Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-03-02
CHAPTER XII



Presently Gale. upon turning sharp
corner. was utterly amazed to see that
the split in the lava sloped out and
widened into an arroyo. 1t was so
| green and soft and beautiful In all
the angry. contorted red surrounding
| that Gale could scarcely credit his
sight. Blanco Sol whistled his wei
come TO the scent of water. Then
Gale saw a great hole. pit In the
shiny lava, dark, cool. shady well.
There was evidence of the fact that
Mt flood seasons water had an outlet
into the arroyo. The soil appeared to
he fine sand In which a reddish
tinge predominated; and 1t was abund-
nntly covered with long grass. still
partly green. Mosquitoes and palo
verdes dotted the arroyo and gradu-
ally closed in thickets that INSTRUCTED
the view.
"Shore 1t oil beats me-" exclaimed
Laid. "What place to hole-up In /,
We could have hid here for a long
time. Beldin' was shore right abont
the Indian. An I can see Rojas'
finish somewhere up along that awful
hell-hole."
Camp was made on a level spot
Yauul took the horses TO water. and
then turned them loose In the arroyo
1t was a tired and somber group thar
sat down TO eat. Mercedes was calm
but her great dark eyes burned in her
white face. YaquI watched her. The
others looked Mt her with unspoken
pride. Presently Thorne wrapped her
In his blankets. and she seemed to fall
asleep at once.
Little Of Yaqui's purpose or plan
could be ELECTED from him. The
rangers and Thorne. however. talked
In low tones. 1t was absolutely I'M
possible for Rolas and his men to
reach the warerhole before noon OF
the next day. And long before thar
time the fugitives would have decided
on a plan of defense.
"What stuns me Is that Rojas stuck
to our TRAIL" said Thorne. his lined
and haggard face expressive Of dark
passion. HE has followed us Into
this fearful desert. He'll lose men.
horses. perhaps his life. He's only
bandit, and he stands to win no gold.
All for q poor little helpless woman
just a woman / can't understand II"
"Shore-just woman" replied
Laid. solemnly nodding his head.
Then there was long silence. dur
ing which the men gazed into the fire.
Those were cold. hard. grim faces
upon which the light filckered-
Sleep" said Yaqul.
Thorne rolled In his blanket close
beside Mercedes. Then one by one
the rangers stretched ont. feet to the
fire. Gale found that he could not
sleep. His eyes were weary. bur they
would not stay shut; his body ached
for rest. yet he could not lie still.
The Yaqui sat like an Image carved
out Of laws. The Others lay prone and
quiet. Would another night see any
OF them lie that way quiet f0reyerf
Gale sat up after . while and again
watched fhs IRE hell's sweet face
noated like q srsitb 10 fhs pale
smoke glowso sna flushed and
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