St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1922-11-11
then /grasped the bewildering posi-.
bilities, the infinite wonder Of what
.kzz;::1z2k<.

then /gTaSpeu the DeWAluerlue poSSA",
bilities, the infinite wonder Of what
a girl could mean to man.
+, The desert began to tighten. Gray
openings In the border Of shrubby
growths changed to pa1er hue. In the
east a white glow grew brighter and
brighter, reaching up to a line Of
cloud, defined sharply below by q
rugged notched range.
"Senor, am cold,' said Mercedes.
Dick had been carrying his coat
upon his arm. He stopped the horse
and raised the coat up and helped
Mercedes put it on.
II should have thought Of you" he
said. "But seemed to feel warm. !,
The coats little large; we might
wrap it around you twice."
Mercedes smiled ana lightly thanked
him in Spanish. He was about to start
when he observed that Ladd had halt
ed and was peering ahead in evident
caution. Mercedes horse began to
stamp impatiently, raised his ears and
head, and acted as II he was about to
neigh. ~
A warning ''hist'' from Ladd bade
pick put a quteting hand on the
horse, Lash came noiselessly forward
to JOIN his composition. The two then
listened ard watched.
Presently Lash went to the rear
and Ladd started ahead. The prog
ress now, however, was considerably
slower, not owing to a bad road-for
that became better-but probably ow-
ing to caution exercised by the COW.
boy guide. At the end Of half hour
this marked elaboration changed, and
the horses followed Ladd's at gait
that put Gale to his best walking
PAGES.
His steps were halted by Ladd's &C
tons. The cowboy refined In his horse.
listened moment: then swung down
out Of the saddle He raised q eau
tioning hand to the others, then
slipped into the gloom and disap-
peared. Gale marked that the halt
had been made in ridged and cut.up
pass between low mesas 10 the right,
up under the Lodges some distance
away, stood two square black objects,
too uniform, he thought, to be rocks.
While he was peering at them. uncer'
tain what to think, the shrill whistle
Of horse pealed out, to be followed
by the rattllhg Of hOofs on hard stone.
Then dog barked. At the same
moment that Laid hurriedly ap-
peared in the road light shone out
and danced before one Of the square
black objects.
"Keep close an don't make no
noise" he whispered, and led hfs
horse at right angles of the road.
Gale followed, leading Mercedes
horse. AS he turned he observed that
Lash also had dismounted.
To keep closely at Ladd's heels
without brushing the cactus or stun
! bling over rocks and depressions was
task Gale found impossible. Il was
| no easy matter to lead spirited horse
| through the dark, winding lanes walled
by thorns. Dick saw that the travel
was fast, but by no means noiseless
The pack animals at times crashed and
ripped through the narrow places. Il
seemed to Gale that anyone within
4 mile could have heard these sounds
Presently Ladd led out into
wider lane that appeared to run
straight. The cowboy mounted his
horse, and this convinced Gale that
| they had circled back to the road
The march proceeded then once more
at good, steady, silent walk. WheI
| Dick consulted his watch he was
amazed to see the hour was still early
He asked Mercedes II she was cold
and she answered that she was, speak
ing especially Of her feet, which wer'
| growing numb. Then she asked to zb'
helped down to walk awhile. At frs
she was cold and lame. and accepted
(. the helping hand Dick pronered. Afte1