Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-08-16
CHAPTER xiv-continued.

horses.
Guess we're ready" he said. Ell
make the count" He went back aloni
the line. and on the return Madeline
heard him say several times. Now
everybody ride close TO the horse II
front. and keep quiet till daylight
Then the snorting and pounding Of the
big black horse In front Of her told
Madeline that Stewart had mounted.
"All right, we're off," he called.
Madeline lifted Majesty's bride and
let the roam go. The trail led In q
roundabout way through shallow gul.
lies full of stone and brush washed
down by floods. At every turn now
Madeline expected TO come upon wa
ter and the waiting pack-train. But
time passed, and miles OF climbing,
and no water or horses were met. Ex-
pectation In Madeline gave place to
desire; she was hungry.
Stewart kept on. II was eight o'clock
by Madeline's watch when, upon turn
ing into a wide hollow, she saw horses
grazing on spare grass. a great pile of
canyas-covered bundles, and a fire
round which cowboys and two Mexi-
can women were busy.
Madeline sat her horse and reviewed
her followers as they rode up single
file. Her guests were In merry mood,
and they all talked at once.
breakfast - and %rustle,' called
put Stewart, without ceremony.
For that matter. Madeline observed
Helen did not show any marked con
trast to the others. The hurry order
did not interfere with the meal being
somewhat la the nature of a picnic.
As soon as the pack-train was in
readiness Stewart started Ii off In the
lead to break trail. A heavy growth
OF shrub interspersed with rock and
cactus covered the slopes and now all
the trail appeared to be uphill. The
pack-tFain forged ahead. and the trail
Ing couples grew farther apart. At
noon they got out OF the foothills to
face the real ascent of the mountains.
Stewart waited for Madeline. and
as she came up he said "We're going
TO have a storm. Shall ! call q halt
and make camp7"
'Here7 oh mol What do you think
well, IL we have a good healthy
thunderstorm 1t wilt be something new
for your friends. ! think we'd be wise
to keep on the go. There's no place
to make a good camp. If 1t rains, let
IL rofn Tho pooi, outHf T. .,-aIl ao.-
cred. We will have 20 get wet"
surely" replied Madeline and she
at his difference. She knew
a storm was In that country, and
her guests had yet to experience one
-s,f ii rains. let 1t rain"
Stewart rode on, and Madeline fol-
The way led In n winding
curse through a matted, storm
yreEched forest OF stunted trees. Even
ID TO this elevation the desert reached
With Its gaunt hand. The clouds over
Inreadlng the sky, hiding the sun,
made a welcome change. The pack
rain rested, and Stewart and Made
Inc waited for the party to come up.
Iere be briefly explained to her that
Jon Carlos and his bandits had left
he ranch some time In the night. The
ir grew oppressive the horses painted.
Sure It'll be a hummer" said Stew
rt. "The first storm almost always Is
ad. / can feel 1t in the air"
The air, indeed, seemed to be
with a heavy force that was
TO be liberated.
One by one the couples mounted to
he cedar forest, and the feminine
ontingent declalmed el%oQuently for
est. But there was to be no perma-
ent rest until night and then that de-
ended upon reaching the crags. The
ack-train wagged onward. and Stew
It fell In behind. The storm-center |
slowly around the peaks
w rumble and BOWL of thunder In
-eased In frequence slowly the light
laded as smoky clouds rolled up; the
II grew sultrier, and the exasperating 9
pulled a few times and Their
lied. $
An hour later the party had climbed =
.gh and was rounding the side OF a ?
eat bare ridge that long had hidden {
crags. The last burro of the pack
ain plodded over the ridge out OF r
adeline's sight. She looked back O
ard down the slope. amused to see {
n guests change YEARLY from side to s
lie In their saddles. Far below lay n
e cedar fiat and the foothills. Far h
the west the sky was still clear, s
it'll shafts of sunlight shooting down II
ON behind the encroaching clouds. IL
Stewart reached the summit Of the
ige and, though only a few rods s.
lead, he waved TO her, sweeping his r.
md round 10 what he saw beyond. d L
an impressive gesture. and Made "
he. n having climbed as high as II
is. anticipated much. al
Majesty surmounted the last few a.
cps end, snorting, halted beside IN
black. To Madeline the IL
enc was as II the world had changed. o.
ne ridge was a mountain top. II q
opped before her into a black, stone Il
iged. shrub-patched, many-canyoned a.
II. Aassed inky clouds were pillng IL