The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7955, 19 October 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

A TRAUIiDY OK Tilt; DIvSKUT. At.tti? fU)S ot the mountain, m Hie iull ,s)|»re 'd tlw sun. lay >* borniif rattie.-nakr, the "sidewinder ot the Desert prospector, coiled to strike ; above the mountain, high 111 the purple-brazen sky, a vulture ■taivd, Hoth were hungry, as they ■that make up the life ot ihfc desert ar« hungry, save when thirst ap-; proacbcK so | nwrly to death tiliai hunger is forgotten. To 000 who docs not Ktiow the de- , sen is a trackless waste of barten sand, and yet more barren rock; he that is of the desert knows a tid, sees rvery yard, every foot, of that waste crossed and recorssed by •trails made 'by insect or bird or lit:tlc mammal; every trail leads to where water once has been, to win-re tyrd or insect' or small mammal tooper? .water may once, more be found.

A lean and mangy jaJ, very short as toj his tore Hcgs, very I<,lig as to his hind ligs, hobMed rather than lea Ik d along cfie of these almost rotirosfopic, trails, coming within distance of the scrixht, Human eyes" can not lolfciw the sidewinder's stroke, lour frtil l< and as thick as a man's wrist., sumr.l l<> lave winked and to be recoiled tor * second stroke. No scemnl stroke, was needed. Tlic rat squeaked, and lay .still. Deliberately tin- s.-rp,-nti prepared to swallow his food. The soaring vulture stooped, dropping with folded pinions through half a imle of healed space to that spot, where -her far-seeing eye hail vh,scrii<l two men ; one lying, one stoopinp over the proserate form.

Hi: (hat was standing took his t. Sombrero from his liead, swinging tin. Jut to fr.'.fttan the ran s)n/.j i.l. i or Dies" he murmured; "the' oi' „ sfc. buzzard thcfiik you one already : dcail. Shi- haf the' young on ih ( , nii.JntJm top. Tlioy honp-y, and sin* Co tile une lit (It* too quppk soon." He laughed, antl, with his face dis- : tor lid in the hideous grimace, I erred

down mi liis companion. The man lying down made no Blow nii-nl. His 1 i*lt aim. ImiTat a lighl angle a' tin- rl-mv, lay across his breast palm up. Hl'>od flowing slowly irom a gas'.i m h:s forihvad malted Ins yellow hail. Wound about him, continiug hiur hand and loot, was a raw-hide lariat. tnd with numerous Knols. lhe Knots Were, good ex.uuphs of the Mexican art of lope-tyiiii ami tie tliat has tied them fell that the bonds were to hit tni-.ua He fcn.-i.eit the winl l- -mail lieatilv, and the tigln-diawn rope cut into till- llesh Hi wrist and anklo' as tin- captive stiugidiil in a vain etn-ri to i.n-ak '..is limits. •■You dirty greaser!' he gaspul. Tilt' up -My arm is broken and Voii have a knile I'.tit give me what vow niti-Vrs call a show. Aiain the Mexican kickid at the lace of the man tying b.tun'.l. laughing softly, scornfully. "Pardon. st-nor. he sa.-u. "\oti do lint thicnk aliight. N.;t the one Kvtlt- siirxv y ( .u shall haf. Was it to light Viol I stretch the leA'la across til" ttat! so the horse he fall in' bloke your head 7 Was it to light you 1 come quu-k irotn behind some rock ? Wa- it t'> fifth! you 1 hat tie yoi.i an' brong you heie*.' Pardon, scnor, you hat miMakc."

Again he laughed softly as he complacently ujliit a crgarettc, limited n. tilled hi., lungs with smoke, showing all ins white teeth as lie blew out the blue cloud through mouth and nosti.ls. "Yod want light one time more, Selior ile .Smeet he askr.l. fcitli a diahulical courtesy in his tone ".May Iv you like tight buzzard wit' your toot''.' Yes ?"« •Smith made no answer, and his face set. He turned his eyes contemptuously away. "I tlivcnk maybe I leaf you here ; you get strong, break the rope, ail'

walk back to your camp. No—no—that would b<- the leetile show, an' 1 haf- say you shall not have the leetle show. Eet cts not for you. Scnor Smeet ; you do not <les" rve only tu die. You steal'the love of lnnocci.cia. an' for that you shall die. Kcl is your punish." •Smith's eyes turi.i.l U;rk upon tiie speaker, and his (;i contempt tutnid lo one of interest, not) I with hope

"Look hen-. Manuel," he said, "you are all wrong. 1 haven't stolen !n----noeencia, and I don't want her. She is a goodfgnl. but site's join kind of people—and she's your girl, i gtuss, all right." "Yes," sneered the otuei. "You don't want h. rFor why did ;ou go each night for a week !.» the adobe since you met her ,»i ?.!oien dance ' K«r why you l.r■ ng' her the s.-rap,- an' the gold ivi; Dor cars - you love iliu; 1 .rciicia a-rjinake her tin- you. an' she for me haf no more word " Witii a bilt.r imprna!.l.i,i h.- 11,', -w away ije 1,.,tt i nil of lho cigai el-te he li.nl l.'.vn sniokiug.

