The Broncho Rider Boys Along the Border Part 8

"That's easily managed," laughed Donald, coming up on the other side, so that he could lean over, and grip the rope that served as a bridle for the pack mule.

The little trick turned out very well, for none of the animals manifested the slightest disposition to scorn the water of the second spring. Indeed, they one and all sucked in such huge draughts that Billie immediately became alarmed lest they exhaust the limited supply.

"Hold your horses, there!" he called out, pulling back on Jupiter's bridle, although the horse seemed unwilling to mind; "give a fellow a chance, won't you? Don't go and hog it all, just because we were considerate enough to let you drink first. Have some manners, can't you, I say? Drag 'em back, boys, and let's get a sup ourselves before it's all gone."

"No worry, Billie," said Donald; "because, if you look sharp you'll see that the spring is running at a lively rate, and the cup'll fill up with fresh water right off. It creeps away under this rank vegetation, and is lost in the sand beyond. But there's going to be plenty of water right along. Better let the ponies have all they want while we're about it."

"Oh! I s'pose that's right," grumbled Billie, "but I was always brought up to say 'gentlemen first;' and it kind of goes against the grain to just keep on being thirsty while animals are sucking it all down by barrels full."

However, when a little later on the pool filled again with fresh water, Billie admitted that it was delightfully cool and refreshing. And then besides, they owed the horses something for showing them that the water was uncontaminated, and good to drink.

"I'm going to propose something that will have to be settled by a majority vote," said Donald, a short time later, as he looked smilingly at his two chums.

"I can give a guess what it is; but go on," observed Adrian, nodding.

"What time is it, Billie?" the other continued.

So Billie, consulting the little nickel watch he carried, replied that it wanted just three minutes of four.

"You see, the day is pretty nearly done," Donald continued, impressively; "and we couldn't go much farther if we tried. Besides, we won't find another spring on the trail between here and the edge of the desert, which truth to tell can't be far from this spot. So I was going to propose that we camp right here tonight."

"Eureka! count on my vote in favor of that same!" cried Billie, promptly falling in with the scheme, as Donald knew full well he would; because if there was one thing the fat boy liked above all others it was fresh water; and there were times when it seemed as though he could never drink enough, especially should the weather turn hot.

"Make it unanimous, Donald," laughed Adrian; "for I knew that was what you meant to say. Fact is, I was thinking about broaching the idea myself, when you took the words right out of my mouth."

"Another thing," ventured the pleased Billie; "we can fill up our canteens fresh before we start in the morning; and make the ponies drink all they want; for if we have to cross that sand stretch, why, the chances are it'll be a dry job, and we'll be glad we stopped over night here, see if we don't."

As it was settled that they should go no further that day, the three lads started to get the camp in shape. First they found a place where the animals could be staked out, so that they might pick up some of the gra.s.s which seemed only to grow around the spring hole, as is often the case in this country of the Southwest, where arid wastes and rocky regions predominate.

Then the tent was erected, and the fireplace made; so that in a short time things began to take on the appearance of a regular camp. Billie was in his glory at such a time. He knew that soon there would be a delicious aroma filling the air, as they started to get supper ready; and that always tickled him greatly. As the war horse prances when he whiffs the smoke of battle, so Billie became animated as soon as he caught the first scent of onions frying, or coffee boiling; as he would himself say, "simply because he was built that way, and couldn't help it."

And so the second day of their journey across the wild country that lay between the Red Spar Mine and the village of the Zuni Indians, came to an end, with all well. Billie could not see that they had any reason to complain, as, seated on the ground, tailor fashion, with his legs curled under him, and a pannikin of venison, together with fried onions and beans, in his lap, his tin cup of fragrant coffee resting close beside him, he started in to appease the ferocious appet.i.te that had been worrying him for half an hour and more.

Why, the future looked as bright as that glowing sky that marked the going down of the sun in the west. For it did not lie in their power to roll back the curtains of the future for even one day, and see what lay awaiting them on the morrow. Perhaps Billie might not have felt so light-hearted had he known what was coming; but after all it was just as well.

CHAPTER X.

LOST IN THE SAND STORM.

They pa.s.sed a fairly comfortable night, in camp there by the spring.

Nothing occurred to cause an alarm, though Donald and Adrian would not allow the camp to go unguarded, and took turns playing sentry.

Billie, too, was quite anxious to try his hand at the job; and they had to let him have a turn; but not feeling any confidence that the fat boy would stay awake Donald made sure to keep one eye open. And sure enough, later on he found Billie calmly sleeping, with his gun across his knees.

