The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-11-23
tContinued from Last issus)
CHAPTER XI
Across Cactus and Lava.


At the far corner Of the field Yaqui
halted, and slowly the line Of white
horses merged into a compact mass.
Yaqui slipped out of his saddle. He
ran his hand over Diablo's nose and
spoke low, and repeated this action
for each of the other horses. Gale
had long ceased to question the
strange Indians behavior. There was
no explaining or understanding many
of his maneuvers. But the results of
them were always thought-provoking.
Gale had never seen horses stand so
silently as in this instance; no stamp
no champ of bit-no toss of head
no shake of saddle or pack-no heave
or snort! It seemed they had become
imbued with the spirit of the Indian.
Yaqui moved away into the shadows
as noiselessly as if he were one Of
them. The darkness swallowed him.
He had taken a direction parallel with
the trail. Gale wondered if Yaqui
meant to try to lead his string OF
horses by the rebel sentinels.
The Indian appeared as he had van
ished. He might have been part OF
the shadows. But he was there. He
started off down the trail leading
Diablo. Again the white line stretched
slowly out. Gale fell in behind. Peer
ing low with keen eyes, he made out
three Objects-a white sombrero,
blanket and Mexican lying face
down. The Yaqui had stolen upon this
sentinel like silent wind of death.
Once under the dark lee of the river
bank Yaqui caused another halt, and
he disappeared as before. Moments
passed. The horses held heads up,
looked toward the glimmering camp
fires and listened. Gale thrilled with
the meaning of it all-the night-the
silence-the Highland the wonderful
Indian stealing with the slow inev
itableness Of doom upon another SEN
tinel.
Suddenly the Indian stalked out OF
the gloom. He mounted Diablo and
headed across the river. Once more
the line of moving white shadows
stretched out. Gale peered sharply
along the trail, and, presumably, on
the pale sand under a cactus, there
lay blanketed form, prone, out
stretched, carbine clutched in one
hand, a cigarette, still burning, In the
other.
The cavalcade Of white horses
passed within five hundred yards of
campfires, around which dark forms
moved in plain sight. The lights dis
appeared from time to time, grew
DINNER, more Pickering, and at last
they vanished altogether. Belongs
fleet and tireless steeds were out In
front; the desert opened ahead wide,
dark, vast. Rojas anc his rebels were
behind, eating, drinking, careless. The
somber shadow lifted from Gales
heart. He held now an unquenchable
faith in the Yaqui. Bedding would be
listening back there along the river.
He would know Of the escape. He
would tell Nell, and then hide her
safely. As Gale had accepted
strange and fatalistic foreshadowing
Of toll, blood and agony In this desert
journey, so he believed in Mercedes
ultimate freedom and happiness, and
his own return to the girl who had
grown dearer than life.
A cold, gray dawn was fleeing be-
fore a rosy sun when Yaqui halted
the march at Papago we'll. The horses
were taken to water, then led down
the arroyo into the grass. Here packs
were slipped, saddles removed. Jim
Lash remarked how cleverly they had
fooled the rebels.
ashore they'll be comm along" re-
piled Ladd.
They built fire, cooked and ate.
The YaQul spoke only one word:
"Sleep." Blankets were spread. Mer-
cedes dropped into deep slumber,
her head on Thorne's shoulder. Ex-
citement kept Thorne awake. The
two rangers dozed beside the fire.
Gale shared the Yaqurs watch. At
the end of three hours. the rangers
grew active. Mercedes was -awak-
ened; and soon the party faced west
ward, their long shadows moving be-
fore them. YaQui led with Blanco
Diablo in long, easy lope. The
heated air lifted, and incoming cur
rents from the. west swept low: and