The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-09-23
CHAPTER vi
Trespass.

; This shred of q chance, half humor-
ious. was deep-set in anger and loss.
Sand was a raSp to their bodies, and
the slashed clothing gave scant protec-
'tion. Already, in Imagination, Con was
IN need of a drink. The thought of
brandy was horror now, and the idea
iof clear, cool water like a knife in the
throat. Andrew March sat down and
istudied the bottom of his foot.
"How much do you think" Con in
iquired, Gin miles?"
"Oh, not so very far. If we only
had one camel"
"Yes-One with milk in her"
Don't talk like that T" said the elder
imam, sharply.
The subject of drinkables was thus
dismissed by the veteran, and Con
bowed his head in acknowledgment
Late in the day the sand-storm pass
led, and the air cleared. They went I'D
ialong the vanes of sand, fresh drifted,
out Of the gully, TO gaze at large upon
their wOrld-a prison as vast as the
horizon circle.
''The white race could wander in
mere and get lost" said Andrew
March.
Lets not talk about getting lost,
either" said Lexington.
1t was the elder mans turn to nod
iagreement.
The country was fantastic in forma-
ton and color, reddish hills running
In rows ahead, like the spine of a
world monster showing through. At
Intervals were cuts. showing the deep
er layers of rocky blue and blo0d-cOlor.
Not so much as dead twig anywhere,
OIL a bird. The skyline was nOtched
with tilted rocks. Lexington could
not help wondering how soon he would
wither and dry up, to bleach beside
some colOrful boulder.
Pain was gripping him. It was
neither grief nor illness. but the cur
rent Of life. deeper than many are
called to feel. He met 1t silently. with
q fortitudc that perhaps his mother
and father before him helped to inte-
crate. Death had small part in this
bitterness. 1t was a matter of life.
Help me to keep sane" he said to
March
''That is mutual" said his friend.
t:But you are not in any danger. I
watched you a long while before
choosing you for this task. You are
not materialist. and only nateriaIists
go insane"
Eyes, 1 suppose all the others are
born with a touch of some kind"
$50 I've heard" replied March.
They walked through the sand
Sometimes their feet sank deep and
threw them backward, but perhaps the
next step would find smooth and solid
rock. Progress was a rack of physical
strain. and pitifully slow. The hills
ahead, so hard to reach, were on q
diagonal across their route 1t star
tied Lexington to find that this diagonal
Strengthened out every hundred PAGES
This was simply the effect of the
landscape upon their eyes. The hills
were distinctly misleading. having a
tendency to defect the course that
should lie at an angle over them
Without strict attention to their shad
Ows, the two pedestrians must Ger
tainly have wandered of into sandy
oblivion. The perennial hands of the
ages had wrought cunningly to con
fuse.
''Our path should lead across those
big Jumps to the southwest" SAID
March.
They suffered the Illusion of grow
ing smaller. since there was nothing
anywhere to 'enew familiar associa
tons and comparisons.
Night drew down before they had
made any noticeable progress. They
rested upon the pink sands, and Cor
had pillow of proper shape, restfu
&c the eye in its imitation. although
1t was solid rock. A dull substitute
for sleep claimed their bodies. Lev
Ington's dreams were wrecked by huge
tumbling mountains that proved at the
striking-moment to be riders, deSer
robbers with the feFvor OF perverted
religion in their ice-cOiored eyes. Al
through this wrefched slumber, tint
white man ached and burned from the
flashing of the storm. nerve-torn by the
thought Of their capture and plight
!. At daybreak the wind began again.
Lets go" said Con.
''My understanding" = as Marcel
studied his rsttooed foot. he made THU