Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-12-29
CHAPTER vi
The Yaoul.

tWdFff evening VI ioNVAiAS DC
canlher dav. some fifty miles west OF
Forlorn River, a horseman rode along
IN old. dimly defined trail
This lonely horseman bestrode q
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 flanks. The horse
had been running He was lean
gaunt, worn, a huge machine Of muscle
and bone, beautiful only in head and
name, a weight-carrier, 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 1t was
not red, blistered and peeling. was the
hue of bronze He had a dark eye, q
falcon gaze, rowing and keen. His
Jaw was prominent and set, mastiff-
like; his lips were stern. 1t was youth
with its 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,
had by chance dropped into Casita.
The desert had claimed Gale, and had
drawn him into its 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, coales-
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 .leet, the willingness
to deal sudden death, the pain of
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 actuality. With
rebel occupancy Of the garrison at
Casita, outlaws, bandits, raiders In
rioting bands had spread westward.
Many a dark skinned raider hestrodt
one of Belongs fast horses; and, in
deed, all except his selected white
thoroughbreds had been stolen. s.
the job of the rangers had become
more than a patrolling Of the bound
ary line to keep japanese and Chimes
from being smuggled into the Unite'
States.
On this December afternoon tn
three rangers, as often, were sepal
ated. Lash was far to the westwar'
of Sonoyta, somewhere along Camin
del Diablo, that terrible Devils roac
where many desert wayfarers had pei
ished. Ladd had long been overdu
in a prearranged meeting with Gale
The fact that Ladd had not shown u
miles west of the Papago we'll wa
significant.
Gale dismounted to lead his horse
to go forward more slowly. lie ha
ridden sixty miles since morning. an
he was tired, and not entirely heale
wound in his hip made one leg drag
little. A mile up the arroyo, near II
head. lay the Papago well. The nee
of water for his horse entailed ris
that otherwise he could have avoide'
The well was on Mexican soil. Gal
distinguished a faint light fiickerin
through the thin, sharp foliage. CAM
ers were at the well. and, whoevt
they were, no doubt they had preven
ed Ladd from meeting Gale. Lad
had gone back to the next waterloo
or maybe he was hiding in an arroy
to the eastward, awaiting develo
ments.
Gale turned his horse, not withol
urge Of iron arm and persuasiN
speech, for the desert steed scente
water, and plodded back to the eds
Of the arroyo, where in a seclude
circle of mesquite he halted. III
horse snorted his relief at the remov
of the heavy, burdened saddle and a
coutrements. Gale poured the co
tents of his larger canteen into h
hat and held it to the horses nose
Drink. Sol" he said.
II was but drop for a thirs
horse. However Rlanco Sol rubbed
wet muzzle against Gales hand in a