The daily sentinel., 1913-06-14

M aBiil" he said TO his partner, that's
N | bone out Of some old miners top piece
Tt's bleached that white, | bet the old
sAI ssout bumped somewhere close to twenty
5sSl years ago. NJ, .,
sEI he swung 10 into his burro-saddle. What
kAEI said was that il We intended to hnd
XE water, We better be hittin' the trail" He
ET6 / sVore al his doing steed; and, after
8 iayiIv blinking the alkal dust from IFS
thick eye-lashes, the burro ambled pa
=, v,rksd in6usitiyely about the tumbled skeleton
searched around the cactus and the withered mes
li.king I'D the ground eNpectantly. The desert
rose hi little gray puifs then sifted quietly down
he heap OF tumbed bones.
For know" Red said abruptly, 81 believe them
Is back there was that old dago, or some KIND OF
suer who found the rich mine out here bout
~ bld You couldn't "a dug up chart of his
while you were lookin' him over, Bill returned,
then we could "a stopped this following our
<. to walk straight into fortune.
II lie was that dago. we're mionaires tomorrow"
/ cried. exctedly "And we're travelin' right out
( in the Eagle-tail mountains, where they say he
Tye rolled in my blankets millionaire too many
ts and woke up to eat bacon and frijoles, Bill
lred as he dejectedly oosened the dust his face
neek with dirty red handkerchief.
Personally, don't relish fryin on this red-hot
l. Bill continued, presently.
Wel we won't bake tonight, anyway. You pitch
b over there under them iron-wood bushes I'm
to dust along up the trail and find some water"
We've got Just bout enough for the burros and
cupfus over, Bill said.
Wer water the race-horses tonight. We may
to shoot EN- tomorrow"
You can't find tank tonight" Bill argued.
foa get the shirts and socks out, ready to wash
gon TO md water-hole. seen mountain
r7 to-day. Where there's sheep there's water"
build up good fire so you can't miss camp,
pm back in Bill called after him. "You better
little drink, Red, before you"
fOh Tn all right Red turned back to tell him.
IT don't put in by tomorrow, guess
better plug the burros and put 'em out of their
ey And then drink up my share of the water,
I'LL keep you day longer The he started
ls way toward the distant hills
ours later the warped desert moon slid up over
broken horizon, and looked down querulousy at
As he uudged along, the empty canteen rafting
bus shoulder-strap The endless waste stretched
pc MN like some vast sheet of etched glass, the
qs OF mesquite fantastically out of drawing in
pae hght Rcd stopped and stared up at the
~ 9he-sded eye watching him, and the desolate-
s ne Death ot the desert cutched with sudden,
mgers about MS heart. For the first time he
'Olsa9qs qs OF quick pain in his throat; it seemed
II 'le lining OF his mouth were breaking into a
-nu uUer"eaving blocks and squares as he had
PAINT crack and blister in the sun
wonder he said, in thin. questioning voice
cr. ~ 70 His own ears as brittle and foreign "if
~ n Hle lor me to beat If over to the Big Round
ne stopped, terrified, and broke into a queer.
NSI nun, knowing that close behind him. over,
q p n"n Whsed nameless something whose long
bo"aas .e4e''g forward to close bony fingers upon
mase the Eagle-tail mountains break ,bruot1v
m ue sand INTO loosely hung. forbiddinp line ~
Ps4Ns' Red stumbled into a deep arpovo II
c, aI @ Ie1 ieet wide, with stark walls rising far
nrI anu ~ ,ly auey seemed TO meet overhead At the
gard /, I;. I1Hon anon was water-tank. Red rsn
ron @ us ueart misgaye him when he saw the
$aWIei ara N%ush % range OF the overflow. but he
| a;rLo.,4H 4Hu peeFed down into the water-hole
IN, ~; 'ts.s moonbeam, playing against the dried
d,ert % cr,!: ,aS he could the huddled skeletons
y shraBk b. ma had died on this same search.
Tra O4SA' and stumbled on up the canon.
~ ~ noars later the cool deser dev be,,,, .,
srsB@" .I., -e, and although Red was trembling with
! j,eg 9s'efia OF weakness he felt refreshed as
! tie sky HIS nat and stood with his face upturned
/ Where p,rro,, -,
ryo Rel Ito% j gulch preciptately intersected the
fnss He s,artcT a,.oIIer desoate heap of whtcned
yory tbst IlI % make detour and pass the mil
Z; rJb, nsl oetn so mutely thrust home IN hin,
Hethi1y ,r- nv, ne turned back 1t was some human
4os T;Sy' '"1y' out IN this vast chaos of death
fink you're ' s, ne said in his alien. dry voice 81
r. I'm gon' 10 ~ nave my comp'ny before long.
75 @ al ne down with YOU I hot w., Ill si. sOl!e
fnoa u7ta ne followed the main draw of 81.
rgck The s,nd y s,eer exhaustion, he fell. As he
canteen 'I EsI ls fingers touched the buckle 81 nn
,sen5 mali buried by the drifting sand ig Rsd oi ,an an
omar 20 d3zed to realize what bis f,anrs .eu ,a
ID bsgan eosed over, then he COT 70 vs. i.ni ,l.ao
carksd eonnas rnis the eaneen from the Ground Tbs
so o5 5rRe. KS. hask was shaped like botte .nd ND
-p.. only the buckles s"apS mad rotted away,
III L. you're son, water-tight, at that Rod .,, ,s
leaks against the moonlight as he s Searched af'H
as9 had II bs.l a. the steep walls of the canon The
he sggsd diooiing with his pocket wan, ra SO ked
ng rocSs ei 1t was terrible rI;,b;mt u s'aIssa T
naked an. o'e ms coat and left tSv;s,;r,r nc
s'i Of he bhd ana bruised hands nn, h. ~, on
here be b,S SJe11ng dawn he could sec ~ d tIg yelow
ond fan 10 sutehed Twice he i.i nee t req bloiches
back 1ds aS55-dee deep across his chest 9st ana Bt the he
on vb bRsting to hold his dllv Iu, new h iootholds
irse fingers me b hand digging f,,rbeT s. rs ne
coursi5s ne could feel great drons of s,ep win
as1g With ~ Sown his body. At las, VI smea. ana
pulled bns.1f9s sI9s his clothes Torn tas' somehow
heap 'Si over the edge He 1,J fell sun u shteds,
sun rode hours b;"h motionless, until N. -o,.,
W. pains sfoo,;n-o -ooye him. He turned over a.hi
a'n be could dfung fng through the pasb o. o'es weaky'
rosd lSree himself to sit ,,n s@' on ms chest
sltagr eNliN uP' thS world about