Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-10-21

wus ter saddle oop, ride down here
an mate this man Enrlght. ! don't
ayen know fer shure whar OF Mendez
is-llkely 'nough he be in Mexico"
SIN Mexico!" Indignantly. "Of
course not. Lacy said you knew the
trail. It's a place they cali 'Sunken
valiey'-out there somewhere" and
Brennan could barely distinguish the
movement of her arm desertward.
TITS across that sand fat"
"ShoshoneT"
'Yes; l couldn't remember the
name. That's all know about it,
only Lacy said you'd been there be-
fore"
"Shure, MISS" assured the marshal
softly, clearly realizing that he had
already gone the limit, and that any
further questioning must lead newt
ably to trouble. "If it is Sunken val
ley I'm ter ride ter, thet's aisy."
''Then it's good night"
She vanished up the side trail, as
though the wind had blown away a
shadow. Brennan gathered up his
reins, Strengthening his body in the
saddle. He glanced back toward the
dim shade Of his companion, chuck
ling.
"Some bit of luck that, jim"
doesn't seem to me we know much
more than we did before" Westcott
answered gloomily. "Only that this
chap Mendez is at a place called
Sunken, valley. l never heard OF it;
did your
"No; l reckon it's no spot the law
has ever had any use for. I've sup
posed all along them Mexican cattle
thieves had hidden corral somewhat
in this country; but nobody has ever
found it yet. Right now, thanks to
this Miss La Rue, I've got a bunch
that we're goin' to make the discov-
cry, and put Bill Lacy and OF Mendez
out of business. But there's no sense
of our gassin' here. We got a right
smart bit O. ridin' to do afOre day
light"
"How about the note she gave your
"We1l wait a while to read that. L
don't want to strike no light just yet.
Maybe it had best be kept till day
break"
The men rode steadily, and mostly
in silence, a large part Of the way side
by side. The animals they bestrode
were fairly mated, quite capable of
maintaining their gait for several
hours, and needing little urging. The
night gloom envelOped them complete
ly; their strained eyes were scarcely
able to trace the dim outlines of the
ridge road, but the horses were desert
broke, and held closely to the beaten
track. Then Westcott's pony, which
carried by far the heavier load, be-
gan to show signs of fatigue. They
drew up, and the marshal dlsmOunt-
ed, searching about blindly in the
darkness.
TOO d-n dark" he said, coming
back, and catching up his rein. "a
cat couldn't find anything there; but
there's firm sand. Wait a minute !;
I've got pocket compass"
He struck a match, sheltering the
sputtering blaze with one hand. The
light illumined his face for an in
slant, and then went out, leaving the
night blacker than before.
That's SOUTH" he announced, snap
ping the compass case shut, land this
blame wind is southeast; that ought to
keep us fairly straight"
''The ponies will do that; they'll
keep where the travelling is good. Shift
this bag back of your saddle, Dan. You
ride lighter, and my horse is begin
ming to pant already; that will ease
him few pounds"
The transfer was made, and the two
men rode out into the rear desert,
urging their animals forward trust
ing largely to their natural instinct
for guidance. They would follow the
hard sand, and before long the scent
of water would as certainly lead them
directly toward the spring.
Yet it was not long until dawn be-
gan to turn the desert gray, gradually
revealing its forlorn desolation. West
colt lifted his head, and gaZed about
with wearied eyes, smarting still from
the whipping of the sand-grit. On
every side stretched away a scene of
utter desolation, unrelieved by either
shrub or tree-an apparently endless
ocean of sand, in places leveled by the
wind, and elsewhere piled into fam
tastic heaps. The breeze slackened
somewhat as the sun Redeemed the
east, and the ponies threw up their
heads and whinnied slightly, increas-
ing their speed. Westcott saw the
marshal arouse himself, straighten in
the saddle, and stare about, his eyes
still dull and heavy.
Zone Ii of view, JIM" he said
disgustedly, "but reckon we can't be
a great ways from that spring. We've
been ridin' right smart"
tits not far ahead; the ponies sniff
water. All there's a bunch O. green
ahead; that'n likely be Badger
springs"
Assured they were beyond pursuit
the two unsaddled and turned the