The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7956, 20 October 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

A TRAGEDY OF THE DESERT.

(Continued). "Adios" he said, taking off his sombrero awl nuking * sweeping bow. "Soon I return. I go to the mesa land, where the loco weed does crow." Smith struggled, desperately, vainly. Then he lay still in the stillness -of utter exhaustion, or horror, of despair. Night Ml, sudden and chill. On the mount ate top the she vulture croaked condolence to tier unfed fledgelings ; at the mountain's base the creeping and crawling inhabitants of the desert sought shelter from the cold, as by day tii:y h.i-l siuyhi shelter from the heat, under links and ffc crevices. The snake lli.fl bad eaten ar.d bad lain all e»y n the ; half stupor of fulness, moved slowly : towards a crevice in the iiol rock, crawling with deliberation over a Sat stretch ol sand, moving between recks ; like a flash of lightning, with , a movement peculiar to its kind, i Shot sideways for a foot, and for a "moment lay still as if dead as the rock beside it. The sensitive body s 'u*d touched the projecting hair m Ibe rope that fastened Smith lo the yncca. The sidewinder will crawl Without hesitancy over stones not iar. . from red hot, an.l swim through water rn which ice is floating ; it will make its way through rusiling dry leaves, or among cactus pricklcs , sharper than man has ever made needles, but it will not cross a hair . rope, even to avoid sure death For t a moment the snake lay still hut * HOI in torpor. When it moved again . slowly, cautiously, every serpentine' - !?■'* *?* i,nX - <- vt ' r >- nerve te„st. The hair rope lay between the snalie <nd Hie crevice in which it sought jroteetioii from the chill night air tt»lo*i«» the rope, touching it delihere anU „ lrre progress until Smith's recumbent

figure blocked its way. Th.il nun, sometimes shivering Willi cold sometimes burning With fever, sometimes only hall conscious, and sometimes acuulv, horribly Sensitive lo the silliness »i the desert nighf. and to the effect oi pictures his unconl tollable memory, pamliil—fvlt something enlil and clammy touch tits. , skin. Involuntarily lie recoiled as iar as his bonds would permit, and instantly a sharp, metallic rattle bruktj the stillness Smith knew well, though; lie could not *■'-. that, the most dreaded oi desert serpents lay coiled [or aenoii at his side. How long ago was it that Smith had pleaded ii.x (hath, and would have welcomed the kuiic stroke that would br.ng reiki Horn the sullering prosent and to rmiic. before the dcscn should make '.urn its own ' Yet Smith hardened all his muscles ana lay still. A deadly chill came over him. He shut his laws till the hones mviiiiil bicaking with ihe strain, in the cilon in avoid shivering.

The sidewinder strikes tot food and I in M'K-deience. hut not otherwise. This one, having lid. iorsecing no danger, slowly uncoiled, and proceeded on it.-..wa\. Its way lay i«Ti:ss Smith's chest. Siiiitb l.rld his breath. He feit the cold but dainty touch oi the slowly moving head on neck and chin. He must hriath or die. He breathed, and turned sick and numb as the nauseous smell of the serpent's colli breath entered his nostrils. Faint, from i a r off. cam« the suund oi hoof-brats, and a low call 11; a woman's voice. Smith's mouth fell open and a faint sigh cscapi.l from his lips as consciousness depart! d. The sidewinder found warmth in the hollow between the neck and shoulder oi the unmoving body, and therein settled itself in comfort. The moon rose as the Mexican rode back lo the place where he had left Ins victim. With satisfaction he saw that the ropes were as he ha'd left them, his premier still sccurcjly bound. He dismounted, taking from his saddle an empty two-pound tomato can. a bundle of weeds, and his canteen. Krom the canteen he poured Water into the tomato can, setting the can on two small stones. From the leaves in the bundle he picked leaves and pods, putting them into the can. Hark from the trunk of the yucca provided feul, and soon the mess in the tcniato can was simmering. "Poll?le '.'" be said lo the silent ligurc lying on the ground. "You theenk to fnoi me that you are asleep '.'" There was smue sound in a clump; of dead and dried trees not far oil. A pebble Hung into the clump Was followed by me cry of a startled coyote and the rustling of feet. "Ha !" remarked Manuel in a sat--1 isficd tone. "Supper eet ees noi ready." He took the can from (he fire, setting it on the giound a s he knelt down beside Smith. Smith's mouth was open The Mexican slipped the handle of Ins knife Mwciii the teeih to pievent their ' closing again wiien he waked. ' "Caramta '." he laughed softly. . "Kct <i'S my revenge. Wake an' " dreeiik." he said. He slapped the I face of the unconscious man. K-r-r-r-r-r- ---: J "Madie lie Hois." gaspul the Mcxi- • 'can, as he sprang 10 his ieet in bar r jhoill of the nearness of death. lie rlwas 100 late. The .sidewinder had I 'struck the man as In- spoke, striking , ', bill! full in ibe nee'.i and pi.:ie:n- Ui i' j carol id aiteiy , had sfnick again . without n coiling, and still hung c , squirming and wriggling as the doomt ed man. jlu-ady in the pains of t|,e . most awful death known to t.'ie ile- - strt pr,,spn-tor, ran aimlcsslv about, p shrieking mingled praver and blasl pliemy during the short linn- that

