The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-01-16

Wilkerson seenl was Kutn 10 lose the
gold that he had found after all these
years2 Wilkerson had peered over his
shoulder Wilkerson! Wilkersonl VII
kersonl There must be no Wilkersoni
He pulled out bis revolver and fred
at the man smiling at him from the
shadow.
Wilkerson emptied his revolver at
the old man. But Gallons trained eye.
backed up by bis overmastering pas
sion. had directed bis weapon too sure
iy. Wilkerson realized that bis o
my's bullet had gone home
Stlll with the blood lust in his heart
Gallon pulled out the picture OF a little
girl and p~assionately kissed It.
"You look like your mother, Ruth"
be whispered.
But while be was yielding to this
queer tenderness his former partner
was struggling to his feet-dizzy With
pain. absolutely cowed by the shock OF
ending himself physically helpless. yet
driven by instinct TO find other human
beings Where were theyf There was
no sound on the desert except the
rustling OF the dry leaves OF the
yuccas and the murmur Of the cactus
as IL died OF drought. He was really OF
two minds. One desire was to find the
location OF the gold The other was 20
save bis own life and assuage the bit
ter fast which he knew meant death
At last he stumbled to his feet and
peered across the mist yelled valley
Far away be saw a light Gathering
all his strength. he started toward IL,
for IL held out TO him the prospect OF
help for his physical injury. and as he
fingered bis revolver be feverishly
dreamed OF finding Gallon and so
avenging himself.
Under the stars he tramped on. AS
men see their real world In miniature
and their ideal world magnifed. as we
all do. the moon. flooding its light
down upon bis path. did not appear
within bis range OF vision IL was
only the little pin points OF stars In
the purple black sky that he dlscerned
uuu Ill hUG DuluSk "a luis III 1dlltuL~ az
if horizons had been obliterated, he
saw a solitary twinkling light, which
meant a human habitation.
"T1l get him yet" he muttered thick
Iy. The mere act of a~rticulate speech
died In his throat He realized that be
had no water. and the overpowering
thirst burned In his very marrow
81 can't make It." be thought TO him
self. Gallon a got the best OF
me. He found that place and made
the plan and fooled me-" He pain
fully lifted his clInched hands toward
heaven and cursed vehemently until
bis curses faded into a perfect delirium
of mad dreams. Far away on the hill
the coyotes barked dismally.
No longer stealthily like a man OBJ
sessed, but with one desire, he strug.
gled down the hill and out upon the
mesa. Yet there was still in his eyes
all the innumerable stars, and be could
not fix his direction In bis mind. for
to his a~ccentuated sight they all ap
peared brilliant and peculiar. Thus he
got lost
At times, in moments when the dead
~ thirst which parched bis throat al.
lowed him to drink. he saw the one
glimmering light. which marked the
place where he knew Gallon had gone
Miles and hours became to him as
nothing. yet finally through his sharp
ened senses be smelled water. and as
the u vas rising over San Jacinto
mountains he fell face downward into
a stream Some instinct told him that
towns were built on hills: that conse
quently to find the town he should &c
upstream So he struggled. stemming
the current. dragging his feet. his left
hand clinched into the folds OF bis
shirt over the wound In his heart
was still smoldering the flame which
In the fitness or bis physical strength
had been hatred of his partner.
"Ill get him yet" be muttered