The Red Cloud chief., 1913-10-02

tenant In the 10th cavalry. II
was during the height OF the
Geronimo trouble and Tracy
with his troop. dsmounted. and
after q soul and body wearying march on the
trail OF tho willy Apache found himself In the
heart OF one OF the drearest. most God forsaken
mountain countries In the whole range Of the
southern country
The troop was exhausted and practically with
out water. tho men having not q drop to drink
save what was In their canteens. They had cut
loose from river In tho early morning expect
Ing to find another when the day was done. but
not as much as a rivulet had they found There
was no coffee that night and there wasn't a light
heart In the whole OUTFIT.
Tracy was unhappy. 1t wasn't wholly his SUI.
fering condition and that Of his which
weighed upon him. Just before leaving the
Arizona post he had received news that his
younger brother. John. bad been committed to
states prison In a far northeastern state The
ofhcer had seen his home only once since his grad.
uation. Flo had stayed away purposely. His
brother had been a trusted bank employe. Then
came suspicion. then conviction and a sentence.
John Tracy protested his innocence OF the crime
charged against him. and his family. knowing the
lad. believed in him. but the circumstantial evi.
dence was overwhelming and In spite OF the Of.
forts OF the aged father. who spent his time and
his money In the boys defense. he went to
prison
Before the troop had left Fort Banks with ,ts
nose to the redhot trail OF Geronimo there had
Joined as an enlisted man strappng young Of
hcer who said that he came from st. Louis His
name was Barlow and he was assigned to the
troop OF which Tracy was the Junior officer and
he went with II on It's chase across the border
after the Apache cheftain.
Barlow on every occasion possible attached
himself to Tracys person. Whenever there was
Q scouting party detached from the main body
and put under the second lieutenant's command
Barlow asked that he might be assigned to Il to
share In the scouting duty. He was a reserved
fellow and apparently OF superior education
There were no camp Jokes for him He was
grave and tacturn, Tracy had noticed the evi.
dent attachment OF the man to him, and as he
was capable soldier and willing to dare nnd
TO DO anything he was glad to have him part
or his OUTFIT when on detached and dangerous
service.
On the morning following the night that the
troop was practically without water and in a
country devoid OF all green things save the for.
bidding cactus, the troop commander told Tracy
that he had better make a short reconnaissance,
feeI out the country for the enemy and above all.
Try TO locate water. To attempt a march under
that hot Mexican sun with the men. and with any
idea or effective service. was foolhardy.
Tracy told his captain that he would take but
one man with him: that they would strike south.
west. where II was thought a better prospect Of
water lay. and that they would return as soon as
. nnd was made He selected Barlow for his
companion. and the two struck out through the
black. sun.seared country.
They went on for three hours Not a drop Of
the element OF which they were in search. Their
tongues were blistered. They drank sparingy of
the water In their canteens. pressed on for an.
other hour and then knew that they must return
Back they started They followed their onward
trail az we'll as they could. but at times It was
lost. and then circling was necessary to take II
up again At noon they lost II and could not
md It again There was q great Jagged rock ris.
ing TO the westward which neither recognized
Lieutenant. said Barlow, we're going wrong.
we never came this way. The sun doesn't bear
tight IL should DO more to our right | believe
that we are going almost directly at right angles
to the camp"
They circled again and again. but no trace of
the trail Then the conclusion forced itself on
Tracy that they were lost. They wandered on
until the sun went down beyond the black rocks
Then they each drank sparngly OF the precious
contents OF the canteens and lay down on the
gray desert to sleep.
The sun came up like a redhot round shot
Tracy and Barlow ate the last Of their single
ration. and took one swallow OF water apiece
Then on they went again. Twenty-four hours
passed. The sun came up once more. and witt
its coming they staggered forward The can
teens were empty They looked for the cactus
whose leaf yields Juice that helps nght OF tn,
demon OF thirst They could not nnd It. Tn,
only vegetation were occasional clumps OF stunt
% prtckly pear cactus. the Juice Of whose leave
accentuates thirst.
Another twenty.four hours. The men cheere,
each other on like the soldiers they were Trac
began to feel the coming OF delirium. Oh, for
draught OF water' He looked at Barlow TIL
mans eyes were burning. but they had cou,
age In them. and something else in their depth
which Tracy never before had seen there o.
and on and on They could 60 no further Sud
denly Barlow turned to Tracy and said in a yoic
tAat was choked from the clutching Of thirst,
hand at his throat: Lieutenant I was afrai
shat we might be tempeted to drink this ion
ago. no ] saved II for the last extremity Lieu
senant. have one good drink OF water apieo
left In my cantesn."