Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-04-03

and ircd then scrambled feet along the brow The
ruse worked. Two quick spurts of sand marked the
spot where he had lain. Julio cmpticd his revolver
toward the echoin9 report He was answered bv a ST.
ence broken only by the sleepy bubbng of the lagoon
He reloaded Waiting he was conscious of crooked
lines of sweat ricklng down his face Clinging with
his left hand to the crest of the hill he dragged him
self up The unstable sand gave way beneath his clutch
and he plunged over the dune, down into the treach-
erous lagoon, rolling and like a monstrous
tumblc-bug. Even falling he instinctvey managed to
keep his revolver away from his body and when he
crashed into cactus it his extended right arm
mat brought him UP sharply The sudden impact sent
the gun spinning. Julio waded through the marsh for
It, rescuing it from bed of tues, where it had stuck
IN the dense growth. As he drew back shot Clipped
Oft handful of the speared points and tossed them
upon the thick water, where they righted themselves
and lay motonless
Julio looked about him. He was trapped in the basin
OF me sandhls The tules, swaying. would betray his
every movement. He sick from the nauseating
Sehch tat hung IN wavering mist upon the stagnant
water 1t would simply be a matter of minutes until
they got him. and he would lie in that iridescent scum
that undulaed even now in the sickening ,vsves he
fancy created w
Above a hill, facing him, he saw thin trail of
smoke lie shook with sudden madness. He would
debut not like trapped animal He looked snecu-
lavey at the devious underbrush skirting the lagoon
The moving bushes would betray him as he crawed
lie hosered his and k1e down in the water feel
ing his way along the Shiny, yielding bed
His entire body and the lower part of his face COW
cred with the thick liquid, he nosed his way out into
the lagoon guided by his cropping hands and propelled
by his feet. Snakes fed, terrified before hm-great
round-bodied green snakes, that swan sugghly leav-
ing widening trail of purling water worn,-like
hright-eyed reptiles, squirmng like live coils Of gold
WIRE through shimmerng, fame-lt path of opaescent
phosphorus.
The lean swarmed about him. one brazenly cling.
ing with sharp claws his clothing Once struggling
through an almost impenetrablc bed of tues he felt
something tuggin9 at his hand something clnging and
warm and soft He snatched his hand back with a
strangled cry By the faint moonlight he could see the
thick drops Of quicksand already drying on his hand
and forearm. He made a wide detour Once he sank
down and down with the strange ease and ghtness
OF a blown feather. The was cooler He rose to
the surface suddenly amid thousands of little spraying
bubbles Cropping, his hands again touched the shelving
bed and he dragged himself forward weak and tren.
bling but mysteriously refreshed
He touched shore directly beneath the thin line of
smoke Keeping his body well under water he looked
back On nearby hill mounted on a bacl;
would have sold his soul for his deserted rifle strapped
on that distant saddle from his vantage he could have
picked off the secure rider so easily.
The moon disappeared for an instant behind , oroa+
yellow cloud and Julio sprang from his hiding place
and ran for the smoke marked hill An unexpected
guch foot-tracked cut around the side Julio darcd
up the trail chuckling to himself. He knew that he
was gong to his death in that waiting camp. but he
would die fighting. They had thought to shoot him
down like dog and leave him rot in the tulcs but
he had come UP to face them single-handed He came
suddenly upon the smoulderng campfire Just as I
rider: dashng into camp, flung himself, cursng from
he had flung it first.
The eyes of the two men met Julio reached for his
gun. but the other was upon him. Locked in a death
litter of wood and ratons that scattered before them
Julio exulted nsanely in the feel of the writhing body
that fought him. great lust descended upon him
"a lust kill, close his eager fingers like living
wise upon this neck from which filthy dubbed
IN vlllainous, unmeaning stream Some distant part
OF his brain speculated upon the trivality OF killing
with man-made weapons when could know the
glory OF clubbing of throting with the naked hand.
Once he laughed aloud-oyOusly.
Suddenly Julio knew that he vras weakening His
body longer responded to impressions; he was
blunted.
cation between his body and brain was severed His
brain realized the dabolica plan of the other
his body refused to receive the teegraphed signal once
he saw tcthered horses plungng and rearing their
stakes and he knew that they were screaming but he
could no longer hear.
He could feel the singing heat of the flames and tbs
smoke burned in his nostrls He thought hazy of
Marie and the glowing sweetness Of flowers.
Suddenly he remembered the other mantle
the pinto pony. He would come and find llin-beaten.
He terrible wrench breaking the grip upon his
arms, lie watched his hahds flash up to the waiting
throat: he saw the in the bulging eyes before
him. He his fingers close upon the knoted neck.
He watched the light go out OF the purplng face, but
there was no JOY or thrill maddening through him.
When the limp body sank before him he knew that he
sobbng Without looking, he let it fall to the
sand He stood beside it. waiting The seconds dragged
liquid thud of diving rat The world about him began
to take a greenish, hay look as if sudden mist
were drifting down upon it. Julio put his hand to hs
forehead weakly, To the touch of his palm his fore
head seemed alien, distant. He looked his hand 1t
was covered with drying blood where the tules had
pierced it: He looked down at himself, at his sodden
Shiny clothes covered with stiff dark blots He remem.
bered hazily the clawng rats and the knife edges OF
the tues, He brought himself up sharply. He must
be ready for the man who would come on the pinto
pony. But his mind strayed He looked at the dis
ordered camp at the line of tehered horses. He
started forward. The pinto he had been waiting for
stood second in line, sadded and brdled. The other
horses, ten of them saddleless and ropehaltercd
Julio stared trying dzzily think He turned and for
the first time looked at the bundle by the fire Julio
smiled weakly, admirngy. The thief had created an
army OF man; it simple, riding through the
noiseess sand and dashing back for a fresh horse
before plunging madly to fire from another height He
had ruined two horses; they stood now, fecked with
foam and bloodmarkcd by spurs but his brain, by
Ceving the plan, commanded a tribute.
Julio unsaddled the black and cinched up one OF the
fresh horses 1t carried the hankbrand OF a nearby
ranch. Horse thief, too Julio murmured He went
back to the fire and turned the body 1t looked
part Indian, with torso and long limbs Julio
dragged il the sand toward the saddled pony.
The moaned family.
Julio found canteen water and poured on the
blotched face The opened his eyes slowly I'm
al I,'. IN I,,1;o Nc, hole