The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-07-11

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Sam" ~-'ed Winton brokenly, II
can't thar gu enough-not now
Get him, Saml Get himl"
Sam came back In five minutes.
leading the horse. Winton knew it
very well. 1t was not so fast as De
Wits, but 1t had won prizes at the
local handlcaps. 1T was In first-class
condition.
Sam had put one foot into the stir
rup when Winton dragged him down.
Let me go, Mr.. Garrett. Let me
go !" he pleaded. You're not fit, sir"
I'm going. Sam. I'll be back with
Miss Sheila--or I'll not be back. No
use Sam. Leave it to me. It's my
job, confound your
Sam took his foot out of the stir
rup with a sigh. The tears were
streaming down his black face.
you're right, sir" he said humbly.
IL"
But neither man could speak, and
Winton, wringing Sans hand, mount
ed and rode away.
His burning anger gave him strength.
The thought of Sheila's danger, of De
Wits trick at the end, nerved him
to desperation. Within two days the
wheel of his fortunes had made com
plete revolution Only the thought Of
Sheila In De Wits power enabled him
to maintain his mental equilibrium.
And for while, as he rode over the
lonely desert, touched here and there
with the green Of the young grass,
he felt like a shadow moving In a
phantom world.
He tried to concentrate his attention
on the tracks of the three horses,
which were distinct in the rain-soaked
ground. So long as these were pain
in sight he felt that he was nearing
Sheila every moment, in spite Of the
fact that he could see no one. He
discovered that what his horse lacked
in speed it made up In staying powers,
and hours passed without any slacken-
ing of the easy triple" pace
But the morning wore away, and 1t
became clear to Winton that De Witt
had at least maintained his lead. It
was almost midday when he discov-
cred that the tracks had disappeared.
For some time they had been grow
ing less distinct, for the sandy earth
Of the desert had yielded to flinty
ground. Winton went back, found
them, and discovered that the horses
had struck off at an angle leading far
away from the headquarters Of the
tribe.
Hitherto the horses had been travel
ing almost Immediately toward the
hills. Yet it had seemed improbable
hat De Witt could have allied him.
self with the Bechuanas. They would
nave rejected overtures from any
white man; and De Witt, scoundrel
hough he was, would hardly have
made them. Winton's suspicious now
became a certainty in his mind. The
who was well known
the desert country, had
gathered about himself a few wander
ng HottentOts, probably old servants
IT cattlemen, by whose aid he hoped
'ther territory
The tracks led due west, toward the
Ieart OF the almost unknown Kala.
ari, the desert Of salt pans, inhabited
My by few wandering Bushmen and
he antelope on which they lived.
Winton knew that there was no set
lement of any kind, not even a native
ne, for hundreds of miles IN this d.
ection. If one went far enough, how
Yer, and knew how to live on the
'ild melons that send their tap-roots
undreds of feet into the ground and
raw up water, one would enter Ger
IAN territory, where the Herrera
ribesmen lived among the infrequent
asses. Thence one could strike the
'estern shore.
And Winton suddenly began to think
nat Van Worst must have taken this
)ute. Probably the same Hottentots
no had accompanied De Witt had
elped Van Worst across the desert.
hey might even have cached food and
alter in some lonely spot.
WiutOu HedTl SANK as ne followed
lie faint tracks mile after mile. often
'duced to a slow walk in order not
} lose them. Sometimes only a tuft
downtrodden, withered grass, or q
w displaced pebbles showed him
IS route. And then even the wisps
grass vanished, and the fiinty desert
Y smooth before him.
II was early afternoon. winton had
zen guiding himself more by instinct
I'd judgment than by any visible
aces. He realized now that he had
st the trail, and lost it half an hour :
fore, and had been deluding him
If with signs which were nonexist-.
It. Worse than that, 1t was impos-
Die to pick up the spoor by going
ok.
His horse had gone gamely, but 1t
rs gradually giving out. He dis
and the beast stood painting,
tn dropping head. 1t had ceased to
'eat-an ominous sign. He left II
d began to cast about in wide
'cle in the hope Of hitting the tracks.
1t he found nothing; and, standing