The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-12-09


got that absolute thirst for gold which
%travcrscs deserts, which has killed
more people than the armies OF Flu
rope
And I'm his sudden access OF physical
desire for gold In order 10 attain this
woman hc rose Ia his feet. and there
came upou his face q swift expression.
stealthy but determined.
lie put the photograph away and.
pauthcrlikc. stole into the shadow un-
der the hil and toward the man who
had been his partner, but whom he
was resolved 60 Kill. lie crept along.
taking al precautions against disturb
Ing % single pebble. until he stood over
Gallon. and iu the full moonlight he
So ~ that Gallon was drawing the plans
and marking the locations OF n mine
How far ne thought |forccguliy 20
himself. "has the old man gone what
gulch is this3 What place IS thisf lie
has found the gold, and I'm going TO
have o." lie stul watched the pencil
and saw him trace In rude letters.
This viii make you happy
That moment Gallon saw Wllkerson
smiling 90 him.
Smiles and tears, sorrow and laugh.
ter have made this world what II IL.
and the smile on the satuuine visage
% Wil6ersou stirred Gallon 20 his
depths Did Wiikcrson know Had
WHbersou seen; Was Ruth 20 lose the
gold that te had found after all these
ycarsl Wilkcrson had peered over his
shoulder Wilkersonl Wilkersoul WI.
korsonl There must be no Wilkersonl
lie pulled out his revolver and fired
a. the man smiling az him from the
shadow.
Wilkcrson emptied his revolver at
the old man. But Gallons trained eye.
backed up by his ovcrmastcring pas.
sion. had directed his weapon too sure.
o.. Wfkerspn realized that his enc
my's bullet had gone home
StHl with the blood lust In his heart
Gallon pulled out the picture Of a little
girl aud p~1ssiouatelv kissed a.
"lop look like your mother. Ruth, 90
tc whispered.
Bur while he was yielding 10 this
queer tenderness his former partner
was struggling 90 his feet-diZzy with
pain. absolutely cowed by the shock OF
finding himself physically helpless, vet
driven hv instinct TO find other human
beings Where were theyI There was
uo sound on Che desert except tho
u,tIiug Of the dry leaves OF the
yuecas aud the murmur OF the cactus
as h died of drought He was really OF
two minds one desire was 10 find the
location Of the gold. The other was 10
save his own lie and ssuag the bit
ter fast which he knew meant death.
Az last he stumbled 20 b. feet and
rcrrgd across the mist We. ALLEY
lur away he saw q light Gathering
gIl his strength, he started TOWARD H..
for d held out 90 hi1 the prospect Of
help for bis physical Injury. and as he
fingered his revolver no feverlshly
dreamed % finding Gallon and so
aveuging himself
Under the stars he trampcd on. As
men see their real world IN miniature
and their ideal world maeniaed. as we
an do. the moon. flooding It's light
down upon his path. did not appear
within his range OF vision. II was
only the little pin points % stars tn
the purple black sky that he discerned
and in the midst OF this armament as
~ horizons had been obnterated. he
saw a solitary twinkling light. which
meant a human hHhlta uon.
ON get him yet, he muttered thick.
~. The mere act OF artcnlate speech
died lu his throat. lie realized hat he
had no water, ana the overpOwering
thirst burned In his very marrow
Il can't make a." be thought 10 him
self Gallon has got the best OF
me. He found that place and made
the plan aud fooled me" lie pain
fully lifted his cllnched hands toward
heaven and cursed gehementiy untll
his curses faded into a perfect delirium
Of mad dreams Fnr away on tho hin
the coyotes barked dlsmally.
40 longer stealthly like a man OBJ
sessed. but with one desire, he strug.
gled down the hill ana out upon the
mesa Yet there was stil IN his eyes
on The innumerable stars. aud De could
not hx his direction ia bis mind, for
10 his accentnated sight they an APP
peared brilliant and peculiar Thus be
got lost
AZ times. IA moments when the dead
Is thirst which parchcd his throat a.
lowed him 90 drink. be saw the one
%glimmering Hight. which maited the
place where be knew Gallon had gone
Niles aud hours became 20 him ~
nothing, yet anaily through hts sharp.