The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-04-12

| niZe was Music mountain. This now
| lay to the northwest, and he knew he
must be long way from any country
he was familiar with. But there was
no gatnsaying even in his confused
I condition. Music mountain. After
| looking mt 1t u long time he headed
with some hesitation cautiously toward
| 1t. 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
down and 1t was growing dark. He
was aware at intervals that he was
steadying himself like u 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-
clded that his sole chance of reaching
any known trail was to let go and give
the 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. "
1t was pitch dark everywhere. The
horse after the hard experience of the
evening was drinking 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 Spain's 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 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 gloomlly to the retreating
hoof-beats, De Spain pondered the situ-
| alton in which the disaster left him.
1t was the worst possible blow that
could have fallen, but fallen 1t 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 un.
quenchable craving, he dashed the run.
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 1t. 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 1t.
Meanwhile, the little stream beside
| him offered first aid He tried it with
| his foot and found 1t slight and shal
| low, albeit with rocky bed that made
| wading in his condition difficult. Bu
: he felt so much better he was able tC
N attempt this, and, keeping near to one
g side of the current, he began r. follow
IL slowly upstream. The ascent Ta'
:, him, though 1t depleted his nov
:. strength. II was easy in this way L
= hide his trail, and the higher and fast
- er the stream took him into the noun
% tains the safer he would be from an,
y Calabasas pursuers. When he had re
gained little strength and oriente,
T. himself, he could quickly get down int
y the hills.
's N Animated by these thoughts, he he'll
, Ms way upstream, hoping at ever
- step to reach the gorge from whic
the flow issued. He would have know
=. this by the sound of the falling watel
- but weakening soon, he found he mus
is abandon hope of getting up to 1t. How
a ever, by resting and scrambling u
- the rocks, he kept on longer than
:, would have believed possible. Encour
~ tering at length, as he struggled VI
n ward, II ledge and clump of bushe!
~ he crawled weakly on hands and knee
10 into 1t, too spent to struggle farthe
stretched himself on the flattene
IT, brambles and sank into heavy sleeI
10 He woke In broad daylight. Coz
al sciousness returned slowly and h
n raised himself with pain from hi
Is rough couch. His wounds were stiff
n. and he lay for long time on his bac
,o looking up mt the sky. At length b
y dragged himself to an open space nei
,d where he had slept and looked abou
n. He appeared to be neW the foot of
no mountain quite strange 60 him, and
IF. rather an exposed place. He clambere
Nv hundred feet above where he ha
- slept before he found q hiding plac