He was very thirsty, and water did not satisfy him. He wanted a real

drink. He wanted alcohol. Suddenly he wanted all the liquor in the

world. The craving came on at dawn, and after that he kicked his weary

horse on recklessly, so that it rocked and stumbled down the trail. He

had only one thought after the frenzy seized him, and that was to get to

civilization and whisky. It was as though he saw in drunkenness his only

escape from the unbearable. In all probability he would have killed

both his horse and himself in the grip of that sudden madness, but

deliverance came in the shape of a casual rider, a stranger who for a

moment took up the shuttle, wove his bit of the pattern and passed

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on, to use his blow-pipe, his spirit lamp and his chemicals in some

prospector's paradise among the mountains.

When Dick heard somewhere ahead the creaking of saddle leather and the

rattle of harness he drew aside on the trail and waited. He had lost

all caution in the grip of his craving, and all fear. A line of loaded

burros rounded a point ahead and came toward him, picking their way

delicately with small deliberate feet and walking on the outer edge of

the trail, after the way of pack animals the world over. Behind them was

a horseman, rifle in the scabbard on his saddle and spurs jingling. Dick

watched him with thirsty, feverish eyes as he drew near. He could hardly

wait to put his question.

"Happen to have a drink about you, partner?" he called.

The man stopped his horse and grinned.

"Pretty early in the morning for a drink, isn't it?" he inquired. Then

he saw Dick's eyes, and reached reluctantly into his saddle bag. "I've

got a quart here," he said. "I've traveled forty miles and spent nine

dollars to get it, but I guess you need some."

"You wouldn't care to sell it, I suppose?"

"The bottle? Not on your life."

He untied a tin cup from his saddle and carefully poured a fair amount

into it, steadying the horse the while.

"Here," he said, and passed it over. "But you'd better cut it out after

this. It's bad medicine. You've got two good drinks there. Be careful."

Dick took the cup and looked at the liquor. The odor assailed him, and

for a queer moment he felt a sudden distaste for it. He had a revulsion

that almost shook him. But he drank it down and passed the cup back.




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