The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-01-29
CHAPTER 1.

tating before ita descent TO the hori-
zon. The sugar.loaf cone that tow
cred above a creek called Misery was
pointed and edged with emerald trac-
cry where the Hottest timber thrust
up its crest piumes Into the sur. On
the hillsldes II would be light for
more than an hour yet, but below,
where the waters tossed themselves
along in a chorus Of tiny cascades, the
light was already t%hickening into a
cathedral gloom Down there the fur
rtner" would have seen only the rough
IN OF the creek between moss
velveted and shaded powders Of
titanic proportions. The native would
have recognized the country road in
these tortuous twistinEs. A great block
of sandstone. to whose summit a man
standing In his saddle could scarcely
reach his ingertips. lowered above
the stream, with q gnArled scrub ok
clinging tenaciously to It's apex. Loft
fly on both sides climbed the noun
lains cloakod in laurel and timber.
Suddenly the LEAKAGE was thrust
aside from above by a cautious hand,
and a shy, half.wiid girl appeared In
the opening. For an instant she halt
ed, with her brown fingers holding
back the b~rushwood. and raised her
face as though listening. As she
stood with the toes OF one bare foot
twisting in the gratefully cool moss
she laughed with the sheer exhllara-
ton OF life and youth. and started out
on the table top OF the huge rock.
But there she halted suddenly with a
startled exclamation and drew instihc
lively back. What she saw might well
have astonished her. for II was a thing
che had never seen before and Of
which she had never heard. Finally,
treasured by the silence, she slipped
across the broad face Of the fiat rock
for a distance OF twenty-five feet and
paused again TO listen.
AT the far edge lay a pair of saddle
bags, such as form the only practical
equipment for mountain travellers.
Near them lay a tin box, Uttered with
small and Misunderstanding tubes OF
soft metal. all %grotesquely twisted and
stained, and beside the box was a
strangely shaped plaque OF wood
smeared with a dozen hues. That this
plaque was a painters sketching pal
cite was a thing which she could not
know. since the ways of artists had
20 do with a world as remote from
her own as the life OF the moon OF
stars. II was one OF those vague mys,
teries that made up the wonderful life
OF down below" Why had these
things been left here IN such confu,
sion? II there was a man about who
owned them he would doubtless return
20 claim them. She crept over, Eyes
and sars alert, and slipped around "a
the front OF the queer tripod, with all
her muscles poised In readiness for
flight.
A half-rapturous and utterly aston.
ished cry broke from her lips. She
stared a moment. then dropped to the
moss-covered rock. leaning back on
her brown hands and gazing intently
Hits purtyl" she approved. in q
low, musical murmur "Hit'e plumb
dead beautiful"
or course Il was not a finished pic
ture-merely a study OF what lay be
fore her-but the hand that hat
placed these brush strokes on the
academy board was the sure, def
hand OF a master OF landscape, who
had caught the splendid spirit OF the
thing and fixed It immutably in true
and glowing appreciation. Who h,
was; where he had gone why hil
uvurI afnnH Nhara uu0wH.h.a -. -
doned, were details which for the mo
ment this ~half-savage child-woman for
got 10 question. She was oOnscioul
only OF a OF revelation and awe
Then she saw other boards, like IN,
one upon the easel, piled neal tn,
paint box. These we're dry, and rep
resented the work OF other days; bu
they we're all pictures OF her owl
mountains, and in each OF them, a
in this one. wac something that mad,
her heart leap.
10 her " people these steep hin
sides and "eoves" and valleys we're
matter OF course In their stony sol
they labored by day. and IN their shad
W slept when work was done. Ye
someone had discovered that they hell
a picturesque and rugged beauty; tina
they were not merely steep field
where the pillow wac useless and thl
hoe must BE- used. She must tell Sam
son-sGmson. whom she held IN Al
artless exaltation Of hero worship
samson, who was 80 smart" that h
thought about things beyond her an
derstanding; Samson. who could no
only read and write, but speculate Of
probiematical matters.
Suddenly she came 70 her feet Will
a sWlft-darting Impulse Of alarm, He
a had caught . sound. She cas-
searching glanceg about her, but N
tangls was empty Of humanity. Tn
water still murmured over the rock
u~ndlsturbed, There was no sign 0
human presence. other than herself
that her eyes could dihcover-and "a
10 he, ears came the sound again. an
this time mor distinctly. II was III
sound Of a mans voice, and Il wa