The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-07-25
CHAPTER xv-continued.


10
He went back. The animal had no
moved. He looked about him. In tn
Tar distance were the falntest blu
outlines Of hills. 1t occurred to hin
that De Witt might have been making
for these. And he might as well q
forward as turn back.
He trudged on endlessly. leading ths
horse. the sun a grilling fire above
him. His boots were burned through
from contact with the hot stones
Loose shale and fiints slipped under
his tread.
The sun, even In Its descent, seemed
to grow hotter. Wlnton was half
dead from thirst. The painting horse
was becoming burden. At last 1t
stood still and dropped slowly upon
Its knees. 1t looked at him and
whinnied.
AS Winton glanced hopelessly over
the plain his eyes were arrested by
the sight of dark object lying an
Indefinite distance away. 1t was too
large for a man-too black for a rock.
And there were no rocks anywhere,
for the whole plain seemed to have
been crushed fiat by a giant steam
roller.
Winton made his way toward 1t. 1t
began to take form; 1t was a dead
horse. 1t had dropped In its tracks,
and Its sufferings had been ended by
q bullet through the head. But there
were no signs Of rider, and 1t was
impossible to distinguish any foot
tracks on the stones.
1t was no doubt the horse that had
been ridden by one Of the three. 1t
was not De Wits. Probably 1t was
the Hottentot's
Winton's spirits scared upward He |
set his teeth grimly and went back |
to his animal. He must go on now, |
even IL he had to leave the beast be- |
hind him.
He stood looking at 1t. 1t had fallen
upon its stomach, and crouched thus,
with It's legs bent under it. 1t raised
dts head and whinnied again family.
1t was past saving. unless water could
he procured Immediately.
Winton drew his revolver, took care
full aim behind the ear, and fred. The
beasts head went down-it quivered
rolled on its side, and died.
And he went on. BY degrees his
journey became automatic, SO that he
was hardly conscious of his surround
ings. He saw only the distant hills
and the western sun descending with
slowness. His tongue,
swollen and numb. seemed to distend
his cheeks. Sometimes the stony
desert yielded for a few steps to
sparse patches of filnty earth, indicat-
Ing the hope of some fertile region
beyond, but it always began again.
The sun dipped into the west, and
still the man staggered onward The
Of the patches of thorn
scrub was lost to him, OF the rugged |
and broken terrain, of the fpothills G
about him, with their struggling mi I
nosas. But suddenly Winton stopped. G
trembling. I
Green grass was at his feet, and I
but of assure in the ground there +
dubbed a little spring, unguessed at S
~ the map-makers. 1t was tiny
oasis in the vast wilderness. +
De Witt had evidently possessed the h
'ecret. and had planned to make this d
lis headquarters until the hue and h
ry had been dropped. C
Winton flung himself upon the h
arth beside the spring. and, burying
lis face in the water. drank until his s.
hriveled veins seemed to pulse with Il
ew blood. d
The sun had set, and the intense a
eat was changing to the Icy cold of the "
esert night when he arose, rested, b
nd with all the grimness of his reso-
ition nerving him to action. He knew a,
nat Sheila could not be far away. He "
,oked at his revolver. To his con-
.ernation he discovered that only two n
lots remained. However, these r,
lould be enough-one, at least, would IN
I've Sheila from De Witt; the other OF
He would not face the possibilities III
lat unfolded themselves before him,
1t rose to his feet, and was about to or
llOw the spring through a valley into TO
e hills when something lying upon an
e ground attracted his attention. sn
1t was Sheila's handkerchief. ma
He snatched 1t up and pressed 1t to tn
S lips. He felt that Sheila had to-
opped it for an indication, knowing an
at he would follow. Lightly he sh
epDed forward into the bush-clad co
lis. among the boulders.
The valley opened. The scene grew re,
ISOLATE again. All round Winton sol
IRE hills of a PERCEPTIONS character, irr
lich gradually grew sleeper until he fir
1nd himself in a sort of level am
itheater, apparently inclosed, save vol
the end through which he mad come. wo
in tufts of grass and sparse yege- tri,
tor grew around the bases of the
ffs but the central portion of the the
LEY was Of dazzling whiteness, as fer
incrus,ed with salt or alkali. mo-
Along one side were numerous trails. ad,
owing the sharp edges of the spoor dis,
hpa