The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-05-04
CHAPTER xI
Across Cactus and Lava.

At the far corner of the field Yaqui
halted, and slowly the line Of white
horses merged into 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 II he were one of
them. The darkness swallowed him.
He had taken a direction parallel with
the trail. Gale wondered II Yaqul
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, a
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 1t 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 cactUn, there
lay a blanketed form, prone, out
stretched, a 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 darf forms
moved In plain sight. The ligats dis
appeared from time to time grew
DINNER, more fickering, and at last
they vanished altogether. Belongs
fleet and tireless steeds were out In
front; the desert opened aheae wide,
dark, vast. Rojas and his rebels were
behind, eating, drinking, careless. The
somber shadow lifted from Gales
heart. He held now an unquenthable
| faith In the Yaqui. Bedding would be
listening back there along the river.
He would know Of the escape. BE
| would tell Nell, and then hide her
| safely. AS Gale had accepted q
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 well. 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.
"shore they'll be comm along" re-
piled Ladd.
They built q fire. cooked and ate
The Yaqui spoke only one word
"Sleep." Blankets were spread. Mer.
cedes dropped into a deep slumber
her head on Thorne's shoulder. Ex
element kept Thorne awake. The
two rangers dozed beside the FIRE
Gale shared the Yaqui's watch. Al
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 Blance
| Diabio In a long, easy lope The
heated air lifted, and incoming cur
rents from the west swept low ant
hard over the barren earth. In the
distance, all around the horizon, accu
mutations of dust seemed like ranging
nushrooming yellow clouds
Yaqul was the only one Of the >fu
gitives who never looked back. Gale
had a conviction that when Yaqu
gazed back toward the well and the
shining plain beyond. there would b.
reason for II. But when the sun los,
It's heat and the wind died down Yaqu
took long and careful surveys west
ward from the high points on the
tran. Sunset was not far on. and
there In q bare, spotted valley LAY
Coyote tanks, the only waterhole be
fua~n panas - wAlI and fho aonovtr