Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1922-01-11
CHAPTER VII
The RUNNING Of RIaneo Sol.

The Running of Blanco Sol.
The Yaqui's strange glance roved
over the corral, the swinging gate
with its broken fastenings, the tracks
in the road, and then rested upon Beld-
ing.
"Malo," he said, and his Spanish
was clear.
"Shore, Yaqui, about eight bad men,
an traitor Indian" said Ladd.
Il think he means my herder," add
ed Bedding. IF he does, that settles
any doubt it might be decent to have
-YaQui-malo Papago-SiT
The Yaqui spread wide his hands.
Then he bent over the tracks In the
road. They led everywhither, but
gradually he worked out Of the thick
net to take the trail that the cowboys
had followed down to the river. Beld-
ing and the rangers kept close at his
heels. He found a trampled spot where
the raiders had left their horses. From
this point a deeply defined narr0w
trail led across the dry river bed.
The trail Of the raiders took a
southeasterly course over untrodden
desert. The YaQui spoke in his own
tongue, then In Spanish.
think he means slow march," said
Relding. daddy, from the looks Of
that trail the Greasers are having
trouble with the horses"
''Tom, shore a boy could see that"
replied Laddy. ASK Yaqui to tell us
where the raiders are headln', an If
there's water"
1t was wonderful to see the Yaqui
point. With stick he traced line in
the sand, and then at the end of that
another line at right angles. He made
crosses and marks and holes, and as
he drew the rude map he talked in
Yaqui, In Spanish; with word here
and there in English. Bedding trans
lated as best he could. The raiders
were heading southeast toward the
railroad that ran from Nogales down
into Sonora. 1t was four days travel
bad trail, good sure waterhole one
day out; then water not sure for two
days. Raiders, not looking for pur-
suit, could be headed and ambushed
that night at the first waterhole, a
natural trap in valley.
The men returned to the ranch.
The rangers ate and drank while max
ing hurried preparations for travel
Blanco Sol and the cowboys horses
were fed, watered, and saddled. Laid
refused to ride one Of Belongs
whites. He was quick and cold.
Get me long-range rife an lots
of shells, Rustic, now" he said. "I
want a gun that'll outshoot the dinky
little carbines an muskets used by
the rebels. Trot one out an be quick"
1--WE got .405, a long-barreled
heavy rifle that1l shoot mile. use
it for mountain sheep. But Laddy,
it'll break that bronch's back"
"His back won't break so easy. !.
Dick, take plenty Of shells for your
Remington. An don't forget your
field glass"
In less than an hour after the time
Of the raid the three rangers, heavily
armed and superbly mounted on fresh
horses, rode out on the trail. AS Gale
turned to look back from the far bank
Of Forlorn river, he saw Nell waving
white scarf. He stood high In his
stirrups and waved his sombrero.
Then the mesquite hid the girls slight
figure, and Gale wheeled grim-faced
to follow the rangers.
They rode in single file with Ladd
in the lead. He took a Decline course
for the white escarpment pointed out
by the Yaqui; and nothing save deep
washes and impossible patches Of
cactus or rocks made him swerve
from It.
At noon the rangers got out Of the
thick cactus. The desert floor inclined
perceptibly upward. When Gale got
an unobstructed view Of the slope Of
the escarpment he located the raiders
and horses. In another hours travel
the rangers could see with naked eyes
long, faint moving streak Of black
and-white dots.
'They're headln' for that yellow
pass" said Laid. pointing to a break
in the eastern end OF the escarpment.
ssWhen they get out Of sight well
tustle., I'm thlnItin' that waterhcle
the Yaquf spoke OF lays In the pass"
The rangers travelled swiftly over
the remaining miles Of level desert