Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1921-05-28

W tie nut. LII realty lie uiu lOt QuiCh-
en- his pace. He felt an immense re.
lief when he sat down beside his
charge. If he should go groggy what
would Jim do? Never for moment
did the thought cross his mind that his
efforts would fail. If only the meal
held out! That would give Jim
strength. Perhaps he should himself
eat few Of the beans-just to keep
his own strength up that he might not
go groggy. The idea took hold of him.
Then he put it from him. They should
be kept Cor Jim when the meal gave
out.
He would try looking for the tu-kol
berries again when it grew cooler. Yet
the thought required again and again
throughout the afternoon, beating with
a sort of rhythm against his conscious
ness. For Jim's sake as well as his
own he should keep up his strength.
He crouched low and tried to hold
on with his hands as if the earth would
cast him off He was very tired and
crept back to the hut again. 1t took
a deal of time to find it in the night.
Jim's face was cool when he felt of it
and a thrill of terror shook through
him.
All the hours of the night he sat
waiting with hushed breath for day
that he might read the truth. There
were strange times when he thought
he slept and woke. At last he opened
his eyes. The sun was up and Jim
was looking at him with fnquiring
eyes
He smiled and held out his hand.
He rose to his feet, but the hut
rose, too.
This time Jim was trying to speak
with his eyes. 1t was water he want
ed, of course. He felt around for the
can and presently crept out and found
he was quite well. Today it was hard
err to put away the beans when he
made Jim's Cruel, and he ate few.
1t was wonderful how quickly he felt
better.
Another day Of tanning with the
big leaf, broken by snatches of sleep
and occasional trips to the spring, and
by night Jim was talking bit, only
he couldn't remember all he said.
Something about his being brick,
| Jim always was quick to take too
much account of a little thing. But
how horribly the meal was lessening.
Had he wasted any? If there should
not be enough now that Jim's appetite
was returning?
| There were the beans, and surely
some help would come, now that the
worst was over. This was going to
| be hot day and he had forgotten to
get fresh supply of the dried leaves
He looked across his shoulder at the
| diminished pile. Jim saw him pitch
forward and the fan fell beside him.
| -
I1sAr-w a, CO. -v~ca1- - Ia, -r44t,re +b4dl.
move. He realized that he had been
unconscious, but how long he would
never know.
Outside the hut it was still sunlight
red, warm light, the brilliant hushed
glow of sunset in the ragged lands
but inside it was already twilight. He
| y
of everything in sight. The two packs,
the small case of medicine. the can
nearly full of water Che was thankful
that the man lying on his face beside
him had taken that last staggering
trip to the spring., the few wide leaves,
and the rag containing the beans. The
handful Of meal was hidden in the
pack.
During the long night Jim thought
and calculated Once the other talked
babblingly and moved, and Jims heart
jumped with weakness and fear-a hor-
rible fear. He strained his eyes in the
darkness to see if he had rolled near
the can with the water in it. After
that he thought of nothing but that
can.
The day broke and found him still
out of reach of the can. At sunrise
loon swept over the hut, sailing
swiftly down to the holes. and its
laughter filled the desolate wastes.
s. If frightened the crawling man and
he made stronger effort
At the end of another day the party
straying from the trail came TO the
little rise above the spring. LIE Marque
stood STOPPING his great height at the
opening of the hut.
"Mere de Dieu,' he said, wonder
ingly.
His bearded face expressed pity. He
knew these tragedies of the desolate
lands where the fever strikes a man
and death stands grinning from the
empty void waiting for the lingering
surrender.
He dropped softly TO his knees and
turned over to the light him who lay
on his face. There was Still warmth
under the ragged strips on his breast
and the lips were cracked.
LIE Marque looked long at him. He
knew also the tale of the cracked lips.
He laid him gently back-and turned TO