Blake's Burden

stretch of rolling country, dotted with clumps of poplar and birch, which was still sparsely inhabited, and now they had reached the edge of the timber belt that cuts off the

ately, however, it was thin enough for the travellers to pick their way among the fallen branche

aviness and his face was worn and tense. He was tired with the journey, for excess had weakened

s," he said in a surly tone. "It takes time to get into

m more used to riding in elevators and the street

" Benson rejoined, and when Blake start

far he's braced up better than I expected, but when a man's been tanking s

o down. Though I'm a long way from being a philanthropist, I hate this waste of good material. Perhaps it's partly an econo

s' business to be ma

tier, we spent men freely, which is the best word for it, because we tried to get something in return; a rebel hill fort seized, a raid turned back. If Benson

as rather casual, as a rule, but Harding, who was shrewd, saw beneath the

ntion. I've been thinking over what Clarke said to you. His game's obvious, and it migh

at he applied to

ow goes to work without you? It looks as if

any plausible theory he likes; it won

out of the way, he'd have a free hand. Since yo

s I come of a healthy stock there's

t line of smoky red on the horizon. A cold wind wailed among the branches, and the thud of the tired horses' feet rang dully among the shadowy trunks. At length, reaching a strip of higher ground,

said. "Give me grub enough to see me through, and I'll s

et harder and feel the march less every day. Are

o. I'm driven; I c

d made a hard fight, but he was being beaten by his

all your life," he said. "You have your chance of breaking free now. B

ngly allude to will last a week; that is, if I can raise dollars enough from Clarke t

urs is not a singular case; the trouble is that it's too

wilds and the situation made for candour. There was only one way in which t

's not required;

us boast. Improving the occasion's a riling thing, but t

fury. "What business is it of yours to preach to me? Confound you! who are you? I tell

ludicrous. Benson, who would not have used that tone in his normal state, belonged by right of birth to a ruling caste,

e're up here in the wilds the only thing that counts is that we're men with the same weaknesses and

thing I'm driven by won't yield to words. What's more to the purpose, I didn't engag

you in grub, but we're not bound to do so, and if you leave us, you must shift for yourself." Harding a

carcely controlled fury, glared at the others. Blake's expression was pitiful, but his lips were r

ere beaten. I may a

on afterwards the others crept into the tent. Benson would be warm

been restless and they had now and then heard him moving about at night. When the fire had burned up and he filled the kettle, without his seeing anything of his friend, he began to grow anxious and called loudly.

if the horses are t

bush. Following these for a distance, he came upon the Indian pony, still hobbled, but the other, a powe

some provisions with him," he

on said he regretted having to leave them in such an unceremonious fashion, but they had given hi

annoyed with himself for not taking more precautions. With the cunning which the lust for drink breeds in its victims Benson had outwitted him by feigning ac

yours and I like him; he wasn't quite responsible last night. I wouldn't feel happy if we let h

him half way to Sweetwater if necessary. You see I haven't much expectation of overtaking

e tough, and I guess the first hard day'

hes of grass, and after a short rest he pushed on fast. Bright sunshine flooded the waste that now stretched back to the south, sprinkled with clumps of bush that showed a shadowy blue in the distance. In those he passed the birch an

g late when he saw a faint trail of smoke curl up against the sky from a distant bluff, and on approaching it he checked the jaded pony. Later he dismounted and picketing the animal moved cautiously round the edge of the wood. Passing a projecting tongue of smaller brush, he saw, as he had expecte

me; I thought myself

r you to Clarke's. But I'm hungry and I'll cook my supper at your fire." He

want," said Benson, l

prepared his supper and of

izzling among the pork in the frying-pan. "It strikes me as a

ook out his pipe. "Now," he said, "you can go to sleep when you

y going back with you," B

't you mea

likely after I've r

saved from the rogue who's stealing it from you. You are a young man, and if you pull yourself together and pay off his claims, you can sell out and look for another opening wherever you like, but you kn

you think I can't see where I'm drifting? Th

e. "It's very we

h a curious expression. "You're wasting time, Dick. I've su

ck you are co

wn. "Confound you!" he cried; "let me alone! You have reac

"You have left me only one recourse,

t's

ve lost your nerve and grown soft and flabby with drink. It's your own doing, and now you hav

son's face grew flushed

me an

s capable of making his promise good. The man looked ha

sufferable!

e horses close beside me and if you steal away on foot during the night, I'll ride you down

d in a faint, cold wind, and the smoke of the fire drifted round the men. For a while Benson sat moodily watching his companion, and then, wrapping his blanket round him, lay down and turned away his h

leep, and made breakfast before he called him. T

start," he said as c

th hands clenched and baffled desire in his face,