The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-03-20
CHAPTER x


the stirrup for Winton, who climbe,
off together.
The sun rose higher, sending dow
its scorching rays upon the sand, from
which the reflected h~eat-waves bea'
upward. swathing the rider as if in 8
steaming shroud. Wfhton could hard
ly keep his seat. He felt dizzy ant
weak from the blow, from the long
night ride, and from the shock OF
Sheila's revelation.
They had travelled perhaps a third
of the distance to Malopo when he
reined in his horse and slid from the
saddle into the sand. He could go nc
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 of
a few PAGES and seemed to be medi
tating.
Then he kneeled down beside Win.
tor and went through his pockets. He
took his watch and purse, opened the
latter, found several sovereigns in it
and transferred them to his w
pocket. He stood over Winton swing.
ing his knobkerrie m~editatively.
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
horse, thrust his feet far into 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. Cnce he reap.
peared, a 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 q town.
Wfnton struggled into a sitting pos
ture. Surely that was Maloro, and
surely it 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
staggering 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:
his material aims had dwindled to
a 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. Puffs of white smoke came
rom the engine. The train stopped,
he engine, detached, went on alone,
into the void, and disappeared.
Then Winton recognized this vision
It was not Malopo, but Taungs.
And even as he looked it vanished
md the scorched desert lay before
lin. AMI far away, against the hori.
ION, he saw the tiny speck that was
he Hottentot on his horse, riding
way.
Winton looked wildly about him.
,ro o,o thu 1,+l;nac 80 H.
ills that sheltered Sheila. A des-
,erate 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
prang suddenly into view a1lake, set
mong green pastures, with trees
bout it, and a farmhouse. A cool
reath from the water seemed to reach
i'm across the desert. He began to +,
toward this new vision, with ,
is arms outstretched. :
Although his brain told him that
lis, too, was a mirage, he could not :
ut follow the lure.
And, believing against belief that 6
e might actually be nearing it, he
ought his way onward, as If the b
esert were a physical enemy to be b
stumbling and falling, and
sing again. His tongue Glove to the :.
of his mouth, and the blood in his =
Gins seemed to have turned to vitriol.
He was down again and could not =
Sc. He looked Up at the vision on T
e horizon and shook his fist furious
;. He knew that he was beaten, that 9
,ath awaited him but he would die ],
Everything that had hap u
ned to him since he reached Malopo .,
emed like this: Illusion, golden q,
aspects, prospects in love, in bust q
SIS, toward which he had CROPPED in =
nd trustfulness, while in reality :
aggering through IN arid desert of
lure.
He sank down, but in his delirium
was still running across the sands,
sking an unattainable haven; then "
Inconsistencies enveloped
!.
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