Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1922-01-04
CHAPTER Vl.-Contlnued.

Then Gale returned to his little fire,
replenished 1t with short sticks of
dead crossword and mesquite, and,
wrapping his blanket round his Shout
ders, he sat down to warm himself
and to wait till 1t was time to bring
In the horse and tie him up.
The fire was inadequate, and Gale
was cold and wet with dew. Hunger
and thirst were with him. His bones
ached. and there was dull, deep
seated pain throbbing In his unhealed
wound.
Judged by the great average of
ideals and conventional standards of
life, Dick Gale was a starved, lonely,
suffering, miserable wretch. But In
his case the judgment would have hit
only externals, would have missed the
vital inner truth. For Gale was happy
with a kind of strange, wild glory in
the privations, the pains, the perils,
and the silence and solitude to be en-
dured on this desert land.
He had a duty to man who relied
on his services. He was cOmrade,
friend, a valuable ally to riding, fight
ing rangers. Gales happiness, as far
as It concerned the toll and strife,
was perhaps a grim and stoical one.
But love abided with him, and 1t had
engendered and fostered other unde-
veloped traits-romance and feeling
for beauty, and keen observation OF
nature. He felt pain but he was
never miserable. He felt the solitude.
but he was never lonely.
AS he rode across the desert, even
though keen eyes searched for the
moving black dots, the rising puffs OF
white dust that were warnings, he
saw Nell's face in every cloud. The
clean-cut mesas took on the shape of
her straight profile, with its strong
chin and lips, its fine nose and fore
head. There was always a CLINT OF
gold or touch of red or graceful line
or CLEAN Of blue to remind him of
her. Then at night her face shone
warm and glowing, flushing and pal
ing, in the campfire.
BY and by Gale remembered what
he was waiting for; and, getting up.
he took the halter and went out to
find Blanco Sol 1t was pitch-dark
now, and Gale could not see a rod
ahead. He felt his way, and present
" as he rounded mesquite he saw
Sols white shape outlined against the
blackness. Gale battered him In the
llkeliest patch Of grass and returned
TO his camp. There he lifted his sad
die into protected spot under low
wall Of the mound. and, laying one
blanket on the sand, he covered him
self with the other and stretched him
self for the night.
Daylight came quickly. The morn
ing was clear and nipping cold. He
threw on the wet blanket and got up
cramped and half frozen. A little
brisk action was all that was neces-
sary to warm his blood and loosen his
muscles, and then he was fresh,
tlngling. eager. The sun rose In
golden blaze, and the descending val
lev took on wondrous changing hues.
Then he fetched up Blanco Sol, sad
died him, and tied him to the thickest
clamp Of mesquite.
"sol. wen have drink pretty
soon." he said, patting the splendid
neck.
Gale meant II. he would not eat till
he had watered his horse. No three
raiders conld keep Gale away frsn
thar wen. Taking his rifle IN hand. he
faced az the arroyo From the lay Of
the land and position o. trees seen By
daylight. he found an easier and safer
conrre than the one he had taken %
ihe dark And by careful work re