Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-12-21
CHAPTER vi
The Yauui.


Toward evening of a lowering De
cember day, some fifty miles west Of
Forlorn River, a horseman rode along
an old dimly defined trail
This lonely horseman bestrOde
steed of magnificent build, perfectly
white except for dark bar of color
running down the noble head from
ears to nose. Sweat-caked dust
stained the long TANKS. The horse
had been running. He was lean.
gaunt worn, huge machine of muscle
and bone, beautiful only in head and
name, a weight-carrier, a horse strong
and fierce like the desert that had
bred him.
The rider fitted the horse as he fit
ted the saddle. He was young man
of exceedingly powerful physique,
wide-shouldered, long-armed, big
legged. His lean face, where it was
not red, blistered and peeling, was the
hue of bronze. He had a dark eye.
falcon gaze, rowing and keen. His
Jaw was prominent and set, mastifr-
like; his lips were stern. 1t was youth
with it's softness not yet quite burned
and hardened away that kept the
whole cast Of his face from being
ruthless.
This young man was Dick Gale, but
not the listless traveller, nor the loung-
ing wanderer who, two months before,
hO NV IrnnnnI ipto
The desert had claimed Gale, and had
drawn him into it's crucible. The
desert had multiplied weeks into
years. Heat, thirst, hunger, loneli-
ness, toll, fear, ferOcity. pain-he
knew them all He had felt them all
the white sun, with its glazed, coaes-
cling, lurid fire; the caked split lips
and rasping, dry-puffed tongue; the
sickening ache in the pit of his stom-
ache: the insuppOrtable silence, the
empty space, the utter desolation, the
contempt of life; the watch and wait,
the dread of ambush, the swift flight
the fierce pursuit of men wild as
Bedouins and as fleet. the willingness
to deal sudden death, the pain of
poison thorn, the singing tear of lead
through flesh; and that strange para
dOX Of the burning desert, the cold at
night, the piercing icy wind, the dew
that penetrated to the marrow, the
numbing desert cold of the dawn.
Ladd's prophecy of trouble on the
border had been mild compared to
what had become the actually. With
rebel occupancy of the garrison at
Casita, outlaws, bandits. raiders in
riOting bands had spread westward.
Many a dark-skinned raider beStrOde
one of Belongs fast horses; and, in
deed, all except his selected white
thorOughbreds had been stolen. So
the job of the rangers had become
more than a patrOllng of the bound
airy line to keep Japanese and Chinese
from being struggled into the United
States.
On this December afternoon the
three rangers, as often. were separ-
ated. Lash was far to the westward
Of Sonoyta, somewhere along Canine
del Diablo, that terrible Devils road
where many desert wayfarers had per-
ished. Ladd had long been overdue
In a prearranged meeting with Gale
The fact that Ladd had not shown up
miles west Of the Papago well was
| significant.
Gale dismounted to lead his horse,
| to go forward more slowly. He had
| ridden sixty miles since morning. and
| he was tired. and not entirely healed
wound in his hip made one leg drag q
| little. A mile up the arroyo, near its
head, lay the Papago well. The need
| of water for his horse entailed risk
that otherwise he could have avoided.
| The we'll was on Mexican soil. Gale
| distinguished a faint light Pickering
through the thin, sharp foliage. Camp
ers were at the well, and, whoever
they were, no doubt they had prevent
ed Ladd from meeting Gale. Ladd
had gone back to the next waterhole,
or maybe he was hiding in an arroyo
to the eastward, awaiting develop
ments.
Gale turned his horse, not without
urge Of iron arm and persuasive
speech, for the desert steed scented
water, and plodded back to the edge
Of the arroyo, where in secluded
circle of mesquite he halted. The
horse snorted his relief at the removal
of the heavy, burdened saddle and ac-
coutrements. Gale poured the con-
tents of his larger canteen into his
hat and held It to the horses nose.
Drink, SOL" he said.