The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-03-29


Gale Found That Method of Scalint
Wall Both Quick and Easy.
On the way up several times Gale
imagined he heard dull roar of fall.
Ing water. The sound seemed to be
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 whereythe 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 a mile. The village lay
beneath him, with its 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 Blan-
co Sol. Then his gaze swept ON to the
river.
Indeed, he realized now why some one
had named ii Forlorn river. Even at
this season when it was full of water
1t had a forlorn aspect. 1t was 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 its life only at this flood season.
and was already with parched tongue
and insatiate fire licking and burning
up its futile waters.
Yaqui put a hand on Gales knee.
1t was Il bronzed, Scared, powerful
hand. always eloquent of meaning.
The Indian was listening. His bent
head, his strange dilatlng eyes, his
rigid form, and that close pressing
hand, how these brought back to Gale
the terrible lonely night hours on the
laval
"What do You hear, Yaqui?H asked
Gale. He laughed a little at the mood
that had come over him. But the
III .lil I,n
spell He did not want to speak
again. He yielded to Yaqui's subtle
nameless influence. He listened him
self heard nothing but the scream OF
an eagle. Often he wondered If the
Indian could hear things that made no
sound Yaqui was beyond understand
ing
Whatever the Indian had listened
to or for, presently he satisfied him
self and, with a grunt that might
mean anything, he rose 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.
Suddenly he again heard the dun
roar of falling water 1t seemed to
have cleared itself of mufIled vibra
tions. Yaqui mounted a little ridge
and halted. The next instant Gale
stood above bottomless cleft into
which white stream leaped. His as
founded gaze swept backward along
this narrow swift stream TO its end in
10
huge spring, a bubbling well, the out
cropping of an underground river
coming down from the vast plateau
above.
Yaqui had brought Gale to the
source of Forlorn river.
Flashing thoughts in Gales mind
we're no swifter than the thrills that
ran over him. He would stake out
claim here and never be cheated out
Of 1t. bitches on the benches and
troughs on the steep walls would car
ry water down to the valley. Ben
Chase had built n great dam which
would be useless If Gale chose to turn
Forlorn river from its natural course
The fountain head of that mysterious
desert river belonged to him.
His eagerness. his mounting passion,
was checked by Yaqui's unusual ac-.
ton. The Indian showed wonder,
hesitation, even reluctance His
strange eyes surveyed this boiling well
as If they could not believe the sight
they saw. Gale OWNED instantly that
Yaqui had never before seen the
source of Forlorn river. If he had
ever ascended to this plateau, prob
ably 1t had been to some other part
for the water was new to him. He
stood gazing aloft AZ ssoa;s. ut lower