OCR Text |
Show k reath J of the Jcscrt j A Thrilling Story of Life In the Oa I i , ( main of Desolation. T i Crouch) nir like a bnumM pehhle ' gnldal em irunnienl of hv.it, horror and . tragic space, a rude ah at It we-.tited ita foundation t'i wearily, yet somewhat deilantiy into tha un IvMIng heart of ttia eeart. Nature, usually bo ainh.hle. boa-tdtahle boa-tdtahle and benstb mil, gkrMl un tha aKa.it and its li.mi.te. a t huar domi.o-Ural, domi.o-Ural, nntiigntatle, repellent, here aha unadorned, naked of verdure or food nut ur great yawning (rmr)nnl-iloti (rmr)nnl-iloti of death and evil About the tiny habitation aha wreathed har scorching breath, while her emta-nrlis. tho hurrying hurry-ing winds, whirled attd flung tha hot jonda with suffocating Intaut. tossing bro adnata thou miLsslv, Infurli.te.1 volcee aa they rasm! and roared and fought among themselves. In the dtturwH at tha rahl, a door-Way door-Way without a d-mr. a young alirl stood f suing Into the heated arana. which tha 'reatnr most have constructed for 1He Jin il oLniwKi of lae element, She thought half dreamily. Far in tha dNtnnca a couple of whirl-Wind whirl-Wind were rniiolng a ra". Inn a;, elnu-wa. elnu-wa. nature-acrobats that illdM var tha ande. gathering clouda of dut and flinging them Into tha eyee of tha fir mat-sent with Irrepressible Insolence. "My Qnd!" cried tha girl, with ft half-arttned, half-arttned, aobhlna; hrsalb, ''wlU thla horror ever, ntvtr end?" ffilhmietted In tho ramshackle doorway, ho wearily farad tha deaolatlon that aemed to rldlmtla her youth and beauty, liar fown, a heritage of tho pa at homo II fa, waa Bomber black, and contrasted v1.oroui.ly yet delightfully with her hair, erlsp. glorious, waving nms-ea. hnlf rad, lialf gold, where rich, subdued tlnta of lunhnnmi and pomegranate blossoms lln-trd lln-trd and radiated. As aha stood looking, half shivering fmra tho IWI, the, aun, a great golden tall, rolled elowly from tho arm of tho a cure flrmurmnt Into tho vague shadowy ab anes bevond the hrtnk of tha horlnou, while Ita rut-dimming rava darted hlth-r hlth-r and thither, brightening for an Inatanl : 1ho grotesque, wrinkled, frowning fice , of tho omnipotent nature fiend, tho dca-)rt. dca-)rt. "Bm-aly, surely, I aa soma ons." )h Clutched tha decayed door timing In her en germ -mm, and leaned through pne odti-Inc. odti-Inc. straining hT eyes and gasping for fc.reMh. so Rrent wna her anxiety let tha ohlert fade and dUnniiir, fir tha fnlrr lln their phantom lovalty, lioHiity and proirUa. had rt'calved her inany tlmea. Could thU b another lie? A hope flint w.ih nf nlrn Una; whispered mntrmltPllon. Hhe ahnded lier avea with tier hnnd to bat r shield them from tho fly In a; sand. "Taa. , It la. It la. Think Oodl Tt Is a humnn belnv." aha Bapd, "but ha la 111-he in atiiKt'erlns; " Rhe) ruahed IttniJe. took a rantean from ft nnll on tho witll and mied It Willi wnter from a bufkot In tha corner. oplfiNhlna; and ap lllnn lha prertnua llnuld over the oiirth fl'or In her frantic haat. Then out over tho am.t. thromrh the Tnurky twilight, rhe r in ran with a fWtneas, a buoyancy bom of hopaftil ntlmahiMm Ho law her mminir thla nin worn and feelda from hla alniirple with tha nier.