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About Lincoln County leader. (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1897)
Oi ili lit tli t!i t Hi Mi THE TRAGEDY OF AT daybreak Indian Tom emerg ed from Ills wickiup and stood at the doorway, open, us Is the cus tom, towiird tliu mi st. whence the div ert trilitu expect a Messiah. Ho sur veyed the forbidding landscape with nil nil- of proprietorship. Tall, gaunt, with nn eyee like a coyote'3 anil a ski'i clinging close to his bony frame, tan ned to yellow parchment by hundreds of electric storms, Indian Tom was n veritable wizard of the wilds. Half a dozen snarling curs scattered at sight of him, yelping, anil the three squaws who formed bis household hanlonol about their morning tasks. Evidently there was excellent discipline at bis rancherla. Not far to the westward rose the long, undulating outlines of the Funer al Mountains bordering Dentil Valley. On every other lninil stretched the monotonous wastes of the Mojave Des ert, now n long way of barren plain, now n range of hills rising above It. A few yards from Toin'.s habitation was a pool of black water which oozed slow ly from the ground on a little slope. .When It reached a certain level, it over flowed and trickled In a narrow rivulet along the sands Into a piece of ground Inclosed by wires. Here it kept alive n scanty growth of native grasses. In the background of Indian Tom's Imme diate landscape were dozens of burros, which constituted bis worldly wealth and made In at n lord aiming bis fcr lows. When a burro became famished to the point of starvation on the sparse r.age-linish. It was admitted to the little Inclosure and permitted to feed until It could sin nd strong upon Its legs. Th;.i It was clubbed forth upon the desert ngnln. Indian Tom often sold burres to prospectors, but the numh.'r did not diminish, and the ,-ource of constant enpply wis a mystery which no ma a bail fathomed. Above the low mountains hi the dis tant cast the sun rose like a hall of lire. There were no soft tints of blue and imrple along the summits to herald the approach of O.iwn and Indicate a little moisture in the air. Hut Instead came n euildi u Hare of light that burned at once in the sky and along th: mountain plcb'S nod on the wide reaclu i of the plains. The air was shut through an.l through wiili penetrating, stinging rays. Here mid there appeared puIVsot' wind, whirling sand alofl, with an ominous, swinging. funnel-like mtitio-.i. And In the far north these j:railii:illy Increased, iiulil cloud of dust hung like a curtain against the s';.v. higher above Hie r.-.nh than the tops of the I highest mountains. Indian Tom .sttv. J veyed the scene, r.'.iiffo.l the liet b'.a.ts which saluted his withered nostrils, mid muttered. I:i the composite lingo which lie had picked up fioni prospec tors of different nationalities: "I'gh! riucho calor! Heap dam hot wind!" Then, as one of his squaws placed be fore him a chunk or dingy-looking liread. a black bottle, and a savory combination of jack-rabbit and bacon.' lie equalled beside them, upon the ground, mid attacked, with great gusto, n breakfast which, torn desert Indian, was an epicure's dream. Three hours later the shifting gusts of wind had united in a constant fur nace blast. And at a point llfteen miles front Indian Tom's, across the range, mid upon Hie edge of the tuislu-llke de pression known ns Death Valley, two men were sniveling constant torments from the almost Insupportable heat. These were Anderson :.nd t!rlines. propeetots. At the Hist Indications of nn electric storm they had prepared nil Insutllelent shelter by making a low lent of some canvas, under which they had crawled for protection. They had also tried to shield their two burros bv muffling their bends In gunny-sacks, to screen them from the driving minds which lo.loon tl e swei pH g blasts of t!i ' norther. This sand penetrated every where, and cut the skin. If exposed, like needles. Its drift was not siillielent to Imry any living, moving thing alive, but man or beast might become ex hausted by the heat, mid so Incapable of motion, and then suffocated. Climes and Anderson had place., the various articles of their mining outfit us a low COYOTE HOLE. 1 rampart oa the side r:t the wind, and the sand had drifted over them. When Grimes lirted nn ax, to place it among their other possessions, a spark of elec tricity passed to his arm, with a report