The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-12-02

Mercedes could defend herself. She
had a gun. He doubted not at all that
she would use it. But, remembering
her terror of this savage, he feared
for, her. R6jas reached the level of
the ledge. He halted. He crouched.
It was the act Of a panther. Mani
testify he saw. Mercedes within the
cave. Then faint shots patted the air.
broke in quick echo. Rojas went
down as II struck by a heavy blow.
He was hit. But even as Gale, yelled
In sheer madness the bandit leaped
erect. - He seemed too quick, too sup
| pie to he badly wounded. A slight
dark figure flashed out of the cave.
Mercedes! She backed against the
wall. Gale saw a puff Of white
heard report. But the bandit
lunged at her. Mercedes ran, not to
try to pass him, but straight for the
precipice. Her intention was plain.
But Rojas outstripped her, even as
she reached the verge. Then q pierc-
Ing scream pealed across the crater
,, a scream Of despair.
4 Gale closed his eyes. He could not
bear to see more. 2s. "a. ,GGss,'-s.
Thorne echoed Mercedes scream.
Gale looked round Just in time to leap
| and catch the cavalryman as he stag
gered, apparently for the steep slope.
And then, as Gale dragged him back,
both fell. Gale saved his friend, but
he plunged into a choya. He drew
his hands away full Of the great glis-
| tening cones of thorns. .$.....,
| "For Gods sake, Gale, shoot !!
Shoot! Kill her XIII her! !. {.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" -
Thorne tainted. s.S.s$ s.4
Gale, stunnedi fof the instant, stood
| with uplifted hands,, and gazed from
ThoTne across the crater. fRojas had
| not killed Mercedes. He was over
towering her. His actions seemed
slow, wearing, pprposeful. Hers were
| violent. Lake "a trapped ,she-wolf,
! Mercedes was fighting. She tore,
struggled, flung herself. >z'sss
Rojas' intention was terribly plain.
T. In agony now, both mental and
physical, cold and sick and weak, Gale
,gripped his rifle and aimeds at the
| struggling forms on the ledge He
pulled the trigger. The bullet struck
up cloud of red dust close to the
struggling couple, Again Gale fired,
hoping to; hit Rojas, praying to- kill
Mercedes. The bullet struck high. A
third fourth fifth time the Reming-
ton spoken vain! The rifle fell from
Gales racked hands. ezs.5 !, +
How horribly plain that fend's in
tention! Gale tried to close his eyes,
but could not. He prayed wildly for
asudden blindness-tp faint as Thorne
had tainted. But he was transfxed t.
the spot, with eyes that pierced the
red light. 81. p. f5r...
Mercedes was growing weaker
seemed about to collapse. J
"Oh, Jim Lash. are you dead?" CRIED
Gale. 1"Oh,t Laddy =. oh, Yaaui 7
Suddenly dark form literally fell
down the wall behind the ledge WHERE
Rojas fought the girl. It sank in
heap, then bounded erect.
"Yaqui!" screamed Gale, and he
waived his bleeding hands till the
blood bespattered. his face. Then he
choked fUtterance became Impossible
The Indian bent over & ojas and
flung him against the wall. Mercedes
sinking back, lay stin. When Rojas
got up the Indian stood between him
and escape from the ledge. Rojas
backed the other way along tie mar
rowing shelf Of lava. His manner
was abject, stppefied. Slowly he
stepped backward.
It was then that Gale caught the
white CLEAN Of knife in YaQui's
hand. Rojas turned and ran. Yaqui
followed slowly. His figure was dark
and menacing. But he was not In
hurry. When he passed off the ledge
Rojas was edging farther and farther
along the wall: He was clinging now
to the lava, creeping inch by inch.
Perhaps he had thought to work
around the Euttress or climb over It.
Evidently he went as far as possible.
and there he chung, an unscalable
wall above, the abyss beneath.
The approach Of the Yaqui was like
slow dark shadow Of gloom. If 1t
seemed so to the stricken Gale what
must 1t have been to- Rojas? He APP
peared to sink against the wall. The
Yaqui stole closer ard closer. He was
the savage now, and for him the mo-
ment must have been glorified. Gale
saw him gaze up at the great circling
walls of the crater, then down into the
depths. Perhaps The red haze hang
. ing above him, or the purple haze be-
low. or the deep caverns in the lava,
held for Yaqui spirits Of the desert,
his gods to whom he called. Perhaps
he invoked shadows of his loved ones
and his race. calling them in this mo-
ment Of vengeance.
Gale heardor ina gined he heard
that wild, strange Yasyui cry.
Then the Indian stepped close to
Rojas. and bent low, keeping out Of
" # \ = . = III, ~