-l-nm, remnraolea wiHlea. To him the meint life and Ilk ono reeiirrrted lia watched denth. mumbling at defent. rrf;i iwiy and dtanppwJtr In Ihr mlati th.it ahrnuded Ihl titeway of the Inferno. Aa aha renrhel hhn. he etKB-e-l from rthauntlon. Hhe put her ami abnut hm for support, and na ahe did ao aha felt that warm, thmhhlng;, pulalnir llfo waa ther with hor with her who for two yeiu-a hid een no human belns; except )er half-craaed father, who Mtant hla dra and half hla nlahta thuleeoly proa-pertlnir proa-pertlnir for a worth U thut aaa avar etualva. Tha (Tlrl w-ta acnrcelr rnnsclotia that the mnn wa til nrd f ilnlina With tha Ir-pnarhmed fervor of a c it lid with a now tret -tire. he rlnepMl htm rlttao to . hor vlbmtliiK body with hT atrona yiiin arms. Ho an . . or he had found him. Oh! the ... - t It. He waa Tl: ha was tnnitin' . i nreath. a Uht, an a nonce from fh.' w .ti pvople. Hut ho w bo, ,g 1 ' Afv Hha could hot hold him, and j waa allpplnf awny from her. rllpplnic .ts aim thouitht to hm hungry aanda at hr feet. Waa ha dead? Phe took hla hond between her handa. flh cf.vred tho Inmlmate, tired face with klaeea. Hho tonK no hed that ha waa hnndeome, th.tt ha wna young, for to hor he wna aimnly a leaf from tha world book ah hud known and loved. He ehniild live; ho wna here, a ireaauru brought by tlm deaert tide. Tenderly aha rolled hla favered head with wator from tho mnteit. At Inat. when deepalr, like a leech, w.ia gnawing at her heartstrings, heart-strings, ha moved. With great effort ho rutted hlmn'lf to a alttlng poature. hla ftnara unking Into tho o.a a.md as he f.et.ly hr.icd hlmaolf. With dased. my-ti.led my-ti.led eyea ho looked nt the beautiful fig iro thut knelt betid htm-eo rloao Ihnt a coll of hor wonderful Imlr bruit had hla chck. "Ah, you are batter. You ar stronger. You are reatod. t'ome, wa mutt go." and her ret htiugrv eyoa seamed at-tuned at-tuned with eonitt Inrinlle eoul melmly . Thla divert wnndercr waa like a roae thrust through tha gratlnga of her prison, --a light saut to lilurulns tho gluum o( deenluilon. Again ah wound har strong young arms atxi.it him and hlod him to hla fort. Agrtln aha bold him rloae-ao rloao ha ould hear tha throbblnga of hor heart, could r tha firmly ruuudad booora riso and full An oxpreaalon of tinuttorablo yy swept over his suneoorohed faco. a vngua oon-St!louan-aa of reality waa eroeping ovor him. Tremblingly he put hla hand t.n har arm. almoat hurt har In his engor-rioaa. engor-rioaa. Through her thin black alowvo bo (alt tho warm yielding flesh of life. "A woman! I'nn It bs poaalblef You aro real, genuine? You won't dlanppear, dlanolv In these foroclous host mists?" "Yea. 1 am real. Co mo, rest on m-ghouliiai, m-ghouliiai, I wilt lako you to our cabin " With tho vigor of manhood dominant In hla heart ho attempted to trudgo on without aaalatanco. Ilut hla body waa weak. Incapable, and he waa finally com Belli-d to loan sgalnat her and allow her to put a supporting aim about him. tBlowly thoy trudged toward the cabin, which loomed darkly In the gloom. Tha inds era pi clues on ovary alJe. and with tho exception of a few fantaatlc. straggling strag-gling yuccas, and a deaert wlllaw th't Flood near the cabin and reaentfully rlung to tha barren toll In ao effort to ahodo a, small s(rlng, thero was neither irao nor ghrub tu putiduato tha landacMpe, Out of tha Impenetrable ahyaa of night ain tho wntl of a coyote, a eound atratigely Incongruous In Uie dewfanlug Mltnoaa; a cry tht apod through the Jiaat Dilate, quivering to an echo and died. A ahlver of droatl wont through Aba man. To aurh things the girl had bwomi accustomed, and oho gave no tieod. Together Ihov