The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-11-02
Comrades in Dead
Valley
By CHARLES E. BAXTER
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10, 1922. western Newspaper UnlOn.)

wild places during his sixty years of
life, but Dead Valley seemed likely
to be the last of them.
For five days he had set his face
steadily westward over the burning,
barren alkall lands, toward the myth
ical mine, In spite of warnings that
no man had ever crossed Dead Valley
from end to end. And now Mike saw
his own end approaching.
He had trusted to luck and to his
own logged will power. The will
burned as unquenchably as ever, but
the luck was out-dead out. 1t was
twenty-four hours since he had tasted
water.
Twenty-four hours under Dead
Valley SUM- If he could go on twenty
four hours longer, he could reach
safety. But the blood in his veins had
turned to sirup and cinders, and he
had staggered to the thin shade of q
cactus and fallen there.
IL guess this is all, Bill" he said.
The great wolfhound stood beside
him, painting, It's tongue hanging from
its mouth. In its appealing eyes old
Mike, too, read the presentiment Of
death.
Mike stretched out his hand. 1--WE
been good friends these four or FIVE
years, Bill" he said. "It's kinder
hard"
Suddenly a thought flashed through
his mind that made him vince with
shame and humiliation. But it re-
turned unbidden.
AS If sensing it, the great hound
leaped back with a whine ana laid its
ears forward.
Old Mike had one bullet left in his
revolver. He had planned that for
himself, in case he failed to win out
in his fight with Dead Valley. Now
| another use for 1t had occurred to
him.
After ALL If death for both was GER
tain, was it not more merciful to end
the hounds sufferings quickly-and to
restore his own life by the sacrifice
of the animals?
In lonely places thoughts become al
most as things. AS Old Mike drew the
loaded revolver from its holster and
called the animal, Bill snarled and be-
gan running in circles round and
round him, just out of revolver range.
He might suddenly have gone mad,
for he was swapping and snarling, and
showing q marked inclination to dash
In upon his master.
"Hes gone mad" thought Mike.
"That fixes that" He drew aim and
fired.
A few hairs flew from the hounds
tail Mike Maloney had missed. And,
like an arrow, Bill darted at his
throat.
Mike was just in time to spring to
his feet and greet the animal with a
vicious kick that hurled 1t, snarling
and whimpering, a dozen feet away.
And then Mike knew that the same
awful thought that had come to him
had come to the dog too And like
primitive man he had to face his ca
nine foe unarmed, trusting In his wits
against its superior speed and the
grip of Its fangs.
Hours must have gone by, while the
two circled about each other, watch
ing each other. Mike still had his
jackknife. If 1t came to close quar-
ters he felt confident that he could
plunge through the shaggy hide into
the heart-provided his strength held
out. But already the first coma OF
unconsclousness was overcoming him,
and the brilliant alkall desert swan
before his eyes.
The dog seemed to have become a
pack of six. ever circllng round and
round him, sometimes utterlng a
feeble yelp from the parched throat
out of which the tongue, swollen to
frightful size, protruded.
Mike lay down at last, his jack
knife in his hand, waiting. Slowly
the hound came nearer. Its bloodshot
eyes cleaned wickedly. 1t showed an
almost human cunning In the way II
approached, fawning, whimpering--
Mike thrust. He missed. The hound
leaped back with a yelp. But 1t had
been almost too cunning for him. Mike
had been half unconscious without
knowing It. Another instant and those
fangs would have been in his throat
The hound was lying In the distance
painting, looking at him. Mike stol'
cautiously toward 1t. He must max,
an end before unconsclousness super
vened. Then he would be refreshed
to take up his terrible journey. Ht
walked with hand outstretched.
"Good ole Bill !" he said thickly.
The animal watched him; then, see
ing the knife, 1t suddenly turned tail
and disappeared into the distance.
And Mike fell prone and uncon
scious upon the alkali.
Water
II was tr.ckling into his throat, the
sweetest drink that he had known In
all his life. Mike opened his eyes. A
tent was over him. And beside hin
stood Jim Lavery, his old partner.
lie still, ye burned old fool. Yell