Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-06-21

tool' leadlng tnem stumbling 0llndly
after. Once the negros horse
dropped. and had to be dashed to its
feet again; once Keith's pony STUN
bled and fell on him. hurting him face
down into the sand. and he would
have died there. lacking sufficient
strength to lift the dead weight, bat
for Neb's assistance. AS It was he
went staggering blindly forward
bruised, and faint from hunger and
fatigue.
About them night finally closed N,
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
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 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-
sented to be forced back up the bank,
where they nibbled at the short tufts
OF heritage, but in a 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 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, and come out much lower down
than had been originally intended. II
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.
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 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 dream-down the stream, how
far away he could not Judge, there
cleaned a steady, yellowish light II
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 If such a miracle was possible
In the heart Of that sandy desert he
would have sworn 1t was a lamp shin
ing through a window. But he lad
never heard of any settler on the Salt
Fork, and almost laughed at the
thought, believing for the instant his
brain played him some elf1sh trick.
Yet that light was no illusion; he rub
bed his eyes, only to see it more clear
ly, convinced now of its 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 that?" he inquired anx-
iously. There, straight ahead of
you"
The negro stared, shaking with cold,
and scarcely able to stand alone.
Maybe 1t am de noon Massa Jack"
he muttered, thickiy. "or COLLINS
lantern. Lawd, don't jest like de
looks OBJ dat ting"
WELL | do and Keith laughed un-
easily at the negro's fears. All
wanted to know was II you saw what
saw. That's lamp shining through
window, Neb. What in heavens
name 1t can be doing here | am un-
able to guess, but I'm going to find out
1t means shelter and food, boy, even II
we have to fight for 1t. Come on, the
horses are safe, and We'll discover
what is behind that light yonder.'
(To BE CoNTINUEDJ
Overpoliteness is the surest indica
l. 4 4. L.