The Long Chance

se on the Co

fore charging down the slopes into the open desert to rout the lingering shadows of the night, a coyote came out of his den i

of the Land of Nowhere, in the dim shimmering vistas over west, where the gray line of grease-wood met the blue of the horizon. Slowly they assumed definite shape; and the coyote ce

can straw hat, a dirty white cotton undershirt, faded blue denim overalls and a pair of shoes much too large for him; this latter item indicating a desire to get the most for his money, after the invariabl

g through the clinging sand with the lithe careless grace of a mountain lion. An old greasy wide-brimmed gray felt hat, pinched to a "Montana peak," was shoved back on his curly black head; his shirt, of light gray wool, had the sleeves rolled to the elbow, revealing powerful forearms tanned to the complexion of those of the

hing of the nature of the man as well as the urgent necessity for his thick-lensed, gold-rimmed spectacles. He wore a new Panama hat, corded riding breeches and leggings. H

a prospect as you represented to me a week ago?" His tone was fretful, peevish, complaining. One would r

of swearing, but appearing to think better of

lazes does

ys to give you an approximate idea. But in this country you must know that distance is a deceptive, 'find X' sort of proposition-so please refrain from asking me that same question every two miles. If the water holds out we'll get there; and when we get there we'll find more water, and then you may shave three times a day if you feel so inclined, I'm sorry

He would have damned his tormentor had h

oyances. Consider the humble coyote, Boston, and learn wisdom. Of course, a coyote doesn't know a whole lot, but he does recognize a good thing when he sees it. His appreciation of a sunrise is always exuberant. Eve

cible one, "you're a tr

thed the stud

business. This is a business trip, not a

his mozo-I beg your pardon-that this Indian is mine, and lastly-forgive me if I ascend once more into the realm of romance and improbability-this country is mine, and I love it, and I won't have it profaned by any growling, dyspeptic little squirt from a land where they have pie for breakfast. I positively forbid you to touch that water without my permission. I forbid you to cuss my mozo without my permission, and I forbid you to

your associates' and pay me my price. I offered to bring you in here as my guest, and ever since you got off the train at Salton you've snarled and snapped and beefed and imposed on my hospitality, and it's got to stop. I don't need you; I don't care for you; I think you

ology and held out his hand. The Desert Rat took it, a litt

d. When I left the wife at San Berdoo we were expecting an arrival in camp, and-well, we were right down to bed-rock, and as it was a case of go now or never with you, I had to bring

Miles and miles away a great yellow cloud was gathering on the hor

valcade of burros toward the hills, less than a mile distant; shouting and beating the heavily laden little b

. Early next morning the wind had subsided and with the exception of some slight changes

into the open, heading for a little backbone of quartz which rose out of the sand. He had not noticed th

ised arm, as a signal for them to halt and wait for him. For nearly half an hour he circled around, stepping off distances an

e Boston man the moment

the contour of the desert is so changed that a man, having staked his claim and gone out for grub, can't find the claim when he comes back. It was that way with the Nigger Ben placer. It's been found and lost half a dozen times. There was a claim discovered out here by

the same size to the white man. The latter lifted it,

managed to say.

face of the Desert Rat, but his vo

By the way, I think I shall pay you a liberal fee for your lost time and abandon that

fine time trying to get me away from this ledge now. Why, there's mi

t dusting the seat of his riding breech

e, or Jim or whatever yo

"He doesn't speak English, and if he did he wouldn't obe

n't be so touchy. Let's get busy, for

n in conjunction with that certain tract, piece and parcel of land known and described as the Baby Mine claim. The fact of the matter is, I have already staked it. You see,

'm not in on this find?" d

tion is remar

se is outrageous

e mining law under which I am entitled to maintain this high-handed-er-outrage; but why indulge in such a dr

with you. It seems to

fault. I observed this little backbone of quartz and asked you to walk over here with me for a look at it. You wouldn't come. You

we're out here together, sort

t man on earth I'd have for my partner. A partner shares the expenses of a trip and bears the hardships without letting out a roar every half mile. A partner sticks, Boston

t and I'll see that I get it," shrill

out the

he-h

to your point of view. Only that mozo and I

he Boston man, and shook his skinny little fist under the

fly"

stop me,

I won't. I'm

s, do you? I'll show you. I'll beat you ou

hose

rin-the graceless young desert wande

age I have never observed outside the peerage. Really, you shouldn't be allowe

I must take the matter in my own hands. I, too, shall stake the claim and endeavor to get my location

