Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-17

you'd ask nothing better than to be
pastured on the banks Of this stream.
| Get down"
! CLOWLY the man in the buck
~ board descended to the ground
and sprang, with lightning swiftness
his fists failing. And then there was
! an impact as the two bodies met. And
then. inexorably. two huge hands
fastened upon the smaller mans
throat. They closed while a vein stood
out hugely upon the bearded mans
forehead and his eyes glittered in.
sanely.
There was a choking sound there
in the midst of the burning heat and
! deathly silence, and the sound of
cloth ripping. The sleeve of the
bearded mans shirt ripped away
from his wrists. There was no
sound at all for time. until one of
the two men dropped to the earth
when the hands released his throat
The big man stood above him, shak-
ing with rage and blood-lust. Then
he stopped and felt of the others
heart. He rose again and STROBE
away. only to return with a long
length of chain.
When he had finished his task he
stood up and waited, grimly.
You lied to me-" came hoarsely
when the PROSTATE man stirred
weakly. II could have killed YOU
but / shall give you every, chance.
Dulled eyes stared, then cleared
The fallen man put his hand to his
throat. The muscles moved as IL he
were swallowing painfully. Then he
stirred again and half rose, bracing
| himself by n hand in the blistering
hot sand
He gazed up at the implacable fig
ure above him. Fear came into his
face. ''What-what do you want?'
| The bearded man swept out his
arms in a convulsive gesture.
You said there was ample water
here. You said If you were a beef,
critter you'd ask nothing better than
| to be pastured on the banks of the
stream here. You said water was
worth its weight in gold on ground
| like this"
Slowly the fallen man struggled to
his feet A metallic tinkling followed
his movements.
"All right" he mumbled. I'm give
you back your money
You lied TO me"' growled the other
man fiercely. You said there was
ample water
I'm give it back" A hand went
again to Blake's throat Again the
muscles worked. Give me a drink
and I'll write you a check.
The bearded mans eyes were glow
ing.
Ample water he barked hoarsely.
"Give me ample water to irrigate this
land You lied, Make good your lie.'
l. He turned and strobe away.
And the man who was left fumbled
for his check book in his pocket, and
seemed to find difficulty in his move
ments. He looked down stupidity at q
chain that was wound about his body,
over and under mis- arms. round his
chest. He took a staggering step and
turned at the tinkling that followed 1t.
A serpentine chain trailed behind him
TO the trunk of a dying willow. where
il was coiled and doubiy stapled fast.
Sudden panic shone in the chained
mans face. And then he saw thing
that drove all other thoughts from his
mind. II was a pool OF water. a shall
low. turgid pool Of water, that once
had been the fohntainhead of rush
ing stream.
Stumbling a little. he moved toward
it. then was jerked back. He had
reached the end OF his chain.
* xx
ATE that night the rabbit came to
drink. He heard a curious, clank-
ing sound and a hoarse whispering.
The rabbit was timid. but thirst drove
him to the pool-with all due caution,
of course. He saw dark figure NOV
ing in the starlight, half-sunken in the
dried and powdery sand that had been
the stream bed. For a long time the
rabbit watched. his big ears alert. But
then he crept to the waters edge and
dipped in his muZzle.
4 stone struck close beside him,
and then another, and a mans voice
H..
creature should drink while he thirst
ed. There was a rain of small stones
to enforce the decree, flung by a pant
ing. raging man.
The rabbit fed in panic, but he was
very thirsty. Toward morning he
crept back again. And again he was
driven away.
The morning sun rose upon the
arroyo, and the long shadows of the
cliffs retreated to huddle beneath their
bases. Slowly the flood of heat accu-
mulated and the deadly dazzling glare
began. The three horses foraged hun
Srily upon the thin heritage near the
water hole. There were two wagons
in the basin now. One was the buck
board, standing where it had been de-
serted. the two cases of dynamite still
strapped behind the seat.
The bearded man came out of the
house and went slowly toward the
wind -smoothed stream bed. Once he
stopped and picked up a bit of the
baked earth in his fingers. He crushed
1t and let it trickle slowly to the
ground.
HE said he muttered. water on
this ground was worth it's weight in
gold"
His prisoner was squatted in a huge
hole he had dug with his bare hands
down to the damp sand Of the old
stream bed. But the sand was damp