power of uttering speech remained. Krom among the dead leaves rose the figure of a woman. She wa'ked quickly to whole Smith lay, anil with the knife Manuel had left cut the bonds. He did not move. She put her hwwn hand over his heart and iclt it heat. "Mother of God," she moaned, wildly ; "ees it not thou didst love the lather of the little brother of Christ ! These ees he I love." $ She tugged a! the motionless holy. Smith was a large man, the- woman but small. For a moment she stood in hopeless misery. Then she ran to her horse, tied behind a ledge a utwler. of a mile away, and mounted, digging her unarmed heels into his flanks. The horse trotted oft. Innocencia shook the reins and slapped the horse's neck with open paljlns, and beat him with ineffective fists. Ihe horse trotted slo'idly. Then an .nspiratiou came to the girl. Her iOise was a bronco she had borrowd—without asking—of a gang oi cowwys driving stock to feeding grounds, along the Mohave River. She gath.•l'cil the reins loosely, and leaned over the horse's neck. "Wiggle yer legs," she said, with the best imitation of cowboy sc.-ent ,he could command. Then she swore -not as the famous army oi Flanlers, not as the pirate of proven,— but with all that hideous combination of blasphemy, uT obscenity, that .s the pride and the shame or the old-time Western cowboy. She prayed for forgiveness even as she swore, those prayers her hoi si did not .iiiow the meaning of. One thing he Jid understand; when a broncho gets .lie command "wiggle," followed by thai sickening stll,llll of blasphemy, lie knows that lie must move, and aiove fast, or have his sides torn op--ii with the spurs, lunoivnoia's horse moved, with his bead well down and his- ears flat. It was givy morning, ahi n he -slopped before a little arioi.V •ioii.se on the bank oi (lie Mohave, and brassy s.wiligbt when, with others nnoeeiicia had again returned from :.e deseit, bringing I lie weak but jonscious prospector with them, to .»• nursed hack to health and strciigta by the inmates of the adobe house, "heiior," said Innc.ceiicia, "win n on hai the fever, anil before, you ay, 'lniioceiicia, where is the gold—where is the mine '.'' '' "Did I '.'" answered Smith, with a ar-away look in his ens. "Si, si nor—but you ask no mole, uo(|Ue '-'' "iVell, I havcn'l been IhiiKing much )f mines lately.'' "Forgave me, senot," said !nu"ccn■ia. 11 r eyes «,r,. mined l, v.;.Millie ground, fin sl'e was ..sliaiuel. ■'! lie. The mine eel ( es not." Smith spoke grawly. "It is not .Well to 'lie, yet it myii.s i little tiling \„ fr rgive'becaii.so you h;ol ainu.ly given me ,noic than Hides can yeild. 1 love you. Let us lo to a country wbeie men live by 'ill.u.- tin soil, knowing nothing of he gold madness." fmiocciicia oin-e mm,- spoke blas.il.cuiously, but n,,t |,v intention. "It would lie belief ili.m h-av, „ ■• she said, as sbvlv she kissed his 1 nland held it against her breast As they left the desert eoimtrv' lie sidewinder sunned himself in h'is ucisti.nicd place liv the trunk of In- yticia snl 'lb,. Ile.lgcling vultures vaxed fat in the „es| on ,l u . , ll()lm . 'am top.