Part 29 (1/2)
Peggy hastily s.n.a.t.c.hed up the two buckets with which the aeroplane was equipped, and hurried toward the distant figure. She reached Wandering William's side in quicker time than she would have thought possible, such was the stimulating effect of the glad news. The strange ”professor” said not a word, but took her by the hand and began striding in great steps across the sandy dunes.
They had walked about a quarter of a mile when they reached a spot where yuccas and p.r.i.c.kly desert plants of different varieties grew thickly. At the bottom of this desolate little valley was a pool on which the sunlight shone glitteringly. It was shallow and warm, and the color of rusty iron, but it was water.
Taking the folding tin cup that Wandering William produced from one of his pockets, the girl drank eagerly. Never had sparkling spring, water in the fruitful Eastern country tasted half so good as that tepid, dirty alkaline stuff that Wandering William had so providentially stumbled upon.
”How did you find it?” gasped Peggy.
Wandering William indicated a tumble down sign post a few paces off.
To it was nailed board with sun faded lettering on it.
”Read it,” commanded Wandering William.
”'To the lost in the desert inferno,'” read Peggy, ”'water is twenty paces to the west.'”
”If it hadn't been for the white soul of the man who put that up there,” commented the ”professor,” ”we might have perished miserably. Heaven bless him, wherever he is.”
”Amen,” murmured Peggy.
They filled the buckets, and staggering under their weight, Wandering William led the way back to the aeroplane. Roy was awake and thirsty. He drank greedily of the turbid stuff they offered him.
”And now,” said the professor, ”let's get to work on that radiator.”
But try as they would, they could not stop the leak. Indeed, so much water was wasted in their experiments that several more trips to the pool were necessary.
”Looks like we have run into the worst streak of hard luck I ever heard of,” sighed Wandering William despairingly, after the failure of the twentieth trial to get the cooling system to hold water.
”We've just got to plug that leak somehow, or--”
He didn't finish the sentence. There was no need for him to do that.
Suddenly Peggy, who had looked up from the baffling task for an instant, gave a cry:
”Look! Look there! What's all that dust?”
”It's hors.e.m.e.n of some kind, and they're coming this way!” cried Wandering William.
As he spoke his hand slid to his hip, and he drew out his well-oiled and worn old forty-four.
”Do you think that they are--that they are Red Bill's men?”
”Don't know yet. The dust's thick and the light's bad.”
”If they are?”
”Then we are in for a mighty bad quarter of an hour. Consarn the luck, everything seems to be going wrong at once.”
On and on swept the dust cloud, growing close with great rapidity.
With what anxious feelings the strange herb doctor and the girl watched its advance may be imagined. As for Roy, he lay on the floor of the cha.s.sis unaware of what was transpiring without.
There seemed to be several of the riders--a dozen at least.