Camden High School - Megunticook Yearbook (Camden, ME)

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WTWQ days morern groaned Charley. WIt'1l take four days anyway to reach the nearest oesis.n Both men remained silent for a moment, thinking. NSay, Kerl,n said Charley, breaking the silence. NWhnt?N NI wesjust thinking--one of us could make it. Sce?' If two of us could go two days on e certain amount of water it stands to reeson that one of us could so twice as for--don't it?' WPrecisely,N replied Karl. Nwell then--,N Charley looked down et his side, towards his hol- stered revolver. The holster et Kmrl's side was empty. UNO--not thHt,N siid Knrl. nL1sten-LI hxve e plen,N continued Charley. He reached in e tattered pocket ard pulled out two pearls. One was e white peerlg the other was e shimmerine bleck. NThese pearls ere exactly the same size and shape. I will place them in my empty canteen--there! New then, in this revolver, in my holster, I have exactly one bullet. We will each teke 5 pearl from the canteen. The one that nets the black pearl takes the fun ind shoots the other through the heert er the brain. W at's the difference?' NNo! No! That would be murderin cried Kerl. NOn the centrery, I'e consider it an not of mercy.N NNe! Nelu NIt's our only hope.N Karl remained silent, rubbing his blonde heir, his brown eyes troubled. He steeled himself with en effort end scid, WI Will, Charley--I will we threufh with it 'nd I hone to G-d I Cot the white peerlln T ey each tilted the centeen end poured into their helf-clenched fist n smooth round pearl but sit still, rewarding one another for e few moments, heldinn the pe rls in their respective tiehtly clenched fists. Desperately Karl spread open his hind and the black pearl stared up at him bnlefully! Hu arose, dropped the cursed to the sind, end stepped on it, Chfrley held out the revolver. .Acting on Q desperete resolve, Karl fresped the gun. He stepped backward three pfces. Slowly his erm came up end he took careful dim nt f spot between Chnrley's eyes. 15.

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Charley merely grinned. Karl's trigger finger tightened. Chnrley's grin broadened. NOkoy, Karl boy, get it over with,W he said cheerfully. WThis is os easy as follin' off n log.W The trimger finger tivhtened very perceptibly. Another second und it would ell be over. Then the revolver drooped to the send with.a thud. Karl shook his heed weurily, WI cen't do it, Chnrley,N he murmured. NYou went back on your word, Korl,n Charley sfid. Ult Wes the first time.H Port 2. When the sun hed dropped beneeth the rin of the horizon and the derkness had closed in, Chorley and Karl ewch unrelled o ragged blon- ketg for though the desert dfys are hot, the nirhts ore very chill. Each rolled up in his blanket. NGodd nirht, Ch2rley.N NGodd night, Korl.N In spite of himself, Kerl fell inst ntly fsleep. When he awoke, hours leter, there nts no moon, but the sky was dotted with countless stars. He lifted himself on one elbow :nd peered in his comrode's direction. By the stvrs' dim light he could meke out the huddled mound of blanket. Karl reeched in his shirt pocket and produced Q soiled, tattered, scrap of paper. From fnother pocket he took n pencil stub. He busied himself for several minutes, scrihblinm on the paper. When he was throumh writing he crept over to the square stone. 1 Around the bnse nf this stvne there were Q erect mfny chips which had been eroded from the stone block by the elements. Karl took four of the largest of these end crawled rs ncer es he dored towards Chcrley's sleeping plrce. He plfced the scrap of poper on the send and nlrced s rock on o'ch of the four corners of the pnper so thot it ceuldn't blew nwfy. He stuffed send under his blon- ket to moke it look as if he were still lying there. Then he walked off into the desert to meet his fate. Part 5. x It was several days leter that e caravan stumbled across the camp near the square rock. Here is what they found: 14.