The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1917-03-01

view anu saw no pursuit threatening
in any direction, was to identify the
country he was in. The only landmark
anywhere in sight that he could recog-
nize was Music mountain. Th1s now
lay to the northwest, and he knew ne
must be a long way from any country
he was familiar with. But there was
no gainsaying, even in his confused
condition, Music mountain. AFTER
looking at it long time he headed
with some hesitation cautiously toward
it, with intent to intercept the first
trail to the northeast. This would take
him toward Sleepy Cat.
AS his eyes continued to sweep the
horizon he noted that the sun was
Gown and it was growing dark. He
was aware at intervals that he was
steadying himself like drunken man.
His efforts to guide the horse only be-
wildered the beast, and the two trav-
eled on maudlin curves and doubled
back on their track until De Spain de-
cided that his sole chance of reaching
any known trail was to let go and give
| tie horse his head. A period of uncOn-
sciousness blank in De SPANS mind,
soon followed. How long he rode in
this way, or how far, he never knew.
| He was reused to consciousness by the
unaccustomed sound of running water
underneath his horses feet.
It was pitch dark everywhere. The
horse after the hard experience Of the
evening was drinking a welcome draft.
De Spain had no conception of where
he could be- but the stream told him he
had somehow reached the range,
though Music mountain. itself had been
swallowed up in the night. A sudden
and uncomfortable thirst seized the
wounded man. He could hear the wa
| ter falling over the stones and climbed
slowly and painfully out of the saddle
to the ground. With the lines in his
left hand he crawled toward the water
and, lying fiat on the ground beside the
! horse, put his head down to drink. The
horse, meantime, satisfied, lifted his
head with a gulp, rinsed his mouth,
and pulled backward. The lines
slipped from De SPANS hand. Alarmed,
the weakened man scrambled after
them. The horse, startled, SHE'D, and
before his rider could get to his feet
scampered off in a trOt. While De
Spain listened in CONSERVATION, the es-
capped horse, falling into an easy stride.
gallOped away into the night.
Stunned by this new misfortune, and
listening gloomily to the retreating
hOOf-beats, De Spain pondered the stu
alton in which the disaster left him.
1t was the worst possible blow that
could have fallen, but fallen it had,
and he turned with such philosophy as
he could to complete the drink of water
that had probably cost him his life.
When he had slaked seemingly I'M
quenchable craving, he dashed the rum
ming water, first with one hand and
then the other, over his face. He tried
feebly to wash away some of the alkali
that had crusted over the wound in the
front of his head and was singing and
burning in it. There was now moth |
ing to do but to secrete himself until
daylight and wait till help should reach |
hint was manifestly impossible for
him to seek it.
Meanwhile, the little stream beside
him offered first aid. He tried it with
his foot and found it slight and shall
low, albeit with rocky bed that made
wading in his condition difficult. But |
he felt so much better he was able to |
attempt this, and, keeping near to one |
side of the current, he began to follow
it slowly upstream. The ascent was |
at times precipitohs, which pleased |
him, though it depleted his new
strength. 1t was easy in this way to
hide his trail, and the higher and fast
er the stream took him into the noun
tainS the safer he would be from any
CalabaSas pursuerS. When he had re-
gained a little strength and oriented !
himself, he could quickly get down into
the hills.
Animated by these thoughts, he held
his way upstream, hoping at every
step to reach the gorge from which
the flow issued. He would have known |
this by the sound of the falling water,
but, weakening soon, he found he must |
abandon hope of getting upto it. How
ever, by resting and scrambling up
the rocks, he kept on longer than he
would have believed possible. Encoun-
tering at length, as he struggled up-
ward, ledge and a clump Of bushes, |
he crawled weakly on hands and knees |
into it, too spent to struggle farther,
stretched himself on the f1attened |
brambles and sank into a heavy sleep.
He woke in broad daylight. Con-
seriousness returned slowly and he
raised himself with pain from his |
rough couch. His wounds were stiff. |
and he lay for long time on his back |
looking up at the sky. At length he |
dragged himself to an open space near
where he had slept and looked about.
He appeared to be near the foot of q |