-some indeed, is the pure quill. All hands, including the jacks, will go on a short ration of water from now on. Of course we're taking chances with our lives, but what's life if a fellow can't take a chance for a fortune like this? I'd sooner die and be done with, it than live my life without a thrill. That's why I've degenerated from a perfectly matric

y paw airily and f

nd. Ever see the Night Watchman, Boston? I have. He's a grave old party with a long beard, and he carries a scythe. You see him when you're thirsty, and-well, in the pursuit of my inborn hobby for taking chances, I'll

erest, receiving with dogged silent disdain the humorous sallies of the Desert Rat, to whom the other's sudden industry was a source of infinite amusement. The Desert Rat and the Indian were busy with pans and prospector's picks gouging out "stringers" and crevices and picking up scattered pieces of "jewelry" rock. When all the "color" in sight had been cleaned up,

and seized a nugget worth fully a thousand dollars. The Desert Rat tapped him smart

lf to as much of it as you could carry personally, but you elected to restake the claim and now all that easy picking belongs to the Indian and me. He's a good Indian and I'm going to let him have some of it. He won't take much because he's fond of me. I saved him from being lynched for killing a white man who deserved it. But for years he's

adjacent sand for stray "specimens" of which he managed to secure quite a number. The next morning, as soon as it was light enough to see, the work was commenced again, and by noon the last piece of rotten hone

Peak. They took out nearly three hundred thousand there in less than three days, just scratching it out of stringers and crevices with their jack-knives. Boston, my dear man, I have more than three hundred pounds of gold with, as I said before, some quartz, but not enough to both

I do this for a number of reasons-the first being that you will thus be induced to return to this section of California. Not knowing the country, you will doubtless perish, and thus from the placid bosom of society a thorn will be removed. Secondly, if you should survive long enough to get in, you could never find your way out without me for a guide-an

enderfoot. "Of course, right now, it may seem perfectly proper from your p

the adventitious circumstances. I have four of them and I'll sell you two for your half of the gold. No? Price too high? All right! I'll agree to freight your share in for you, only I'm afraid transportation rates are so high in the

further, if you please. At ano

. If we don't strike water at Chuckwalla Tanks there'll be real eloquence to that word 'perhaps.' However, that discussion can wait. Everything appe

owever, all that troubled the Desert Rat was what he was going to do with the man from Boston when that inconsistent and avaricious individual should "peter out." More than once, in his pursuit of the rainbow, the Desert Rat had known what it was to travel until he couldn't travel another yard; then to jump up and t

oston, you're an awful nuisance-you are, for a fact. You've had water three times to our once, and yet you go to work and peter out with Chuckwalla Tanks only five miles aw

sted. I'll die if I

iled in the raising, so I suppose we'll have to defer to you-particularly since it's my fau

who took two canteens an

esert Rat explained. "He'll return about daylight, and we'll wait here until he arrives. It's dan

urmured th

ned. "You're gettin

t up and stared after the figure of the depart

those low hills. You can ju

d after that the clo

ks and desert water-holes. It's hard to tell how close one is to water on that course. But i

lorado river is for

ween forty

or the informat

mooth stone, and simultaneously he dodged and reached for his gun. But he was a fifth of a second too

vertaking him; so with the two low hills as his objective point, the Easterner circled a mile out of the direct course which he knew the Indian would take, and when the dawn commenced to show in the east he herded the pack-animals down into a swale between two sand-dunes. With remarkable cunning he decided to scout the territory before proceeding further; hence, as soon as there was light enough

, rounded up his pack train and departed up the draw. After traveling a mile the draw broadened out into the desert, and the man from Boston turned south and headed for the Rio Colorado. He was walking now and appeared to have forgotten about his blistered heel, for at times he broke into a run, beating the burros, screaming curses at them with all the venom of his wolfish soul, for he was pursued now by the fragments of his conscience. His attac

the man he had despoiled, and as yet the direction of his flight could not be observed. He drifted ra

hickly in this section of the desert, for the first