Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-04-18

strength to lift the dead weight, but
for Neb's assistance AS 1t 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.
About them night finally closed in,
black and starless, yet fortunately
with gradual dying away of the
storm. For an hour past they had
been struggling on, doubling their d.
rection, wondering DULY If they were
not lost and merely drifting about in
a circle. They had debated this
f1ercely once, the ponies standing de-
jectedly, tails to the storm, Neb argu-
Ing that the wind still blew from the
south, and Keith contending it 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 e,~".'-~
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-
sented to be forced back up the bank.
where they nibbled at the short tufts
OF heritage, but in manner express
s1ve 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
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 as 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 Qn6
than had been originally intended. If
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
decide upon their future movements.
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
themselyes-they had eaten their last
crumb long since, but this was not
the first time both had known starva-
ton.
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, a mere
hulk of 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 dream-down the stream, how
far away he could not Judge, there
cleaned steady, yellowish light. It
was no flicker OF 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. II such miracle was possible
in the heart Of that sandy desert he
would have sworn 1t 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 rubs
bed his eyes. only to see 1t more clear
ly. convinced now OF its reality. He
strobe hastily across, and shook Neb
into semi-consciousness dragging him
bodily up the bank and pointing down
the stream.
DO you see that?" he inquired anx-
lously. 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 COLLINS
lantern. Lawd, don't Jest like de
looks OBJ dat ting"