like the creek of a pistol, and the arm was fit 111 benumbed from the shock. The high electrical tension in the nt mr.siiheiv wi"s. In Itself, a tremendous strain upon the nerves. Moreover, it burned all vitality out of the air and added to its beat. To expose a hand from the partial shelter of the canvas im.int a blister on the skin; and the two men lay upon the ground, strug gling for breath, moistening their lips, every few moments, from the contents of their canteen.;, and swearing a con stant succession of miners' oaths at tho "luck" which had brought them to the coiilines or Death Valley on this dire ful day. "I wonder if the critters is alive?" said Anderson. In n lull of the tempest which permitted the raising of his voice nbove the whistling of the wind. "If they be," he added, "'twould be n mercy to wet their noses with a little water." Crimes struggled to his feet, throw ing off Die weight of the canvas, which had been pressed down upon them by the drifting Rand. Five minutes later the burros had been resurrected, the gunny-sucks lied been removed from their heads, and their mouths had been thoroughly sponged. When these things bad been done, and everything had been adjusted for a probable recur rence of the tempest, the men found that they bad ji:st one canteen of water left, one which had been tilled at Coy ote Hole ns they had come past a few boms before. It had been kept until the last ns being the freshest. They each took n "pull" at this. "It's pretty bitter and brackish. Isn't It'.'" Crimea remarked. "Some way I never liked that water. It tastes to mo like nrsciilc and asphalt. Hut by . it's good! (live me some more. It's good. It's good, It's good. Ha! this i:i lite. .No man knows what joy lie can get or.t of a little thing untfl lie's been almost (lead with l;uiu'.cr tr with tliliai. Don't you think so, pard: ' "Don't be an Idiotic fool," Anderson replied. "The wind's n-coniln' up again. Fitter i u Id .wn 1 ore Ik hind the ( utiit, and tee that you make that water go Jest as fur ns it will, if we can r.tun l It till night, and the moon conns up, su:d the wind gees down, and the bur res is alive, and v.e can g!t to Indian Ti.m't:, where there's water, we're nil right. Dr.t if v.e can't why. then we're jest dead anil burled, ami tlai's nil there Is of it," was Anderson's grimly phllcMiphh i:l reply. So, as the long afternoon wsre drear ily on, the two men lay under their im provised shelter and suffered In si lence, their lips too parched and swol len to talk, their eyes bloodshot, their cheeks puffed and blackened nn the blood thickened and grew sluggish In their veins. Tiny turned their faces apart, an though each dreaded to wlt- ihss the sulTotittgs of the other, and pressed their swollen lips against their teeth to keep back tell-tnle groans. When the sun went down, bl iod-red In the west, the wind tank to rest, like the spent wrath or an iingry giant. The heat, which bad been press. ng down upon the earth, seemed lilted nil 'nt mice ntul Hung abroad It.to space. For a brief interval the darkness of night swept over the mountains, pierced ill the illimitable vault overhead by thou sands or brlirnnt points or lire. Then the moon came up, swimming In n sea or silvery rndlnnce. Anderson anil Clinics, by n supreme effort, nroitsed themselves from the lethargy which had overtaken them in tho closing hours of tho day, ami prepared to leave the spot where so much suffering had been compressed Into so brief a time. They tmd adjusted the pack tipon No bles, the sturdier of tho two burros, and were preparing to "clueh" the loud on Jerusalem, n big nnd brawny specimen of her patient race, nnd their principal dependence ns n pnek animal. Ander son stood with Ids foot ngnlnst her side, pulllug ou the rope that held the pack in place, vlien pnpoiiy adjusted. Eut there was no answering pull from the other side, where Grimes wa3 I standing. Anderson was angered. "Why the devil don't you pull?" ho thundered. Then, In gentler tones, I "Why, boy, what in the name of Simon I Peter's trliOKt Is nllln' vnn? Havo votl I Cot the St. Vitus dance?" Clinics was reeling in aimless cir cles, frothing nt tho mouth nnd mak ing inarticulate cries of pain. Then he fell to the ground, nnd his legs anJ arms threshed the ground with spas modic contortions. Then came nausea, worse than any seasickness. And a moment later Crimes sat up nnd "pull ed himself together." "Cod!" he