Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-04

Good heavens, Jack" ] exclaimed.
/ Were surely in luck! We've got
meat to eat, and fine prospect for
| water!"
Prospect! he yelled. We've got
| it, Look in the holev'
1t didn't look very appetizing, but
it was water just the same.
We waited few minutes for
the mud puddle to settle, and then
! Fletcher got down on all fours and
| put his face to the pool. He sucked
and spat upon the ground with an
expression of disgust and disappoint-
ment.
Pure brine.' he calculated. "WeIl
have to find another water-holev'
Just to satisfy my own curiosity, 1
sampled mouthful of it myself. only
to promptly spit it out. 1t was at
least twice or three times as salty as
sea-water. A moment before our
hopes had scared high. but now. with
this disheartening discovery. they
sank to altogether new levels OF de-
spair and disbursement.
BY this time we had fully realized
that our plan to get the machine out
of the chasm and make our way to
civilization without first finding
water was merely an idle dream. We
should never live to accomplish the
job. Accordingly, we decided to find
water, if there was any to be found,
before attempting to go on with the
work of dismantling the machine.
We therefore set out in opposite
directions through the chasm, with
the understanding that neither of US
was to return until we had found
water. or were compelled to return
to our rapidly-disappearing supply. In
the event of either of us wanting the
other, we agreed that four pistol-shots
fired in quick succession would be
the signal.
had gone but a few hundred yards
before up jumped a rabbit out Of the
brush. He hoped along for a little
way and then stopped. This was my
chance for something to eat. if not to
drink, and with a single well directed
bullet, laid him low. There must be
water somewhere near. and in the
hope of finding it, began following
the rabbits tracks through the gravel.
ly sand. and for half an hour trailed
him down the bottom of the gulch.
crawling at times for considerable dis
tances on all fours through the brush.
] was wriggling along on my hands
and knees under a clump Of thorny
mesquite when put my hand down
on something cold and clammy.
l knew almost the instant I touched
it that had put my hand down upon
the 1oathsome body of a coiled rattle.
snake and that IL I attempted to
withdraw 1t the snake would I'M
doubleday get his fangs into me be-
fore ! could beat a retreat through
the dense brush. For several seconds
l simply crouched there, wondering
what was going to do, with cold
chills coursing up and down my spine.
y y
BELIEVE I should have been
huddled there yet. paralyzed with
fear. had not the snake itself broken
the suspense. Feeling the warmth Of
my hand. and evidently knowing that
some enemy was upon him, the snake
wriggled his tail and body out from
under my hand. and set his rattles
going. ! had often heard rattlesnakes
rattle, but never before at such close
range.
With his rattles thrashing the air
within foot of my head, and in the |
dead silence Of the canyon. it seemed |
to me that the noise was as loud as
that of a drum in an orchestra.
I still had the snakes head pressed |
firmly to the ground. wanted to |
let go and bolt, but at the same time
I knew full well that any attempt to
do 80 gould undoubtedly spell my