an tared the gnplng open-snout open-snout had doorway of tha aback. The girl guided him through the blackneaa of Hie Smcln room, cauiloualy akirmixhltig lo void the stove, table and hen' hea. Tho humor of te alturftlan tmpreeecd the girl. ai.d when they reached Ihe fnrtb-r end Of the room ahe too both hla banda and laughingly bucked him to a rude cot. Tho goft, half-whtanorrd lauahtor dlatiirbed the uncanny gloom, and after tho coxite s doleful Bulea. was swvateat mualc to tho ""'Sow at lam yu o.""" Kf." he aid. "Now you can real.' Hhe renched to tho shelf over tha alovo for matches, thoa lighted a candle The wavorliig Imht ont the ahmlowM ec.iiiip ring In in ilia corpora cor-pora and Illumined tho ilwne of the girl as aha moved hriMkly niH Tho man, coiupietoly .-Hi..uhi1. settled set-tled back romftiriably n tho old r.-J cullt, the edg. n of which w-ro rrayed baat rodeniptlon. nd Wutchod her through hrtTf-cloNed eyoa. 8ha hurried out Into the niKhl, nulcklv rtopporing with brr anna full of yucca wuud which her faihor bad gi'ihcrod from the gro-teaqus, gro-teaqus, apmo-tlppfd tn-oa that dotted tho sand waatoa H n m nlo a fire, und eoun had rondv hot tcu and iup. -N'-w you ta.. omI. n-d rat. until you gro gitttailed." h aald chaerily. 1 tie man tiU'd to UP No, ou l Fty Wboro you are," and Uh d-rt hands eho prPPfd him Into an ftav poaitnn Then. luKlng a ruiitflt botnl that lenned agttnat lha H.tll. the taut auhfUltiiie he hid lor a tmy, aha oovured It with a while iloth. Bhe pojrud tho to into a tin eup. the snug) tnta ft Ha plate, and with the rh.-irmiiiaif lc-ful lc-ful sir .f a gr tnde d.tme. ele pUcod the board acroe the mtn a knoo Rhe pulled an ..Id l.er,, M beile the r n und e t ro-o whltv be ste. Hhe augMrel hla tea an4 broke t-t Iftto dm omo and would Iiav fl htm fla a mothrr fen-.1i. a eu-k chtM but ha wenkly though Intis'ilngly pr tooted agdtnxt auch lndlgnll.ia, and I'l'i-cee,led I'l'i-cee,led tu rmihlpuUtft th,- ap.KJlia 1: Ut-r detl. nco of her miKB'"ib"e. He an rav.nnuf.ly hungry, and In aplte of bin awollen and pat. tied toiigue. be ute With a vim anil enjoyment ttt-it eornri-d and rather Khrmot the g rl f'-.M. k-ltle and tenp.it were dmlned to the Inat drop. Tho nmn oca reel y r.ied for an Instant tinleao to aak or mmiu-r aome o .etion. Ha W-gn W-gn to look brighter, h ii'l"onior, atrong-er, atrong-er, and to axprvaa an Interact In Ida our mutdinga. "Whv are you hero, and alonot It ta the Inat plaeo un enrlh t would osporl to find a womaji." and he looked nt bar Interrogatively hi he admired her beauty. "I am alone and yet not nlnne. My father la uaually about somewhero.' A rrlghtered look crept Into her eyoa. and one glanoed oyer her ehntildor at the yawning door. "Two yoara ago, 1 ahnll garor forget the llane." and aha shivered, "father ot nil hl property thrnigh th orlmlnal m-vrhlnntlona of a tnin whom be had hcllaved to l0 hla tieet friend. Tha affnlr changed hte character entirely. Ho aaddenlv li'r.mi a mouumont or 111 DMuro. reacntful domineering, cruel. He-'ore. He-'ore. ho hid alwnya le-n kind. ptHont anl ganeruui. The dny tha rr ditora enme into the hnue he tnro Into niy room, wild with axcltnnent and aup-preaaod aup-preaaod anger. Ho told me bo waa going to tho desert to get away from the accorded ac-corded world. Would I go. or would f dnoort him like all the nth-ret 1 packod a a few thlnra aa hurriedly ao I could, and wo went by train to a town on the brink of thla desert. Uv father boight two burros of an old Meiintn wil-c wil-c hopper, and on theeo animals he packed provlalons and a few maager belongings lorn from the hnuia life. Wo each to.