said. "That's terrible. Little the worst I ever had. Who would havo thought a man could live through such pain ns that?" "1 tell you what." Anderson replied. "You've eaten something that don't agree with you it's almost like poi son. You're locoed. We've got to camp here again and make some coffee to settle your stomach." Fortunately, a little nlcchol stove nnd the necessary fuel were In the outfit. It took only a few minutes to pre pare the coffee. In the making of which they used the last water that they had. 1'nth drank freely: Climes declared that he was better; the process of load ing the packs was completed, and they broke camp, heading for n curved notch lu the mountains, tho head of a canyon, beyond which were Indian Tom's and safety. After a mile or two of travel, almost in silence, Crimes called a halt. "I'll have to rest," he said. "I'm sick again. 1 bate to say so. but I can't go on." "I'm pretty bad myself," Anderson replied, when they had stopped. 'Queer, Isn't It?" Then suddenly the same symptoms which had so tortured his friend, although In a lesser degree spasmodic, uncontrollable contrac tions of tho muscles, a wretched u:ui sea, and a burning, intolerable thirst, which teemed to dry up every atom of vitality and to cleave to the very cen ters of existence. But Anderson was strong, and he fought like n lion ngair.st his unseen foe. When o recov ered a little from the paroxysms of pain, ho found Grimes prostrate, moan ing pitifully, and apparently unable to move. "It was In tho water," said Anderson. "We've boon poisoned. Those devilish coyote-bounty hunters have put strych nine lu the springs. Five dollars for a coytto's scalp and a man cr two thrown In. Hell, what a country this Is!" "It's that fiend, Indian Tom," whis pered Grimes. "He's poisoned the water nt Coyote Hole, nnd he'll be look lug for our burros to-morrow. If 1 can live long enough to stick a knife into him, I'll be satlstied," and tho rem nants of the tortured man's voice wan dered off Into incoherent curses. . Anderson rallied nil his powers to meet the situation. "I can walk." ho said, "and you can ride. Old Jerusa lem Is strong. I'll tlo you on top of the pack, nnd we'll get out of here yet. Era re up!" "For God's sake, Anderaoon, shsot me," Grimes replied. "I can't stand this torture any longer. We've been,! good friends, you and mo. Take your revolver nnd blow my brair.s out. If you have any love for iue,do what I say, woa't you? Shoot mo, man, shoot me." "Now, ceo here," raid Anderson, "r.cr.o of that. You stop that kind of talk, or I'll Lnt you over tho jaw. Stop Ulckln' now, and keep quiet. Here you go.' Then, exerting all of bis wailing s.n l glli, AiHkircn lilted his coiiipan icn to the top of Jerusalem's load. ma', propped him bitwcin two rolle. 1,1a n kite. He tied 1:1m securely In piace, ::rd started the Inures ahead, walking le. side Jerusalem and listening to the In a rt-iT tiding demand of agonized hu man nature, "Shod me. shoot tne, i.hcut mo," r.ntil he was hlmrc'f fran tic with tho mingled passions of an ger, pity, ar.d fear. Thus they traversed the sloping rim of Death Vnlley nnd the comparatively ifil ground above It, and dune to tno long, winding canyon which ope:i3 up on the confines of tho valley and, at Us upper extremity, forirs a pass in the Funeral range, beyond which lie those ccntlntntior.s of the desert where, nt this time, Indian Tom's wlcklap nnd lire adjacent springs were the inns: im Vortar.t signs of life. ' At intervals when Jerusalem, staggering beneath her double lead, stopped to rest, An del son was compelled to llsteu to ihu dclii'ous ravings of hie friend,, win constantly begged for sitsceas from ln In by death ns for some priceless favor. The sltratlon was lutolorably op pressive to Anderson. The physical pain which he endured, nlthough'terii ble. was nothing In comparisou with bis mental torments na he listen ed to his friend. There were moments when he despaired of the issue, and argued with himself thnt neither could survive the toilsome Journey; thnt both must die; ami that It were better to end nil nt once. Centering his mind upon this ques tion, nnd weighing it pro nnd con. An derson directed Nobles and .lerusnleui nlirig the nnrro-. precipitous sides or the canyon, now on the right, now on the left, here shunting n sand, there stumbling over rocky ground where some brief winter torrent had washed thi! thin Foil from tho