Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-03-22
CHAPTER X
The Judae WIns the Raee.


the stIrrup for Winton, who climbed
painfully into the saddle. and they set
Off together.
The sun rose higher, sending down
its scorching rays upon the sand. from
which the reflected heat-waves beat
upward. swathing the rider as If in a
steaming shroud. Winton could hard
ly keep his seat. He felt dizzy and
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
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 soYereigns in it,
and transferred them to his own
pocket. He stood over Winton swing
ing his knobkerrie meditatively.
Wlnton 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. Once 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 town.
WintOn struggled into a sitting pos
ture. Surely that was Malopo, 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. It 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
All his material aims had dwindled to
a pitcher of cold water and a dark
place In which to sleep.
Suddenly he stopped in consterna-
ton. Across the scene he saw a train
moving. Puffs of white smoke came
from the engine. The train stopped,
the engine, detached, went on alone,
putting into the void, and disappeared.
Then Winton recognized this vision.
1t was not Malopo, but Taungs.
And even as he looked 1t vanished
and the Scorched desert lay before
him. AMI far away. against the hori-
zon, he saw the tiny speck that was
the Hottentot on his horse, riding
away.
Winton looked wildly about him.
Far away were the outlines OF the
hills that sheltered Sheila A des-
perate longing came over him to re-
turn. seek her, gain her, and dwell
there an outlaw, as Seaton had done.
He turned.
Then. far across the sands, there
sprang suddenly into view a lake, set
among green pastures, with trees
about Ii, and a farmhouse. A cool
breath from the water seemed to reach
him across the desert. He began to
stagger toward this new vision, with
his arms outstretched.
Although his brain told him that
this, too, was mirage, he could not
but follow the lure.
AAus uCiiCfANS against bcllGA liAdL
he might actually be nearing it, he
fought his way onward, as If the
desert were a physical enemy to be
overcome, stumbling and falling, and
rising again. His tongue Glove to the
roof Of his mouth, and the blood in his
veins seemed TO have turned TO vitriol.
He was down again and could not
rise. He looked up at the vision On
the horizon ana shook his fist furious
". He knew that he was beaten, that
death awaited him; but he would die
lighting Everything that had hap
pened TO him since re reached Malopo
seemed like this: illusion, golden
prospects. prospects in love, in bust
ness, toward which he had groped in
blind trustfulneSs, while in reality
staggering through an arid desert Of
failure
He sank down. but IN his delirium
ne was still running across the sands,
seeking an unattainable hay en-: then
absolute Inconsistencies enveloped