The great Pike's Peak rush : $b or, Terry in the new gold fieldsSabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)
General
The great Pike's Peak rush : $b or, Terry in the new gold fields
Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)
Gold mines and mining -- Fiction; Pikes Peak (Colo.) -- Fiction; Western stories
Harry sopped his handkerchief and mopped the up-turned face of the
cast-away; trickled a few drops, now and then, in between the cracked,
parted lips; wet the thin wrists. Skin and lips seemed to absorb water
like a dry sponge.
The unconscious refugee was small and exceedingly thin; he could not be
over eighteen or nineteen at the most. He wore coarse shoes and
trousers, and a flannel shirt open at the chest. Harry wet the white
chest. Terry and Shep watched expectantly.
"He must be a stray from some pilgrim outfit," remarked Harry. "Got
lost. Expect he tried to strike across country by himself, and had no
food or water. Queer that the buffalo didn't harm him. They went right
over him."
And that was so. All the brush, save in this oasis, was crushed, and the
ground was stamped and furrowed by the myriad plunging hoofs. But
somehow they had leaped the little hollow, or avoided it.
"Did you find him?" asked Terry.
"No; Shep found him. More water, please." And Harry passed up the
emptied cup.
When Terry returned with it filled again, a change had occurred in their
patient. His eyes were fluttering, and he was feebly moving his bony
hands. He greedily gulped for the water, and even tried to seize the cup
when Harry removed it. Some of the water flowed over his face, but some
of it was swallowed.
Terry hated to see any of it wasted on the ground. He was thirsty
himself; so were they all--Duke bawled hoarsely and Jenny essayed to
beg, smelling water and asking for it.
The patient appeared to be attempting to speak--signed for more, more.
"A little at a time, a little at a time," repeated Harry. "You're all
right. You're among friends, but you mustn't drink too much at once.
Might make you sick. Another swallow? There you are."
The second cup was emptied. The patient was beginning to mutter thickly
and seemed to be seeing--signed for more, more. A slight color tinged
his smooth sunken cheeks.
"He's coming round," declared Harry. "Next thing is to get him out of
this sun and into the cart. We can't stay here. Whew, this sun is hot!
Watch him and shade him as much as you can, will you, while I fix
things?"
Having fumbled inside the cart, away limped Harry, and returned lugging
the bale of gunny sacks. He cut the binding with his knife, and opened
the bale--spread the sacks in the cart, for a bed, and leaping out with
a buffalo robe, brought it to the hollow.
"Now let's put him on this and hoist him aboard."
That was done, Terry tugging from inside the cart and Harry lifting from
outside. The sacks and the buffalo robe made a very comfortable, snug
bed, and wedged the sides so as to hold the patient securely.
"Water," feebly implored a voice.
"One cup full, this time," granted Harry. "Drink slowly--slowly, now."
The boy clutched the cup with both hands, and Harry with difficulty
prevented his draining it at a gulp. But having drained it, he sank back
with a sigh.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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