-k ft burro to drive, and begn the tramp of thirty miles through tho henL tha alkali and the winds tu thla c.i.m. Hie owner, an old miner, had beer, murdered, Tr toli m l'rwirtora b4 found hla body half devoured by vultures and ooyutee. ing irr0es tho threshold " 'f'hlld. child, and you hnva been compelled com-pelled to live along among theao hor-rora hor-rora ' Ho Irvok her hand mp.tt hstleoN Iv; Ilka a tired child aha slipped from tho bouch and knelt he-ids lbs couch har worm cheek resting on th-J htnA thmt hold her own. "Yes. sometimes the Isolation haa boon anpniiii g Kvery month Tuber haa taken tfio burroa and gone to toWp f.,r supplies. , and nuiny tirn-M have begged him to let me go. Thin life bus bet it it continuous continu-ous writhing d ainlr and tn look on a human fucn w...ild hnvo been a luxuiy past rotninehi nno.n. My fmhr alwnVB becamo angry lnuao of my wish to aea poopie, Hnd sntd 1 wna ungrateful, un-nirml-tl.,.1 I was no child " f hla. ' Kor el weeks he had not en tho place eioopt to prospect, hut as we had al-moat al-moat nothing left to out. ho had to go. When ho strtet away yesterday, 1 pleaded for a breith. a Kllmpas of tho Ufa of the world. This time ha wss mora Tlnlontly ntigrv than eer. He struck nio, and hurled curae fter eurae Over hla shoulder at ma as ha tramped aw ty. Ho tnrrled a huge rnne. nnd gnve vent to hla wrath hy pummellna the burroa till the poor, patient heupts dropped their great on. a and r..rly cron-hed In the S4nda with each mlernble blow " "How long wli; be ho away? When will ha eotno back" The mnn fef a violent d.dnatailnn for thla luimlle fnther, and d"t - rnilned to Blruggio and conuuor hla will. Urn will he horo to-morrow. I think. Cm t you-wlll you not try to lake ma y rn1" h Cl,rnri? u w111 "ol There waa wlldneea nf supplication. pBy-thoa pBy-thoa nf rrnyer In her voire, in her agr-n-aa oho hn rlen on hor knees snd bant her face close tn hla Her glnrloua hair brushed hla forehend. Iter eyes, where lingered predlciion of lovo and passion vet unw..kened, burned Into hla, Her llpe. rich. Intovlrtlrtg. Wore close so close Hint her quirk, wnrm bronth fnnned hie hnir. His pulses ruse In mighty. tbrMllrig tumult. Tho great, remr.ees deaert rrowdod about lliem. ahnttlu "Ut the world Hke an Imtwnetrnlfle rurtaln. They wsra sjons-lhls mn and this woman. "laiixe you? lenva you. d irllngT Nov-or!" Nov-or!" Tha atrenifth. the will, tha power of tho man wr ovident In Mb voice. He could have held h-r ri haverausht her lips In t Inns. iuHerlnr kHs, but be did not. Ho cloned hla eves to shut out her great beautv, but her bronth at III mlnrled wlih Ma her hlr brushed his forehead. Would hla atrugglea never and? A rain the wall of a rnwto Bwept the Band wastes, and crowded Ita eorv tones through the criids dnnrwiy. snveo:dng the Inmntas Ilka a d-mr.nlr.cn 1 InHuencr. Tho girl spmnK from her kneen and stood facing tho door. There stood the best on the threefold, a fl-rco. grinning, panting pant-ing thing with tongue protruding and eves rrtvenoil with treirh'V nnd hlin-gor. hlin-gor. With the r"wardl-o so tvnlcol of hla kind a VI 1 tht de-s nothing e-cepf e-cepf that -Which la dod. bo put hla tall be.ween hla l-r-. give a b'eona parting wall, and aiied owny over tha pale, moon- I