mountain-Bids. The breeze which was drawn down ward through tlu ennyon was cool and exhilarating to a degree that was sur prising, wher one remembered bow the desert expanses over which It had boon borne had so recently been broil ed beneath a tlery sun and swept by a flaming tornndo. The moonlight, too. wns very beautiful, nnd the stnrs, dim med by the light of the moon, yet dis tinct, shone with that perpetual calm suggestive of eternity. Gradually a sense of cuthnnasia, a longing for death, came over Anderson's spirit. It would be so easy to breathe away from thai broken tenement nnd to become a sentient yet Indestructible portion of the mighty universe which upheld those brilliant points of light through nn infinity of space. In this frame of mind Anderson no longer replied to the pleadings nnd gronnlngs of Grimes until they had al most completed the ascent of the enn yon, nnd the burros paused, from sheer Inability of move further, upon the highest point where the sides of the gorge dropped abruptly away Into un known depths, shrouded in darkness, where there was no fantastic play of the moonlight. Here Grimes cnlled softly for water, asking in the tone of a spoiled child who believes that its mother denies its request from caprice. There was something lu the tone, and In the repeated, insistent demand that cut Anderson to the heart. It was real ly such a little thing, yet so Impossi ble. "Water, water, won't you givo me water? Only a drop, one little drop, nnd I'll bo satisfied." "Come,'' Enid Ar.ders.ou, gently, "can't you be yourself for jest a minute? Don't you know that 1 can't give you water? Try to reason, Jest a little." "Water!" was tho Imperious reply "water, or kill me. In mercy." Anderson drew his revolver from ita holster for tho first time. The moon light glanced from the polished steel as be held the hnndlo toward Grimes. Ho Intended to test him. "Hero is the rovLlvcr," ho slid. "Take It and use it." "I can't," wns the reply. "My arms nre paralyzed. I can't lilt my elbows. Don't you see that I'm only a wreck of a man nothing left of mo except n voice and n brain that's all on Ilro? Anderson, I'm myself now. I know what I'm saying, nnd I call on you, as you nre my friend, to do your duty." Anderson hesitated for a moment. He wavered to nnd fro nnd toyed with the revolver, undecided. Thou, with a with a quick movement, he turned the weapon upon his own heart and pulled tho trigger. There was a report, fol lowed by a cry. Anderson threw bin arms Into the nlr, fell, clutched vainly at the edge of the precipice, and dis appeared Into the depths. Again, nt the first break of day, In dian Tom stood at the door of Ida wickiup, holding erect his meager form, unbent by the weight of a huu dred years, and gazing into the far reaches of the landscape. The atmos phere, swept by tho norther of the day before free from every particle of moisture, wns perfectly transparent, nnd every outline of the mountains, every naked reek nnd shrunken desert brsh, was dxtluct with a startling In dividuality. Hero nnd thcro :i jack-rabbit bound ed over the barren plain, or a coyote sneaked away from the approach of day. Shullling unsteadily across tho sand3 came two gray forms which Tom watched Intently from their first appearance In tho distance. Xobleti wr.s In advance, with the lighter load, crazed for water, and frantic to bury her nose lu the blr.ck, sluggish oo.:a beneath the shadow of Tom's habita tion. Then enme Jerusalem, trembling with fever and weariness nud etag geriug ruder her twofold burden. Fur, lying luck upon tho blankets, tied r.o tlait it could not fall, was a human form, rigid, luicovcred, tiie beard nnd cheeks flecked with bloody foam, the glassy eyes staring unmoved Into the face of the morning sun. Then Indian Tom, lifting Ills haLil3 t otho cast, chanted, in guttural mono tone, a voire of thanksgiving to the rpirit on high who puts into the white lean's heart the lust of gold, and sends lilm forth Into the wilds, driving hia delt-fected little beasts laden with the miner's pick nnd pan, with tobacco, witn uncoil, nnd, best of all, with wuls ky. which warms the marrow nnd gladdens the heart of the Great Fath er's dusky servant. William M. Tis I'alo, in San Francisco Argonaut. Kho Called, but A lis! "I never was so disgusted and angry lu my life," said Mrs. do Garmo. "What's the trouble?" her husband Inquired. "This afternoon that rich Mrs. Hil ton, whom 1 