The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-03-05

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lence broken only by the sleepy bubbng of the lagoon
He reloaded Waiting, he conscious of crooked
his left hand to the of the hill he dragged him
self up The unstable sand beneath his clutch,
erous lagoon, rolling and like nonstrous
tumele.bug Even falling he nstinctiyely managed to
crashed into cactus it was his extended right ara
the gun spinning Julio waded through the marsh for
IT rescuing it from bed of tles, where it had stuck
off handful of the speared points and tossed them
upon the thick water, where they rghted themselves
Julio looked about him. He trapped in the basin
OF the sand-hils The tuIes, swaying, would beay his
stench nat hung IN wayering mist the stagnant
they got him. and he would lie in IT, descent scum
that undnlated even now in the sirs, .ig his
Above hill. facing him, he saw a thin trail Of
smoke. He shook with sudden madness. He would
lativeiy at the devious underbrush srtins the sgoon
The moving bushes would betray him as he craw1ed.
ing his way along the Shiny, yielding bed.
His entire body and the lower part of his face
the lagoon guided by his gropig hands and propelled
round-bodied green snakes, that swan sIugeshy leav-
ing q widening trail Of purling water; worEn-ii1es
brighteyed reptiles, squirnng like live coils of gold
phosphorus
The lean rats swarned about him, brazeny cling
ing with sharp claws to his clothing Once struggling
through almost impenetrable bed of tules he felt
something Juggling clinQinQ and
warm and soft. He snatched his hand back with .
stranged cry BY the faint moonlight he could see the
and forearm. He made wide detour- Once he sank
Of blown feather The water was cooler He rose to
the surface suddenly amid thousands of little spraying
bed and he draeged himself forWard weak and zen
bling. but mysteriously refreshed.
smoke Keeping his body well under water he looked
horse searched The fe s r h at bs sbo9 81 g
would have sold his soul for his deserted rife strapped
that distant saddle his vantage he could have
picked OF the rider easily.
The moon disappeared for instant behind great
and for the smoke marked hill. An unexpected
guch, footrac1ed cut around the side. Julio darted
going TO his death in that waiting camp, bat be
would die fighting. They had thought to shoot hza
down like dog and leave him rot in the tuIes, bur
he had up to face them, snagIe-handed. He
rider. dashing into camp, flung himself cursing from
his black horse The rifle lay upon the ground where
The eyes of the two men met Julio reached for his
but the other was upon him Locked in death
litter of wood and rations that scattered before them
Julio eulted nsanely in the feel of the writing body
that fought him. A great lust descended upon him
Ia lust to kill close his eager fingers like living
wise upon this neck from which filthy curses Dubbed
Of his brain speculated the trivia1ty Of killing
glory of clubbing Of throttlng with the naked hand
Once he laughed aloud-joyousy.
Suddenly Julio knew that he was weaiening- His
numb his were btnted Some Subtle connnn1ll-
cation between his body and brain was severed His
brain realized the diaboica1 plan of the other
the plan to circle his victim nearer the red hre But
his body refused receive the telegraphed signal Once
he saw tehered horses plunging and rearing their
stakes and he knew that they were screaming, bat ne
could longer hear
He could feel the singing heat of the flames and the
smoke burned in his nostrils. He thought haziy Of
Marie and the cloyng sweetness of orange-fowers
Suddenly he remembered the other mantle man On
the pinto pony. He would come and find hnt-beater
He gave terrible wrench, breaking the grip upon has
He watched his hands fash up to the waiting
throat he the terror in the bulging eyes before
him. He saw his fingers close upon the lnotted neck
He watched the light go of the purplng face but
there was no joy or thrill maddening through him.
was sobbing Without looking, he let it fan to thg
sand He stood beside it, waiting The seconds dragged
Iiouid thud Of diving rat The world about him began
to take on greenish hay loo. as if sudden mist
drifting down upon IT Julio put ms hand % ma
forehead weakly To the touch of his palm his fore
head seemed alien, distant He looked at his hand e
was covered with drying blood where the tuies aa1
pierced it. He looked down at himself at his Sodde
Shiny clothes covered with stiff. dark blots He Tere
bered hazily the clawng rats and the KNIFE ee8@ o
the tules. He brought himself up sharply He must
be ready for the man who would come ON fae PINE
ordered camp, the line of tet1ered horses He
started forward. The pinto he had been waiting for
stood second in line sadcfed and bridled The otneT
horses of them, were saddleess ana
te fTst time looked at the bundle By the FIRE aO
smiled weakly admiringly. The thief mad createa an
noiseless sand and dashng back for fresh horse
before pungng mady to FIRE from another heIght tis
foam and bloodr1ared by spurs but his BRAIN BY con
ceiving the plan, commanded tribute - * g.
fresh horses It carried the fankbrand of nearby
ranch "FIorse thief, too" Julio murmtred He went
mart indian with narrow torso and long limbs Julio
dragged It across the toward the saddled pony
TuI;a fo,nd some canteen water poured the
blotched face. The man opened his eyes slowly In
Glad didn't kill you' Julio said. " You belong TO
the law The stared back, unseeing- Julio bound
the unresistng wrists with the Prso I soFn
saddle, tying it to the horn
Over in