The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-06-08
CHAPTER XVI
Mountain Sheep.

was shut In by the red-ribbed lava
walls and great dry wastes, a matter
calmly accepted as inevitable. So ne
Imagined 1t was accepted by the 9TH
ers. Not even Mercedes uttered a
regret No word was spoken Of home.
II there was thought Of loved ones,
It was locked deep In their minds.
BY tacit agreement Ladd again be-
came the leader Of the party. The
drst thing he asked was to have the
store Of food that remained spread
out upon II tarpaulin. Assuredly. 1t
was a slender enough supply. 1t was
impossible to read the gravity OF
tadd's face, for he still looked like
q dead man, but the slow shake of his
head told Gale much. There was
grain Of hope, however, in the slgnifi-
canoe with which he touched the bags
of salt and said, "Shore 1t was sense
packin' all that salt"
Then he turned to face his COM
rades.
That's little grub for six starvin'
people ccrrailed In the desert. But
the grub end amt worryin me. Yaqui
can get sheep up the slopes. Water J
That's the beginnln' an middle an
end Of our case"
"Laddy, / reckon the waterhole here
never goes dry" replied Jim.
"Ask the Indian"
Upon being questioned, Yaqui spoke
of the dreaded ano seco Of the Mexi-
cans. In dry year this waterhole
failed.
"Dlck, take rope an see how much
waters In the hole"
Gale could not find bottom with a
thirty-foot lasso. The water was as
cool, clear, sweet as II 1t had been
Rept in a shaded iron receptacle.
Ladd welcomed this information
with surprise and gladness. Lets
gee. Last year was shore pretty dry.
Mebbe this summer won't be. Mebbe
our wonderful good luckll hold. Ask
Yaqui II he thinks It'll rain"
Mercedes questioned the Indian.
"He says no man can tell surely.
But he thinks the rain will come" she
replied.
'Shore It'll rain, you can gamble
on that now" continued Ladd. "1f
there's only grass for the hosses! We
can't get out of here without hosses.
Dick, take the Indian an scout down
the arroyo. Today seen the hosses
were gettin' fat. Gettin' fat In this
DESERT But mebbe they've about
graxed up all the grass. Go an see,
Dick. An may you come back with
more good newsl"
Gale found that the arroyo widened
a. Il opened. Near the head, where
Il was narrow, patches of gray grass
erew everywhere Gale began to Won
der where the horses were. Finally
the trees and brush thinned out and
mile-wide gray plain stretched down
TO reddish sand dunes. Over to one
side were the white horses, and here
was grass enough for many; the ar
royo was indeed an oasis.
Ladd and the others were awaiting
Gales report, and they received 1t
with calmness, yet with a Joy no less
evident because II was restrained.
Gale, In his keen observation at the
moment, found that he and his COM
rAdes turned with glad eyes to the
woman Of the party.
.Senor Laddy, you think-you-be-
neye-we shall" she faltered, and
her voice failed.
mercedes, no white man can tell
what'll come to pass out here" SAID
LAdd. earnestly. 'Shore have hopes
now I never dreamed Of. was pretty
near a dead man. The Indian saved
me. Beldin' had It right. YaQuis
our godsend. Now, as to the future.
I'd like to know mebbe as well as
you II we're ever to get home. Only
bein' what I am, say, Quien sabel
But somethIn' tells me Yaqui knows.
Ask him, Mercedes. Make him tell.
He's silent Indian, but make him
tsll.~
Mercedes called to Yaqui. At her
Kidding there was always suggestion
Of hurry, which otherwise was never
manifest in his actions. She put a
hand on his barred muscular arm and
began to speak In Spanish. Her Voice
thrilled Gale, though he understood
DCaTCely WOru BIG Suiu. nc uiu hoe
need translation to know that here
spoke the longing Of woman for life,
love. home. the heritage Of woman's
heart.
"Sir rolled out the Indians reply,
full Of power and depth.
Mercedes drew long breath, and
her hard sought Thorne's.
HE says yes" she whispered. HE
answers he'll save us; he'll take us
m back--he knowsr
Tho Indian turned away to his
tasks, and the silence that held the
little group was finally broken by
kAdd.
"shore I said 30. Now all we've
rot to DO II nee sense. Friends, I'm
the commissary department of this
satft, an what l say goes. You all
won't eat except when I tell you.
Hebbe It'll not be 30 hard to keep our
health. Starved beggars don't get
sick. But there's the heat comm, an
W can all 90 loco. You know. To pass
the timei Lord, that's our problem.
Glow, II you all only had q hankerin'
49, - Chez