The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1942-06-12
Water Dollars
90
By PAUL STANTON
Mcclure syndicste-wNu serviee.)

attached to his gaudy trailer. Turn
ing to the wisp of an old man be-
side him in the hot, dusty alley of
Sundog, hs\urged: Just the thing
for your dry claim. Watch"
He touched a button. A tiny mo-
tor, prestone-cooled-always a good
sales point-begap to purr. Wheels
flashed. Fans cut air. A two-inch
pipe coughed and was squirting wa
Ter.
Old Hank Barth hitched his bat
tered canteen higher on one thin
shoulder. Baby-blue eyes stared in
credulously at the jet. Where's it
al comm FROM" he marTeled.
Spic restrained a chuckle. His
guarded inquiries about the dumb
ness of the prosperous old prospec-
tCr had not been time wasted.
Air contains moisture" Spic
Grated. These fans draw air int0>
those coils, where electrical cur
rents" he lied ghbIy, 'condense its
moisture into gushing stream, pure
and cold
lie stopped the machinery, and
the Jet died No use draining the
tank cleverly concealed in the trail
e.. Barth smiled like a child meet
ing Santa. If had that much wa
Ter steady for my sluice boxes"
Oily two grand" Sp;c encour.
eyed
Bar;h patted bulging vest peck
e. Amt the money worries me.
It's temperature"
temperatures" Spic asked, puz.
lied.
Yep. It's hot here, but this is
nothin' to-out at my diggin's. Fiery
Desert is like a candle Air so siz-
zlin' mightn't have enough water to
make this proposition work at all.
All air contains MOISTURE" Spic
argued.
Not on old Fiery"
How far?"
Forty mile Barth glanced
aside. Just give me time to loaG
Up my truck with supplies. Stuck il
cat waitin' for rain till l drank my
last tin Of tomatoes.
Spic hustled him towards the lux.
uTiOus sedan that drew the trailer
Take nc chance on a sucker talking
and being tipped off. Cant wait
Bring you back afterwards for your
truck, he promised.
Before entering, Barth examined
his canteen; without water one car
live Only a few days on blisterine
desert. Spic slid behind the whee
and placed his own canteen on the
seat between them. The gauge
showed enough gas to make the
forty-mile trip there and back nice.
ly. he judged.
Soon to the hum of an air-cooleC
motor, the desert was opening. Chol.
3 Ia cacti and sun-seared ridges
streamed past the windows of the
speeding car. Presently the road
grew bad. Second gear was otter
necessary. Spic gulped time anc
again from his canteen. Barth slipped
occasionally at his. How much
farther?" Spic questioned when they
had gone forty-six miles.
Just a piece"
"You said forty"
Forty as the crow flies" Barth
hedged. by this corkscrew road
it's farther. How's gas?"
Spic looked down, startled. Sec.
ond-gear driving had drawn heavily
on the tank. 1t was almost empty.
Barth sighed. Drive on. I'lI
foot 1t back to town and bring some
out on my truck. There's one spring
on the way l can strike for water
Take me four-fve days" He smiled
pityingly at Spies soft bulk. You'll
hafta stay at the shack, You never
could hoof it to town."
The starved motor was coughing
when Spic stopped before a rough
board cabin overlooking a row OF
sluice boxes in dry yellow gulch
Despite the furnace blast of a late
afternoon sun he smiled confidently
as he got out and led the old pros.
pector behind the trailer. His touch
awoke the water machine. Wheels,
fans, pistons. flashed into action.
Water gushed.
Barth grinned to his ears. "It's
got even the air of old Fiery licked"
he cackled.
Together they lifted and lugged
the heavy but worthless contraption
into the shadow of the cabin and SET
it down. Stay here and don't gel
lost" Barth advised. 1.-The sooner
start the sooner I'll get back with
gas"
He turned abruptly and struck of
into the desert, across lengthening
rock shadows. Spic watched him
out Of sight, then entered the hot
little shack. On a shelf he saw ba.
con, beans, flour. Sight of the dry
food made him thirsty.
SplC raised his now light canteen
to ms lips. drained it in two quick
gulpS, then numbered across the
room to barrel above which a tir
dipper hung.
The barrel was empty.
Suddenly he remembered what
Barth had said about drinking his
last tin of tomatoes. Hands trem.
bling, he began to search. There
was no water in the cabin, nor any
substitute.
Three days later a weary figure
dropped fiat beside a desert spring,