Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-17
AMPLE WATER By Y
By Murray Leinster
What Penalty Adequately Furnishes Swindler?

leadrope. lie started away, hurried
ly. Then he stopped.
II wish somebody would dc
something" he said, with an effect OF
ries two revolvers." He paused. The
big man did not move. anyway
| j wont say anything"
He was gone. leading the burro
over the unfamiliar ground, then
driving II before him. Presently the
| big man broke off branch from the
willows, and extracted a knife from
his pocket. He whitfield the stick to
point with meticulous precision.
He shall have every chance" he
mutterred. Every one"
That night the rabbit came to
| drink, and SHE'D away from a strange
thing he found. 1t was a little stick,
| sharpened to a point and driven ac-
curately at the edge of the water. to
mark the spot. The rabbit drank
stealthily from another than his
usual place. He was afraid of the
stick. Somehow, he associated it with
the man.
The next night the rabbit found
the stick a good three inches from
the waters edge, though 1t had not
been moved, and the night after that
| it was six inches. BY that time,
though, he had come to disregard it.
x *
CLOWLY, the desert awoke. Little
furtive squealling noises came
from here and there. There was a
tiny rustling as the infrequent crea-
lures of the night fed, and the
stranger things of the day awoke.
The man waited. grimly. His shot
gun. across his knees, was for a time
uncomfortably cold, then pleasantly
cool, and then unbearably hot as its
blackened barrel absorbed the suns
heat He looked as If he had not slept.
He sat waiting. his eyes fixed upon
some spot far over the wasteland, the
picture of memorable patience.
At first it was only the merest haze.
such as might have been the dust
aroused by some vagrant eddy of
wind, but it remained in the one place
and presently it seemed thicker.
Then ii was an indubitable cloud.
which could only come from the hoofs
of horses being driven. And then
tiny. bobbing specks appeared in the
midst of II. 1t was a team of horses,
hitohed to a blackboard.
The man stood up slowly and
stiffiy. Methodically, he looked to his
shotgun, broke it and inspected the
shells-buckshot He replaced them
and slipped off the safety. Then he
stepped out into the middle of the
barely distinguishable trail
The team was travelling swiftly, and
yet it was a long time on the way.
Blake was evidently no sparer of
horsef1esh. because he sent them on
at a steady trot. without a pause
for breath.
Two miles away. Then a mile.
Then half mile. A quarter The
horses trotteS smartlys on-queer af-
lection in the desert. Then the man
held out his arm and they drew up
in a smother of dust.
Hello. What's up?" Blake peer
ed from the seat through the dust
that followed him. He stiffened.
oh" he said shortly. It's Scars
dale. What IS it?'
II want you to look at the place
you sold me-" said the man harshly.
THAT stream is dried up. There's
no water"
There hasn't been for years" said
Blake pleasantly. That's why sold
it to you
I've given you every chance said
the man hoarsely. You said there
was ample water. What are YOU go
ing to do about it?''
Nothing" said Blake. His hand
dropped inconspicuously to his side.
A man with a shotgun, resting its
butt on the ground, against man
with a revolver at his hip. That was
eaSy:P >frF--
But the shotgun came up very
swiftly. And Blake. in the act of
drawing his own weapon, stiffened.
There were two boxes of dynamite
strapped behind him for the blasting
at the dam 40 miles beyond. Any
man may fight a gun duel, but few
men Will care for 1t when there is
a case of high explosive close to him
and adding to the target his body of
fers. Blake went suddenly very pale.
He had forgotten that. Buckshot
will 30 through fiimsy pine boxes, and
dynamite will explode with some VIC
lence. and man sitting close beside
two-case lot will be separated into
very small pieces when 1t detonates.
Blake, sat very still. The shotgun
pointed unwaveringly at him.
Throw your guns out" ordered
the bearded man, harshly.
He picked them up. His face was
calm, full of a set purpose. Only his
eyes were smouldering, and into them
was coming a strange expression of
peace. as if the thing he was about
to do had become a thing necessary
beyond debate.
Now drive to the place you sold
me. You know the way"
And they came to the narrow open
ing between the low red cliffs. There
was an instant's grateful shadow, and
then deadly heat smote them once
more. The starved, baked earth. The
stunted. shriveling willows by the
water-hole. Heat, gathering as if inn
pounded in a pool by the encircling
sandstone bluffs.
He came to stop.
You said''-the voice was even,
with the memorable quality of fate it.