The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-12-18

Here the ascent became toll. Gale
could distance Yaqui going downhill;
on the climb, however, he was hard
put to it to keep the Indian in sight.
1t was not a ques ton Of strength or.
lightness of foot. These Gale had be-
yond the share of most men. 1t was
matter of lung power, and the va
qui's life had been spent scaling the
desert heights. Moreover, the climbing
was infinitely slow, tedious, dangerous.
On, the way up several times Gals
imagined he heard a dull roar. Of fall
ing water. The, sound seemed to he
under him, over him. to. this side and
to that. When he was certain he could
locate the direction from which it came
then he heard it no more until he had
gone on. : Gradually he forgot It in the
physical sensations of the climb. He
burned his hands and knees. He grew
hot and wet and winded. His heart
thumped so that it hurt, and there
were instants when his sight was
blurred. When at last he had toiled
to where the Yaqui sat awaiting him
upon the rim of that great wall, it was
none too soon.
Gale lay back and rested for while
without note of anything except the
blue sky. Then he sat up. He was
amazed to find that after that wonder
full climb he was only thousand feet
or so above the valley. Judged by the
nature Of his effort, he would have said
he had climbed mile. The village lay
beneath him, with it's new adobe struc-
lures and tents and buildings in bright
contrast with the older habitations. He
saw the green alfalfa fields, and Beld.
ing's white horses, looking very small
and motionless. He pleased himself
by imagining he could pick out Blans
co Sol. Then his gaze swept on to the
river.
Indeed, he realized now why some one
had named it Forlorn river. Even at
this season when it was full of water
1T had a forlorn aspect. twas doomed
never to mingle with the waters Of the
Gulf. 1t wound away down the valley,
growing wider and shallower, en-
croaching more and more on the gray
flats, until it disappeared on its sad
Journey toward Sonoyta. That vast
shimmering, sun-governed waste recog-
nized it's life only at this flood season,
and was already with parched tongue
and insatiate fire licking and burning
up its futile waters. ,
Yauui put a hand on Gales knee.
It was a bronzed. SCARED, powerful
hand, always eloquent of meaning.
The,sIndian was listening. His bent
head his strange dilating eyes, his
rigid form, and ~ that aclose-pressing
hand how these brought back to Gale
the terrible lonely night hours ION the
lava!
"What do you hear, Yaqyi?"', asked
Gale He laughed a little atthe mood
that had come oyer, him. u .lRut the
sound Of his voice did not break ting
spell. He did not want to" speaA
again. He yielded to Yaqui,s2 subtle
nameless influence He listened him.
self, heard nothing but the scream Of
nm eagle. Often he wondered If the
Indian could hear things that made no
sound. Yaqui was beyond understand
ing. t.
| Whatever the Indian had listened
to or for, presently he satisfied him.
|. self, and, with a grunt that might
mean anything, he ross and turned
away from the rim. Gale followed,
rested now and eager to go on. He
saw that the great cliff they had
climbed was only a stairway up to
the huge looming dark bulk of the
plateau above 4 .T&aE iiJe !
:. CONTINUED IN Next lssus) J