The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-05-16
CHAPTER X
Tn. Judge Wins the Race

painfully into the saddle, and they SO
off together.
The sun rose higher, sending dow
its scorchlng rays upon the sand, from
which the reflected heat-waves bea
upward, swathlng the rider as if In. 6
steaming shroud. Winton could hard
ly keep his seat. He felt dizzy anC
weak from the blow, from the Ions
night ride, and from the shock 'ol
Sheila's revelation.
They had Travelled perhaps a third
Of the distance to Malopo when he
refined in his horse and slid from the
saddle Into the sand. He could 60 no
further. And he lay down, staring up
at the sky without any especial in
terest in anything.
He watched the Hottentot turn and
come back toward him. The mans
clicking interrogations had no mean
ing for him. The Hottentot drew off
few PAGES and seemed to be medi-
tating.
Then he kneeled down beside Win
ton and went through his pockets. He
took his watch and purse, opened the
latter, found several sovereigns in 1t,
and transferred them to his own
pocket. He stood over Winton swing
ing his knobkerrie meditatively.
Winton watched him, still without
the least interest in what he was going
to do. The native was evidently pom
dering whether to- bring the knob of
the heavy stick down upon his skull,
and end his life, or to leave him to
die in the desert. Presently prudence
conquered. With a succession Of
grunts and clicks he mounted the
stirrups, and set out across the
desert.
Winton, lying on the sand, watched
him until he was swallowed up in the
dancing heat-waves. Once he reap
peared, gigantic figure, outlined In
mirage upon the sky above the hori-
zon. Then he vanished, and In place
Of him appeared the corrugated iron
roofs Of town.
Winton struggled into sitting pos
ture. Surely that was Malopo, and
surely 1t was very near. He saw the
busy market square, and the great
white-capped ox-wagons, drawn by
their spans of long horns, moving
through the dust whirls.
He must reach Malopo. 1t could
not be many miles away. And the
awful thirst that was consuming him
brought him to his feet and sent him
toward the pictured town.
He stumbled through the dust, his
eyes taking in the scene avidly. He
was searching for the location of the |
Continental across the busy square.
All his material aims had dwindled to
4 pitcher of cold water and a dark
place in which to sleep.
Suddenly he stopped in consterna-
ion. Across the scene he saw a train
moving. Pufs of white smoke came
rom the engine. The train stopped,
he engine, detached, went on alone,
,uffing into the void, and disappeared.
Then Winton recognized this vision.
t was not Malopo, but Taungs.
And even as he looked Ii vanished
nd the scorched desert lay before
i'm. AMI far away, against the hori-
on, he saw the tiny speck that was
he Hottentot on his horse, riding
way.
Winton looked wildly about him.
ar away were the outlines OF the
ills that sheltered Sheila. A des-
crate longing came over him to re-
urn, seek her, gain her, and dwell
here an outlaw, as Seaton had done.
lie turned.
Then, far across the sands, there
orang suddenly into view a lake, set
mong green pastures, with trees
bout 1t, and a farmhouse. A cool
reath from the water seemed to reach
i'm across the desert. He began to
agger toward this new vision, with
IS arms outstretched.
Although his brain told him that
1T follow the lure.
And, believing against belief that
! might actually be nearing 1t, he
ught his way onward, as If the
,sert were a physical enemy to be {
-ercome, stumbling and falling, and l.
sing again. His tongue Glove to the
of of his mouth, and the blood in his q
ins seemed to have turned to vitriol. j
He was down again and could not
,e. He looked up at the vision on
e horizon and shook his fist furious 0
He knew that he was beaten, that e
ath awaited him; but he would die
hting Everything that had hap
ned to him since he reached Malopo
emed like this: Illusion, golden
aspects, prospects in love, IN busi-
SIS, toward which he had CROPPED IL.
nd trustfulness. while in reality
Iggering through an arid desert Of
lure.
He sank down, but In his dellrium
was still running across the sands,
liking an unattainable have en-; then
solute Inconsistencies epTeloped
n.
(TO Pc CONTINUED)