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Page 57
A full moon hung in the heavens and the night was a beautiful one,
a peaceful, restful desert night. Camp was quickly made a short
distance removed from the water hole, and, after water had been
supplied to the ponies, and the water bags and pails filled, the
party sat down to supper and to a discussion of the topic
uppermost in their minds--the attack that had been made on them,
and the mysterious horseman.
"What is that I see out there?" suddenly demanded Nora Wingate,
pointing to an object out on the desert, some fifty or sixty yards
from where she was sitting.
"It looks like a cross tilted on its side," said Anne.
"That's what it is," nodded the guide.
"A cross? What for?" questioned Emma.
"Some poor desert traveler who couldn't find a water hole,"
replied Hi Lang reflectively.
"Did you know that thing was there?" demanded Emma.
"Yes, of course."
"And yet you camped right here? I shan't sleep a wink to-night."
"Don't be foolish, Emma. Let it be a reminder to us to be prudent
with our water supply," soothed Grace. "I do not suppose this
water hole existed at that time; did it, Mr. Lang?"
"It may have. Travelers have been known to give up and die of
thirst when water was almost within reach of their hand. You will
see more such as that as we get south," said Hi, nodding in the
direction of the leaning cross.
"I suppose that, in most instances, they were persons who did not
know the desert well," suggested Grace.
"Just so," agreed the guide. "Shall we go out and look at it?"
"Not to-night, thank you. The morning will do for that. It is not
a pleasant thought to take to bed with one."
Hi got up and strode out to look at the cross, followed by Hippy.
The guide believed in investigating everything. It was a
precaution that he had learned after many journeys across the
Great American Desert. It might not mark the resting place of a
lost traveler at all; the cross might be a guide to water, or it
might mean nothing at all. In any event Hi's curiosity must be
satisfied.
"What do you find?" questioned Hippy, as he joined the guide by
the leaning cross.
"The stones that held it up have been moved, as you see. They are
scattered, some half covered with sand. Windstorm did that in all
probability. Queer thing, but I don't see any indications of
anything but wind having disturbed the place."
"Hand me a stone and I'll prop it up," requested Hippy. The guide
did so, and Lieutenant Wingate dropped the stone beside it, after
straightening up the crude cross.
Both men heard a metallic sound as the stone struck the ground.
The quick ear of Hi Lang told him that something other than desert
sand lay there at the foot of the crossed sticks.
"See what it is," urged Hi.
Grace had been observing the movements of the two men and her
curiosity was rapidly getting the better of her.
"Come, Elfreda, let us go out and see what those two men are so
deeply interested in," she urged, rising and starting towards
them, followed by Miss Briggs.
"Looks like a tin box," answered Hippy. "There's only a corner of
it sticking above the sand."
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