! The Mexican w.is unr.>n\ met <l, I nt. Smith tinman lie saw a c'l.uc •, and I.e pnHee.ini t., tur the re'.si.r, tli a t had actually lid liini to sain the affect iiills of the iv.uiij: Spanish prl. ' "It was not inve. Ii was the mine. She knows where there's a lulc;c

loaded with gold," * Tlic Mexican s eyes {Ueanieu, somejjjli;ir of sui'piist', soiui'tiiing of hic;r.!niitv i ll £l a,llT she Uik you there is; a mim*'! ' he aske'i. •

"Yes," answered Smith, unhesitatingly and with eemphasis. Thi- expression on the face oi the Mexican clnfuged. The look of surprise and incredulity changed to; nne| oi unmixed certainty and hatted.

"That fjirl she lie," lie said slowly. "You lie, for there is no mine. It Was for the love." Ile was silent for A moment, as i! meditating, anditli-'ii continued, looking down into .Smith's face with his sum*u<g smile : "AVoll, maiybe .1 .kw you here. Maybe iiK one, two, t'roe day the liP buzzard, lil' stink coyote, he feed good." Smith knew the desert. As a grim picture revealed by a flash of light-, niiii ami grim darkness, (here came intq his mind the memory of an V>l<l man, not; strowg,! h*it full of J;ii(,\vlcdgc, lule aaid of iron wil,. He had lost tlnl it rail, and liVaKii-d slowly, with his lips eloso shut. The drawn dried face bore no expression that was human, but the eyes were horI'il/le. He died, and wnen he ilieil they that had found him sighed with a great sigh of relief. Another man. strons as a: mountain hull,ami in 1 lip full llush of young manhood. Ht< lacked knowledge of the desert, and' when he wis lost lie ran—with his mouth wide open. The swollen tongue lilk.l the open mouth, turning black. The man had bitten it, and the blood had nm down anil matted his beard and the. U'ewn l.air of his brawny chest. Tlj,awiul eyes of the nun that knew -.mil. of the man that dt.l not know burned into Smith's brain. His t.jn'gue sii ine-l to slick as he railed hoars •- ly to the Mexican"Don't leave me here, Manuel." he call <1 as the Mexican nn.vnl away. "Stick voiu knife into me. Do this :or in.., and I'll forgive Vu'J being a damned lunatic."

The wonl lunatic seemed to rouse a pi w train oil ejioifu'lit in the mind >1 Manuel. lie walked slowly tt.'cli and s/ (;<l over lii-s captive. "liunio ! Hueno he said, laugh"You shall tjo free. Si, Senor deSnuet. you shall ;;<> tree—hut for von whu haf stole tile love, eel is 'or you the hinatieo. You shall lial the shiver, you shall ton inl'r, the elilt an' skin your face. you shall leap an' fall an' hioke the ulh.fi ;iiin You shall theenk water its lire. People will say, 'l'ore lilonile Smeet, l.e loss himself in thii desert, he t,':i Imiaiico.' I, Man'ucl Torres, will know you haf steal the love, an' for 'liat ale eii.i/v. tot' eel my riA I'or Dios. you shall eat of the loeo we..1."

llairiil wall.i ;l f.fuicUy to his horse, tMhii'id near |>v\ and taking a horsrk.iir I'eata coiled ahoul the saddle, returned to his prisoner. Carefully lie examined the knots lie had tied make assurance doubly -"re. with t!». | M ir rope tiul Smith "" ' •' 1 11 'Meetmi; rock and '•i. tin- oilier ,io a distorted yiicca'lur.k. 'l'lit i, li ( . mounted Ins hoist. I I o In Coin iijnetj f

not liorciiT. '"lf ''III-; URI'I TATIOX or IHK " LITTI.F, CONUI KftOH" IN MOW I'LYMOITH. Ilou !mt\l it is to earn a reflation, ami |n nv easy it is to lose " r ' ~^ S . a ""'"' K reputation, Jo it is with tuner tilings. Some achieve a reputation i*liich Stays-with the*n . They arc loumM on intrinsic value. " Tlicy sec the public backed tip In hnnestv anil work their way quietlv but tooroughly. New Plymouth people "ant no better proof of merit than '* contained in tile following experience of n citizen A lacl.r resident of , )pn| . New ri\moulli, s;i\s F or a num _ b»*r of ywu-s 1 havn a /m c tod with kidney 1 rouble, in fact these organs were so disordered that 1 was ipiite a martyr to pain. 1 used a lot of rrmndios, but the only thing that ever relieved me was ]loan's llackaehe Kidney l'ills, uhich J pot from the Co-operatise Slurp home months ago. .Since using these l'ills 1 have been perfectly free of the pain ami I am now pleased to recommend this remedy to all suffering with backache ur any other symptom nf disordered kidneys." Take no substitute. Von want the remedy which cured this lady, therolor ask lor Poan's llackaehe Kidney l'ills. and see that the word "Backache "is in the name. lloan's llackaehe Kidney l'ills arc sold by all chemists and storekeepers at .'!/ pel' box (six boxes I'ts fWI) or will be posted on receipt of |,nti: by Fovtor-.MtCleUaii Co., 7<i I'itt Street, Sydnty, N.S.W. Hut be tuie they are DOAN'S.