The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1925-06-25

ing dignity. It's a tremendous thing
an un~forgettable majesty of inexor-
able dealing u of sentences. The
place of his crime was the scene of
his trial, his conviction and sentence.
He died as Hennepin had died-of
thirst"
Brena started to speak.
mo, not yet" Peter said. "As Hen
nepin had suffered, so he suffered.
More, perhaps, because in his car
just as we have-he had a two-days'
supply of water. Do you see that
black thing out there on the desert?
1t is a metal container for water. He
! was so crazed that he had tried to
drag it along with him on d hopeless
journey through the sand. When he
lost hope after many miles he dragged
it back, tapping its contents to wet
his cracking lips until the last drop
al gone"
But the carr" she asked. "What
happened to the carr"
"The car was all right replied
Peter. Come this way. Don't go in
front of 1t. Look behind 1.-THE
tracks it had made from the encrosui
entrance. But here it stopped. o.
| tell you, it is a thing of statelines
as if some great hand had com,
down."
Brena stared at him in open-eyed
wonderment.
I'll e was the instrument of justice
he himself" Peter went on. "a man
who would save his life, lost it. The
madness Of fear brought all that he
had to fear-and more"
He paused.
"Brena, l will tell you," he said in
a hushed. awed voice. 1.-THE man was
mad, irresponsible, without power to
reason. He was in a panic of fear.
He wanted to hide his crime at any
cost. He had filled his gasoline tank
for the return journey. Look!"
Peter pointed to the hole il the back
of the car into which the gasoline is
poured. The screw cap had gone. A
bent copper pipe still dangled out of
that hole.
He wanted a hat-full of gasoline.
That was the fuel, Brena-the fuel to
burn the remains of Jim Hennepin.'
He wet his lips.
"He used a siphon. This bent cop
per pipe taken from his tool chest
a spare length of oil feed pipe! And
with that he filled his hat and ran
back"
Peter looked up into the sky. He
went on quietly. "And the siphon ran
on. He had forgotten it. 1t ran ON
with it's little stream saturating the
sand until the tank was empty and the
heat of the day was ~evapcrating the
last drops at the bottom. Parmalee
had condemned himself to death He
had lost the fuel he had put in for
the return journey! !"
Brena pressed her lips tightly to-
gether and for many moments looked
into the great fanlike spread of the
sunset. Then suddenly she turned
toward the car and took several steps.
NO." said Peter firmly. you
mustn't"
II must know, Peter, beyond a
shadow of a doubt"
HE is there-nothing for you to see,
dear. He must have had the delusion
at last that he could drive the car.
He's there-at the wheel-fallen for
ward. And So"
She looked up.
and soto be sure-I took the
watch-a gold one-this one. Is it
his?'
He held it out on the palm of his
hand.
Eyes, it is-his, Peter"
He looked down at it a moment
then tossed it into the sand as one
losses aside a poisonous fungus.
Peter"
'Yes."
eve mustn't let this go with US
when we go-following us away. We
leave them both-here.'
She took his hand.
81 am sure. For myself I can an
l know the desert has served
some great Will. The book is closed"
< 4 y =
They slept upon one great square
spread on the open desert
the stars while the pale moon
moved on it's great silver arc across
he heavens. The Pueblo Mescalero
vas far behind from it they had rid
len for miles in awed silence. And
when they had reached a stopping
upon a rise Of ground, neither
lad dared an expression. Aching with
veariness they had looked at each
'ther mutely and flung themselves
Town.
Now the second morning, like the
Irst, came over the deserts edge with
host of golden lances; again the air
f the desert became a haze of lumi-
!ous violet hanging above the red and
oondc ond vroifino for tbot