Show idward D y clark L A rr rry y V r f ft W ai f aff aa ife t P L 7 TT t waal T the time when the united states and mexican governments made that temporary treaty which al lowed the trompa of either to invade the territory ot the other when in the pursuit ot hostine in fleeing across the border jamea tracy was a second lieu tenant in the cavalry it was during the height ot the trouble and tracy with his troop dismounted and after a soul and body wearying march on the trail of the wily apache found himself in the heart of one of the dreariest drea riest most god forsaken mountain countries in the whole range of the southern country the troop was exhausted and practically with out water the men having not a drop to drink save what was in their canteens they had cut loose from a river in the early morning expect ing to find another when the day was done but nol as much as a rivulet had they found there was no cottee that night and there gasn wasn t a light heart in the whole outfit tracy was unhappy it wholly his sut fering condition and that of his men which weighed upon him just before leaving the arizona post he had received news that his younger brother john had been committed to states prison in a far northeastern state the officer had seen his home only once since his grad he had stayed away purposely his brother had been a trusted bank employed then came suspicion then conviction and a sentence john tracy protested his innocence of the crime charged against him and his family knowing the lad believed in him but the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming and in spite of the ef forts of the aged father who spent his time and his money in the boy s defense he went to prison before the troop had left fort banks with its nose to the red hot trail of geronemo Geron there had joined as an enlisted man a strapping young of fleer who said that he came from st louis his name was barlow and he was assigned to the troop of which tracy wag the junior officer and he went with it on its chase across the border after the apache chieftain barlow on every occasion possible attached himself to tracy s person whenever there was a scouting party detached from the main body and put under the second lieutenant s command barlow asked that he might be assigned to it to share in the scouting duty he was a reserved fellow and apparently of superior education there were no camp jokes for him he was grave and taciturn tracy had noticed the evl dent attachment of the man to him and as he was a capable soldier and willing to dare and to do anything he was glad to have him a part of bis outfit when on detached and dangerous service on the morning following the night that the troop was practically without water and in a country devoid of all green things save the tor bidding cactus the troop commander told tracy that he had better make a short feel out the country for the enemy and above all try to locate water to attempt a march under that hot mexican sun with the men and with any idea of effective service was foolhardy tracy told his captain that he would take but one man with him that they would strike southwest where it was thought a better prospect of water lay and that they would return as soon as a find was made he selected barlow for his companion and the two struck out through the black sun seared country they went on for three hours not a drop of the element of which they were in search their tongues were blistered they drank sparingly of the water in their canteens pressed on tor another houf and then knew that they must return back they started they followed their onward trail as well as they could but at times it was lost and then circling was necessary to take it up again at noon they lost it and could not find it again there was a great lagged rock rising to the westward which neither recognized lieutenant said barlow were going wrong we never came this way the sun doean doesn t bear right it should be more to our right I 1 believe that we are going almost directly at right angles to the camp they circled again and again but no trace of the trail then the conclusion forced itself on tracy that they were lost they wandered on until the sun went down beyond the black rocks then they each drank sparingly of the precious contents of the canteens and lay down on the gray desert to sleep the sun came up like a red hot round shot tracy and barlow ate the last of their single ration and took one swallow of water apiece then on they went again twenty four hours passed the sun came up once more and with its coming they staggered forward the can teens were empty they looked for the whose leaf yields a juice that helps fight off the demon of thirst they could not find it the only vegetation were occasional clumps of stunted prickly pear cactus the juice of whose leaves accentuates thirst another twenty four hours the men cheered each other on like the soldiers they were tracy began to feel the coming of delirium oh for a aught daught d of water he looked at barlow the man s eyes were burning but they bad a cour age in them and something else in their depths which tracy never before had seen there on and on and on they could go no further sud denly barlow turned to tracy and saad in a voice that was choked from the clutching of thirsts hand at his throat lieutenant I 1 was afraid that we might be tempered temp eted to drink this long ago so I 1 saved it for the last extremity lieu tenant I 1 have one good drink of water alleca left in my canteen s ll 11 i T t v labs lK BS 91 B ik XH w 1 A wr lil all kv bk alip ll ip 11 ll k jorj g IW alj B li K S asil 1 w YA im t sa 94 digs K T y V fl i v S liy Kt eiliv MI liV c n F t tab falkl i ai afi 1 kix y i t f y y A ss c y w ai i f t w ot y tea 2 barlow shook the canteen and tracy heard the balash of the water within drink barlow bald tracy drink you saved it and it should be yours drink drink it I 1 say it may give you strength to go on it you get back boy and the men strike water ask them to come after my body tracy was reeling his brain was and bis whole system on fire lieutenant said barlow 1 I had more in my canteen than you had in yours when we started Meril nan extremity like this should share and share alike take my cup and we 11 divide the water la there enough tor the two and to do any good asked tracy yes said barlow one good drink or each drink first eald tracy not touch a drop until my command Is served all right sir said barlow tracy turned away tor a moment he beard the gurgle of water would it never come his turn to drinka barlow spoke lieutenant I 1 m afraid I 1 took more than half here Is what a left he poured the water gurgling from the canteen into the cup there was a good round drink take it lieutenant said barlow 1 I had more than that tracy seized the cup and drained it oh the joy of it I 1 new life went surging through him his eyes cleared he looked at barlow there was no new life in the mans eyes his up waa drooping barlow eald tracy fiercely you deceived me you never drank a drop something like a emale came into barlows face forgive me lieutenant he said but there was only enough tor one and then he staggered and ell forward tracy caught him in his arms and weak though he was managed to support his burden lieutenant whispered barlow go on you are strong enough and may reach camp it you do just come back and bury me here then the man drew his officers head close to him and whispered something barlow almost let fall his burden yes its true I 1 was the guilty one and your brother was innocent and a sacrifice take this and he drew a paper from his blouse and put it in tracys hand forgive me lieutenant he said and as he spoke his empty canteen swung from his side and struck against tracy s knee forgive yes barlow he said the enlisted man looked up smiled and died tracy let his burden gently to the earth and then he pressed on tor now there was an added life in his veins and an added interest in living he reached the top of the ridge and looked down the camp was below him not the old camp but the old troop and a new camp and by the bank of a stream refreshed with food sleep and the yet more precious water tracy recovered the paper which barlow had given him contained proof of hla brothers innocence tracy led a squad back to the point where he had left barlow they found hla body there was peace in the mans face he was given a soldier s burial and on the little wilderness grave lieutenant tracy planted a cross and a little fluttering flag |