lit atrolehea The girl turned bnck o the cot and loaned over the mm, Ho looked pule and 111 Tanderlv she brushed he 1ao waves of hair from bla forehead "Oenr, vou mul sleep You mtiat roet. , To-morrow you mi tnko ma awav bo-fore bo-fore father relume " "Hut wo ahnll l-e our way In tho desert, des-ert, and sa memorlea of hla frlrbtful oi-. oi-. norlonco ret n mod. a look of terror came Into tho mnna ovea To espoe t hi- alH I to such perils seeded Imooaalhlo. "Whan 1 left TViggctt for the rnn-h thi.t lay a few miles dl'tant." ho aill "tba toad wound through tho sard clear and distinct. dis-tinct. Then came a wind that drifted snd shifted tha ooo surface of tha den. ert until nil trnces of path wore obliterated. obliter-ated. Then I begun to fltimdor. I became be-came confused and I struggled cm aimless aim-less I v until you came to me in the early morning when 1 was weiirtlv oloddlna on, my mind full of momw nntlclo tt'ona. f saw a mlraao of the deaert. u coquettish, phantom picture painted on on nerlil runvss tint beckoned with Its renllatlo boiintv. It wna n marvelous tmnaformn-tlon. tmnaformn-tlon. thla aprlrwlng of tMKurlint growth tlort. Mvrlads nf nrvst tl pools smtled at me The sand wantea bloomed with for-eats, for-eats, while herds of h raea and emtio grnsed tn the cool Bha.lea. Ho renl ft nil seemed to ma Hint I c light mvaelf listening lis-tening for tbo twtlterlnir of birds among tha tree. Hut the be-.iilv fided. and again I felt like a thing di-. nr-d. forot-ten forot-ten forgotten even bv llod. Ttie desrrt beats crowded about me. The Bands glnred detlnncs Ami yat you sy I rnnet take you awny, guide you through (hla j Inferno." and the mnn groined "Per- I haps 1 can Influence your fnthnr to help j us. 1 "No! no! you oould do nothing with him. Vath or no path, we must get awnr " The girl tremhled tit tha thought of remaining lunger In tha (desk, heat-waltod heat-waltod prUi.n "loolh from starvation, thirst, oihsustlon, will bo rar prefsrnNs to tho turturaa of fnar. urirest nnd loots, tlon 1 have already endured. Hut aleep now.'1 Hha bent and blew klaa that was scarce mora than a hroalh against bla llpa. He longed for a klaa lena Intangible, Intan-gible, but she was off snd away, out through the door and Into the night. Tho atmoarthsro waa warm but not oppressive. op-pressive. Wllh tha abandon! tent ni d un-iMitu-ern nf a gypay she lay dmn on the sands HUrg and moon seemed to bang from tbo sky tin If suspended bv Invisible cords from tho raflera uf heaven. The sir was clei.r and crisp and . Nil. The rloments were at real. Tho girl s mind ;is confuted with the em.ilb.niil ovenVB of the day. Bhe.lay down with the determination de-termination of guaidlng the oibln whora alrpt tba man who had rent ore. I her hop and made life worth living Hut she waa completely exhn ued nnd In spite of her efforts to kep her mental faculties alert and her eyes oiMin, ado wont to alsen. The braving of a burro wakn her. Horrinad. becauao nho re-Ill thttf her fnther must have returned -fully twelva hours sooner than uaual-and half dnsed with drowsiness, aha restored herself to a.-tlvltv and ruxhed t' the en bin. 