, break abruptly
from the sand into loosely hung, forbiddng line OF
sharp peaks, Rcd stumbled int, deep arroyo. 1t
was scant ten feet wide, with stark walls rising far
above until they seemed TO meet overhead. At the
mouth OF the canon was water-tank. Red ran
toward II. his heart msgave him when he the
barren sand within range OF the overflow. but he
crawlcd ovec and peered down into the water-hole
By, a Pickering moonbeam. playing against the dried
Of desert that had died or this same search
He shrank bach; and stumbled up the canon.
Two hours later the cool deset dew began TO spark.
strange hystera of weakness he felt refreshed as
he drew off his hat, and stood with his face up,urned
to the sky.
Where narrow gulch precipitatey intersected tn.
Red deeni ham
homes He started to make detour and pass the oiti
ul story that had been SO mutely thrust home hin,
thai night. But he turned back. It was some human
something. anyway. out in this chaos of death
"Oid Timer" he said in his aler dry voice "I
think you're gon' to have my con,2ny before long
back here and lie down with you. bet you died fight
in old scout He followed the main draw of the
canon until, from sheer exhaustion, he fell AS he
struck the sand his fingers touched the buckle of an
old caneen, half buried by the drifting sand. Red lay
for second too dazed to realize what his fingers had
and began clawing the caneen from the ground The
uncorked copper flask shaped like bottle, ant
was old that the leather straps had rotted away
leaving only the buckles.
But you're water-tight at that" Red said hold
Ing the cantecn against the moonlight he searched
for leaks.
He stared up at the steep walls of the canon Thu
ranteen had been buried near the left wall, so Ret
'craped out footing with his pocketknfe and started
up the jagged cliff 1t was terrible climbing Thu
his naked and bruised hands, until by the yellow
light of the breaking dawn he could red blotche
where he had cutched. Twice he fell back, and tn
second fall made deep cut his chest But h
went back subbornly, scrapng out new foothods
clawing and fighting to hold his dizzy height. AS h
hung on with one hand, digging further step will
blood coursng down his body. At last. somehow
shaking with sobs his clothes torn into stiff shreds
he pulled himself over the edge. He fell in within
perng heap.
He lay for hours notionless, until the round, morn
Ing sun rode high above him. He turned weakly
sharp pains shooting through the cash on his chest
When he could force himself to sit up the world abou
him rocked crafty in some wild dance But in tn
fantastic whirl he could see verdant mesquite AM
Towering cact II he had not been transported t.
some delrious paradise, water was somewhere With
his reach. If ne could but crawl to it! When tn
weird dance about him had slowed 10 a sane world q