have been dying to have call on mo. came Just as I was getting ready to lake a bath." "Too tad. Wouldn't she stay until you could get ready to see her?" "That's Just it. I rushed around and almost broke my neck getting Into my best clothes, only to find out when I got downstairs that she had cnlled to see If I wouldn't like to buy a BO-cent ticket to nn entertainment that tho Good Samaritan Society was getting up Tor poor sewing girls. I shall cut her dead the next time we meet!" No man's life Is as beautiful as the prayers Uc makes lu prayer meeting. Never go from a warm atinovp;lerB into a cooler one w'.iliou; keeping tiie mouth closed, so thar the air may be warmed In Its passago through th.UOse before It reaches the lungs. Never strain the voice In i ii.umlt to cpeak while ho.ir.io. Wait 'M!rt!ie hoarseness Is recovered rromor i:u voice may be pirtmui-irly injured cr ditneultles of i!ie throat produced. Never stand still in cold weatln for any length of time In the outdoor air, especially after having taken active ex ercise; and never stand long on the ice or snow, or where tho person Is exposed to cold wind. Many believe lu withholding calf, pep. per, etc., from the sick. This is wrong. Whatever Is done toward making the diet desired and appreciated promotes its digestion. Water and air are food-Rtuf;.i. Wa ter nets as a carrying agent to trans poi t fuuu to the ullTei'L'uL llaMii'd. 'i im oxygen of the air is need for the tis sues nnd fluids of all forms of .mluial life. Tho food of a person doing ordinary work should be proportioned as fol lows: Four ouncc3 of protclds or albu minoids, four or live ounces of fats (in crease tills as the necessity for work or boat Increases), eighteen to twenty ounces of starchea, ar.d one ounce of Ealts. A mustard-plaster ought never to blister the skin. If it burns too much nn extra piece of muslin can he placed between it and the body, and can be removed when the patient becomes ac customed to the heat. Mix the mus tard with equal quantities of flour auil ground ginger. It has been found by experiment that tea retards digestion. An Infusion ot 1 per cent, of tea causes a perceptible delay; a 3 per cent, infusion wl'.l delay the digestion, sometimes, as much ns twelve times the normal period; n 10 per cent, decoction arrests the dicta tion of all starchy foods. Tho oybnll rests in a cushion of fat, by which It is surrounded ou every side. When the Fj'stcm becomes great ly emaciated through diseases, this fat Is absorbed, nud the eye sinks further Into the head, thus giving the suukca appearance so common in disease. Butter Is highly recommended ns 0 food for pulmonary and other Invalids, Therefore, If butter is agreeable to the individual, and occasion no gastric or in- testinnl disorders, It would seem an Im portant adjunct to tho present dietetic treatment. Then, too, If It Is an ad vantage In this condition, why not In other were facts nre Indicated? THE SCENTCG3APH. Tho Fiiiellin-r Mec'iine Io Vi"s o" t!:0 Wond'.rs of the Moine it. A machine which ho clalma will takJ lis place by the side of tho phonograph lino boon Invented by Douis Kramer, a Mlssourian, who moved to Iiinghani tan, N. Y., about a year ago. It is used to receive nnd magnify cdurs of all kinds and la (tailed a scentogmnh. A patent Is to bo applied for, but it Las been already practically tested. It will take n liquid heretofore regarded 3 odorless and distill the most delicate perfume. A drop of perfumery or es sence placed cn the receiver will pro duce nn odor thnt would in a very tdiort time cattEc symptoms of suffoca- WttifflSlIF miKi.t.ixo MACiiixr tlotil The grocer might utilize it la detecting adulteration In goods, wuil It has been suggested that bank paper can be tinctured with a special scout, Imperceptible to tho ordinary sense of smell, but which could be easily 1 tocted when placed In the seentogiaphi lessening liability of counterfeiting, is I Is nlso claimed thnt the machine will I bo popular In bonus, hospitals, sick i rooms, where the nlr cnu be kept per I mcnted by most delightful fragrance, i The machine Is about twelve inches square and eight high. Mr. Km in or says It can be mnnufnetured for $"0. It Is thought he will have no trouble la obtaining financial aid for orgaulzinj n company to place is on the t:::irkot 03 soon as the patent i3 granted. There nre others, lint people never find It out until they nre warded, nnd is U too late.