He saw to it that his ammunition belt contained no more than half a
dozen cartridges, and then took up his rifle, handling it almost
lovingly; for this, his only valuable possession, he intended to part
with in order to secure what might be necessary for his father's
relief and comfort.

The weapon was slung over his back where it would not impede his
movements; and with a single glance backward he set out with a long,
swinging stride such as he knew by experience he could maintain for
many hours.

It was still dark when he had crossed the fertile meadows, and arrived
at the border of an apparently limitless expanse of yellow sand.

Here it would not be possible to maintain the pace at which he had
started, because of the loose sand in which his feet sank to the depth
of an inch at each step.

Having set out at such an early hour, this boy, who was perilling his
life in the hope of aiding his father, believed the more dangerous
portion of the journey might be accomplished before the heat of the
day should be the most severe.

When the sun rose Dick had travelled, as nearly as he could estimate,
over three miles of desert; and his courage increased with the
knowledge that one-fifth of the distance across the sands had already
been traversed.

At the end of the next hour he said to himself that he must be nearly
midway on the road of sand; and although the labor of walking was most
severe, his heart was very light.

"Once across, I'll push on as fast as any fellow can walk," he said
aloud, as if the sound of his own voice gave him cheer. "By making an
extra effort I ought to be in Antelope Spring before midnight, and
have plenty of time to sleep between now and morning. Half a day there
to sell the rifle, an' buy what is needed, an' by sunset I should be
at the edge of the desert again, ready to make this part of the tramp
after dark."

He walked quickly, and like one who intends to go but a short distance.

The forty-five-mile tramp seemed to him but a trifle as compared with
what was to be gained by the making of it.

He thought of his mother as she read the note he had left on the flap
of the wagon-covering, and wondered if she looked upon his departure
as an act of disobedience, which, in fact, it was, since both his
parents had insisted he should not attempt it.

Then his thoughts went out to his father, and he told over in his mind
all the questions he would ask of the doctor at Antelope Spring; fo