'futslda tho burroa were grunting with their weight y hurde-ia and the tight cinches. "Hut lrmlri--what was idng on?" An uncontrollrthlo terror convulsed her. Moving ctiullousiy. allentlv. breathlessly, rst she make a sound, she crept to the door nnd looked. Her futher was knaei-lug knaei-lug bcsidn the sleeping mnn and rilling his pockets Aa aha wntrhed. he open.! a letter, rrad h line, then wllh features twltchlnr Hnd dUlorlel lie le'tped to bla fort fitce.l tho door- xnd bis daughter. "Where did vou find I hla-this thla vita bouat" hs lilaiad bt.ivown claiicSeJ teeth. Mf?a fa tha aoa of tho vagabond who ruinad me Ilia name is on tbia letter. ' V.th a mtir-leroua awing of hut arm ha hurled tha mllve at her It whined ngHit.st her hair then dropped to her Tet IIku m thing dend. a pu-slon spent. With a cures be turned to tha col and BhuoB hi Mrst at tbo sleeping nmn With a swift spting the girl grnsped the manliio s srm. and with a air'iKi hot n of desperaMon. turned him about. Ho aimed a i-rrll,c at b-t. a b.w tlu.t meant denth Hhe esoiped. Then lunn B through iho doorway, bo Bent ono wild gun.s over hla ahouMor Into the h .tf gio.tm of the room, gave voti-o to a hide-oua hide-oua cry. and, with arnie awlnglng furl-ou-ly. wllh bla long, unkempt, disheveled hnir waring, ho sped oft In tha direction of bla mlna. The bui.li- the silence that Btioeooded the wild cry w is no uncanny as the cry ltef. The girl shivered ns with a chill, nnd her whole nltll ) was that or de-simlr. de-simlr. aa she witched the grotesque figuro hurraing through tho glot.i. somotlmrs stumbitng sonntlmea falling, then rushing rush-ing onwi.rd and away aa If Satan verB '".reVVry .. m.n wl-h . M.rt. Ho anw the lwiotlf.il fsuro of the girl silhouetted In th doorway. Inlulltvely h felt lluil mini grortl renr OT grief wnB conaumlng her fir rose from tha col. "fh. the oy of thla sleep has mads a man of me agnln. ano t are at rung." Ilnoa mora ho felt the power of or iltant life. Tho girl, with pallid fare, stood looking, at whM he did not know. Ha want to her, put his arm uboul bar gently, hut protei tlnXv. Ha haul hla head till hi Cheek tou had bar "Child. What troubles VOUt" j "I-ook." and she stretched a hlach-rohed arm toward thn fleeting .ure. now almost al-most disappearing In the mlatn thut shrouded the new-born day. "Ho bwa been he haa gone he will coma ngitn " Hhe clowv to tha mnn aa a frlglilontd child clings to Ita mother a gown. Tho man noted tho well-defined rack a that tho Blr a fnther and tha burroa hud mude on their return trip to tho robin. It Wiin s clanr pntb. It gnva him hope. Hv following It they might agsln rourh tha world of ptoplo. Tba girl atlll Olung Thus thev atood In tha morose wilder-peas. wilder-peas. At last sho moved, looked Into hlB fice. ghe was trembling With soma d"-Itctoua. d"-Itctoua. intnuglble emotion. S.iddenly ah hnd resitted that ahe wna a woman and i ha a mn, nnd ttmt ha wns Imiklng d"Wg at hor, bw.klng at hor as sho hnd nsve I been looked nt before Quickly aha movw. awny from blm. Her ornis dropped mkB-ornhlv mkB-ornhlv at her aides, while the hot bluaoaa crimsoned her face and nock Hut ho would not luivo It sa Tt too her Into his arms and Bill: "You wlO go with nie. dr.r? No, I did not mag th.it." as she quickly assented. "Not only across tho desert with nt but will you go with ma alwiivs? He looked long, sarnestly and reverently Inio tho wonderful ejrs. Her lips dtsw his tn a lung embrace, which waa her The coyoi wns crouching hy the apting tinder the willow The morning Bun peered f r m bohlnd the black mountnlna that fenced tha hurlton, and waves of het came creeping, q ilvering like an an-croachlnir an-croachlnir tldo Iblart Lukun Jonas, U Los Angeles Times. |