The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1923-03-30
Comrades in Dead
Valley
By A E. BAXTER
%. 1922. Western Newspaper Union

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 alkali 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
W logged will power. The will
burned as unquenchably al ever, but
the luck was out-dead out. 1t was
twenty-four hours since he had tasted
water.
Twenty-four hours under a Dead
Valley sun! If he could go on twenty
four hours longer, he could reach
safety. But the blood in his veins had
turned to strip and cinders, and he
had staggered to the thin shade Of a
cactus and fallen there.
II guess this is all, Bill" he said.
The great w%olfhound stood beside
him, painting, its tongue hanging from
its mouth. In Its appealing eyes old
Mike, too, read the presentiment of
death.
Mike stretched out his hand. "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 and 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 it had occurred TO
him.
After all, If death for both was GER
tain, was it not more merciful to n
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 lie vas swapping n snarling, and
showing a 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
threat.
Mike was just in time to spring to
his feet and greet the animal with q
vicious kick that hurled it, snarling
and whimpering, a dozen feet away.
And then Mike knew that the same
awful thought that had come to him
come to the dog TOO. And like
primitive man he had to face his ca
line foe unarmed, trusting in his wits
against its superior speed and the
rip of it's fangs.
Hours must have gone by, while the
wo circled about each other, watch
ng each other. Mike still had his
ackknife. If 1t came to close quar- ,
ers he felt confident that he could :
'lunge through the shaggy hide into q,
he heart-provided his strength held ,
ut. But already the first coma of =,
consciousness was overcoming him, r
nd the brilliant alkali desert swan |
efore his eyes. ;
The dog seemed TO have become n 8
n oil nf civ N.-o- airI,,- ~o, owl
ound him, sometimes uttering : :
ccble yelp from the parched throat U
ut of which the tongue, swollen to r
frightful size, protruded. Q
Mike lay down at last, his jack T
nife in his hand. waiting. Slowly g
ne hound came ea1e Its bloodshot
yes cleaned wickcdly. 1t showed an
most human cunning in the way 1t
ppreoched, fawniilg, whimpering-
Mike thrust. He missed. The hound :
back with a yelp. But it had =
cen almost too cunning for him. Mike -
ad been half unconscious without L
moving it. Another instant and those =
lngs would have been in his throat. u
The hound was lying In the distance. o
anting, looking at him. Mike stole
lutiously toward 1t. He must make q
1 end before Inconsistencies super y
ened. Then he would be refreshed. s.
take up his terrible Journey. Hell a
alked with hand outstretched. ri
Good ole Bill !" he said thickly.
The animal watched him; then, see e
G the knife, it suddenly turned tail H
Id ~aDpea info the diStanoo II
And Mike fell prone and uncon- &,
ious upon the alkali. tt
Waterl n,
IL was trickling into his throat. the Ia