Las Vegas optic., 1914-09-10
HOW LITTLE
WE KNOW &c

not found me when he dld-
Destiny toiled along that dust
uimmed fiat, stopped, wearied, dry
mouthed, without doubt cursing the
Ncughtless being who led her thus
iar afield. Destiny stood BY, perhaps
atop the burning plain, scornful' un-
whimpering, faithful.
Picture the dear lady, older than the
hills whose profile beckoned like the
ghosts of departed joys from the hori-
Eon. dogging the steps of thirst-mad
man, through dust-choked miles, unui
the weak being sprawled himself upon
the sands to die.
The memory of that mad, heartless'
whitening con of fire is to me oil the
haziness OF the never-to-be-forgotteh
nightmare. a smear OF flame-endless'
hellish miles-a throbbing fountain OF
blood beneath my skull-mysen
mindless, wrlthing automaton.
| flung the canteen from me with
thick curse In the afternoon OF the
first day
1t was so hot that 1t burned my
hands. The liquid that 1t gave me- It's
last sip, was heated to the point OF
blood. | cursed the canteen and the
mad gods that had led me into this pit
of burning.
Then | became the automaton and
simply moved, without joy, pain, hate
fear, my head hung between my shout
ders low to my breast, my arms hung
listless at my sides, my legs moving
forward each in its turn without my
will. my back curved. a creeping, shlV'
ering, grotesquely weeping thing, ike
unto a distorted spirit, moving with
infinite labor endless through the re-
vered acres of the damned.
1t is all a smear. horror hid IN
some recess of my brain, mercifully
stripped of its nauseating details. The
last concrete, tangible memory Is OF
cursing the empty, senseless, scorch-
ing canteen as / hurled 1t from me.
A man held me In his arms, pour
ing water upon my face, into my baked
lips. 1t was like fine, improbable
dream. The dream passed, and |
went once more into unconsciousness,
my mad brain still fighting on through
the fire,
When opened my eyes, with rea-
son for the first time replacing the
tangled phantasmagoria of horror, they
rested upon the interior of log hut
with skins clinging b the walls and a
small, square window looking out upon
the placid ranges.
was alone. l noticed my hanC
ron the coverlet and tried to raise
The thing was pale, bloodless, al
st transparent l could see eacl
,er's bone. An old scar on tn
Q * of the hand looked scared an
and whitened. like an alteration
ga long-bleached bone.
The hand refused to obey me. J
fluttered. rose an inch and droppe
back feebly upon the sheet
Then a man came In. He had beei
sharpening a hatchet outside and h'
had II in his hand when he sat dowT
by the bedside.
He told me that his name was San
Spencer and that had been his guest
and fifty miles to doctor. He had
pulled me through alone.
He had found me lying as dead on
the sand and brought me to his hut
and fought with the death that al
ready claimed me. He told me of the
fever that had burned me, of the fiend-
Ash visions that had tormented me.
Strength came slowly at first, then.
in the quick mountain air, with leaps
and bounds A fortnight saw me walk
ing about the cabin, doing light work.
A month and l was stronger than
had been in my life.
Spencer was miner He had pros
pected ten years. He had had some
success, enough to keep his own faith
and that OF the men who grub-staked
him But he never realized his
dreams He had lived the ten years
mostly alone, In the hills, sometimes
six months without sight of human
visage.
When had fully regained my
strength, Sam Spencer made me a
proposition. My company for three
months had spoiled him, he said, for
solitude.
He had worked alone before, so that
when the strike came it might be
solely his. Now, he felt differently
He wanted partner. We would share
fortune. l agreed.
Then one night he came in and lait
a specimen on the table. | paid nc
particular attention at first. Then
saw his face and picked up the speci
men.
There was no doubt about it. What
he had toiled for and hoped for and
had never doubted had come at last
The Vein passed all our hopes, dis
counted our fondest dreams.
The experts who came threw VI
their hands In wonder. The discovery
marked new era. II meant new
sowns, new people, new empire II
meant new fever In mems blood fol
the yellow coquette of the hills.
IT meant love low hate envy MAG