At first Donald was half tempted to give the other a scare by firing his own gun close to the slumbering sentry's ear; but on second thought he decided not to do this. Billie meant well, and was so good-natured; besides, it was hard for any one to get provoked at the fat chum, no matter what happened; because he was always trying to do his level best.

Then again, the report would give Adrian a shock, which must seem cruel and unnecessary.

Morning found them much refreshed, and ready to take up the new duties of the day. Although Billie had now been quite some time in this country of the Southwest, he had as yet never had but one experience in crossing a desert, and nothing had happened at that time to strike him as odd.

Donald warned him that perhaps he was going to experience something now he would not be apt to soon forget.

"For they told me," he went on to add, "at the mine, that this same strip of burning sand lying short of the Zuni village is a particularly wicked place to be caught out on, should one of those sand storms come along."

"Sand storms, did you say, Donald? Now what under the sun can you mean by that? Does it rain sand out here?" Billie wanted to know immediately.

"You'll think it does before long, if we're so unlucky as to run across such a thing," Donald told him.

"You see," Adrian explained, "the sand is so fine that when the wind increases to a gale, instead of rain, the air is filled with clouds of sand that choke you, and cause those hills and windrows to come and go, changing after each storm. Over in Africa the Arabs fear them worse than anything else going. They have animals in the camels that are fitted best of all to live through such a storm; and so they just give up, and hide their heads until it's all over; then dig a way out, and continue their journey."

"Whew! that sounds interesting like," commented Billie; "and do you think we'll strike it as bad as that?"

"n.o.body can say," continued Donald; "but let's hope by all means that we get across without any experience of the kind. Perhaps you think it sounds interesting, but take my word for it, Billie, if it comes, you'll sure believe you're having the worst time of your whole life."

After that Billie did not seem quite so anxious to know what a sand storm was like. He realized that when his chums took a thing so seriously there must be something about it that was menacing.

Donald was right when he said that they had camped not a great ways from where the mountains came to an end, and the glistening desert lay beyond; for two hours after leaving the spring they found themselves on the border of the wide sandy stretch.

Billie looked out over that sizzling desert, and began to realize the meaning of what Donald and Adrian had said when they told him about its terrors. But there was no other trail by means of which they could reach the Zuni village; and unless they wished to give that project up for good and all, they must proceed, come what would.

As Billie was the one who wanted to look upon the strange sights connected with the quaint homes of the cliff dwellers, he held his peace; though truth to tell the prospect of a ride of hours across that desert did not appeal very much to him now, after he had heard such dismal stories about what it could do when it took a notion.

The sunshine was very vivid, and half blinded them when they tried to look far away to where Donald said the other elevation undoubtedly lay, amidst which the Zuni village was to be found. From another quarter it could be reached without any necessity for crossing the desert, but not from the south.

"Kind of like buying a pig in the poke, ain't it, this thing of starting out there without seeing where you're heading for?" remarked Billie, a little uneasily; for now that he was gazing on the sandy waste, its tremendous possibilities began to really awe him; and then the way the sun was shining on the billows of sand made him feel as though they must come near being roasted before they had gone a great ways.

"Oh! we know that we've got to keep heading straight into the northwest; and what's the use of having compa.s.ses with us if we can't keep our course?" said Donald, who did not appear to be worried at the prospect.

So they started off.

It soon began to feel uncomfortable for the fat boy; and he was heard to mumble more or less to himself; but Billie was a "stayer," as Adrian called it; and once he embarked on an undertaking he would not easily give up. So he mopped his reeking forehead, and kept everlastingly at it, even urging his pony to renewed exertions; though the wise animal seemed to know there was no use trying to make haste while plodding through these sand hills.

"Well, I never knew before I came out here, that a desert was like this," Billie had blurted out once, when Adrian came alongside, and he just felt that he had to say something.

"Few people do know anything about it until they see with their own eyes," returned the other boy; "for of course you believed that it must be perfectly flat, and as level as a billiard table, didn't you?"

"That's right," returned the frank Billie; "and here it's all sand hills, many of 'em equal to little mountains, and all frilled and scolloped like. That's where the wind makes its fancy work, I take it.

Many a time I've seen dry snow cut like that; and sand acts just the same way, don't it?"

"Exactly," answered Adrian; "and as we've been moving along for nearly two hours now, look back and see where the mountains we left lie."

No sooner had Billie turned his head than he gave a cry of wonder.

"Why, they've gone!" he exclaimed; "blotted right out of sight, too.

Never saw anything like it before, believe me. It must be the glare of the sun on all this white sand that does it. Only for the dark gla.s.ses we're wearing, that same would be making us nearly blind, I take it."