The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1922-11-09

sun. In every WASH tney lfleu III
water. With the forked peach branch
In his hands Warren always succeed
ed in locating water. They dug, but
It lay too deep At length spent ana
sore, they fell and slept through that
night and part of the next day. Then
they succeeded in getting water. and
ouenehed their thirst, and filled the
canteens, and cooked meal.
The burning day found them in an
Unfortunately wide plain, where there
was no shelter from the fierce sun.
Mountain peaks loomed on all sides,
some near. others distant; and one,
a blue spur, splitting the glaring sky
far TO the north. Cameron thought ne
recognized rs a landmark. The ascent
toward 1t was heartbreaking, not in
Steepness, but In its league-and-league-
long monotonous rise Cameron knew
there was only one hope-to make the
water hold out and never stop to rest.
Warren began 10 weaken. Often he
had to halt
Cameron measured the water in his
canteen by its weight. Evaporation
by heat consumed as much as he
drank. During one of the rests, when
he had wetted his parched mouth and
throat he found opportunity to pour
a little water from his canteen into
Wafren's.
At first Cameron had curbed his
restless activity to accommodate the
pace OF his elder comrade. But now
he felt that he was losing something
of his instructive and passionate zeal
to get out of the desert The thought
Of water. came to occupy his mind. he
began to imagine that his last little
store Of water did not appreciably di-
minish. He knew he was not quite
right In his mind regarding water;
nevertheless, he felt this TO be more
of fact than fancy, and he began to
ponder
When next they rested he pretended
TO be in kind of stupor; but he COW
ertly watched Warren The man APP
peared far gone yet he had cunning.
He cautiously took up Cameron's can
teen and poured water into 1t from
his own.
This troubled Cameron He reflect
ed and concluded that he had been
unwise not to expect this very thing.
Then, as his comrade dropped into
weary rest, he lifted both canteens.
If there were any water in Warren's.
II was only very little. Both men had
been enduring the terrible desert
thirst, concealing it, each giving his
water TO the other, and the sacrifice
had been useless.
Instead of ministering to the
parched threats of one or both. the
water had eyapOrated. When Cam
eron made sure of this, he took one
more drink, the last, and poured the
little water left into Warren's can
teen He threw his own away.
Soon afterward Warren discovered
the loss.
Where's your canteen?" he asked.
The heat was getting my water,
SO drank what was left"
my son !" said Warren.
The day opened for them in red
and green hell of rock and cactus,
Like a flame the sun scorched and
peeled their faces. Warren went
blind from the glare. and Cameron
had to lead him. At last Warren
plunged down, exhausted, In the shade
Of ledge.
fn1 hnna-
less with hot, weary eyes gazing
down from their height where he sat.
Movement on the part Of Warren at
tracted his attention. Evidently the
old prospector had recovered his sight
and some of his strength. For he had
arisen, and now began to walk along
the arroyo bed with his forked peach
branch held before him. He had chung
to that precious bit Of wood. Warren,
however. stepped In a deep pit, and,
cutting his canteen in half, began to
use one side of 1t as scoop. He
scooped ont wide hollow, so wide
that Cameron was certain he had gone
crazy. Cameron gently urged him to
stop and then fOrcibly tried 10 make
him But these efforts were futile.
Warren worked with slow, ceaseless.
methodical movement. He toiled for
what seemed hours. Cameron, seeing
the darkening dampening sand, real
ICED a wonderful possibility OF water,
and he plunged into the pit with the
other half Of the canteen. Then both
men toiled, round and round the wide
hole down deeper and deeper. The
sand grew moist, then wet At the
bottom Of the deep pit the sand coars-
ened. gave place TO gravel. Finally
Mater welled In q STRONGER volume