Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-02-09

tightly round his left leg Just above
the knee. The leg hung limp, and the
foot dragged.
81 reckon ! amt injured much" re-
piled Jim. Put my leg hurts like
HI, if you want to know"
daddy! oh. where's Laddy?"
Hes Just across the crack there.
I was trying to get to hira. We had
it hot an heavy down here. Laddv
was pretty bad shot up before he tried
to head Roias off the trail.
Dick. did You see the Yaqui go after
Roias?"
did II" exclaimed Gale, grimlv.
"The finish was all that saved me
from runnin' loco. I reckon Il
chances are against fndin' Laddv
alive. I tell you boys, Roias
was h-l-bent. An Mercedes was
game. saw her shoot him. But
mebbe bullets couldn't stop him then.
If l didn't sweat blood when Mercedes
was fghtin' him on the cliff! Then
the fnishl Only a Yaqui could have
done that. ThOrne, how about
your Dick, is he bad hurt?"
mo, he's not. A hard knock on the
skull and a scalp wound" replied
Dick. Here. Jim let me help you
over this place"
Step by step Gale got the two in
jured men down the uneven declivity
and then across the narrow lava bridge
over the fissure. Here he babe them
rest while he went along the trail on
that side to search for lady. Gale
found the ranger stretched out, face
downward. a Redeemed hand clutching
a gun. Gale thought he was dead.
Upon examination. however, it was
found that Laid still lived, though he
had many wounds. Gale lifted him
and carried him back to the others.
"He's alive, but that's ALL" said
Dick. as he laid the ranger down. "Do
what you can. Stop the blood. Lad
dy's tough as cactus, you know. I'll
hurry back for Mercedes and Yaqui."
Gale. like. q fleet. sure-footed noun
tain sheep, ran along the trail. He
came upon Mercedes and the Yaqui.
She ran right into Dicks arms, and
then her strength, if not her courage,
broke, and she grew lax.
Mercedes, you're safe! Thorne's
safe. It's all right now"
"Ro1as!' she whispered.
"Gonei To the bottom Of the
craterl A Yaqui's vengeance, Mer-
cedes."
He heard the girl whisper the name
of the Virgin. Then he gathered her
up in his arms.
Come, Yaqui."
The Indian grunted. He had n
hand pressed close over a bloody place
In his shoulder. Gale looked keenly
at him. Yaqui was ~inscrutable, as Of
old, yet Gale somehow knew that
wound meant little to him. The In
dian followed him.
Gale carried Mercedes up to the
rim and along to the others. Jim Lash
worked awkwardly over Ladd. Thorne
was trying to assist. Ladd. himself,
was conscious, but be was a pallid,
apparently a death-stricken man.
The greeting between Mercedes and
Thorne was calm-strangely so, it
seemed to Gale. But he was now
calm himself. Ladd smiled at him,
and evidently woulG have spoken had
he the power. Yaqui then Joined the
group, and his piercing eyes roved
from one to the other, lingering long
est over Ladd.
"Dick, I'm figger'n' hard" said Jim,
family. "In a minute it'll be up to
YOU an Mercedes. I've about shot my
bolt. Reckon you'll do-best by
bringin' up INTERCHANGEABLE
6rewood. L.addy's got-one chance
in a hundred. Fix him up-first. Use
hot salt water. If my legs broken
set it best you can. That hole ir
Yaaui--onIy'll bother him a day
Thorne's bad hurt. Now rustic
Dick. old-boy."
Lash's voice died away in a HUSKY
whisper. and he quietly lay back
stretching out all but the crippled leg
Gale examined it, assured himself tb'
bones had not been broken, and thel
rose ready to go down the trail.
mercedes, hold Thorne's head VI
in your lap-so. Now I'll 60"
On the moment Yaqui appeared Il
have completed the binding of hi
wounded shoulder. and he started Il
follow Gale. The descent to tine al
% was swift and easy. Gale hastll,
} put together the things he needed
t and, packing them all in a tarpauiln
he turned to retrace his steps up thu
! trail.
! Darkness was setting in. The trai
vas narrow, exceedingly steep, arc Il
? some places fronted on precipices
| Gales burden was not very heavy, bu
( It's bull made it unwieldy, and it wa'
; always overbalancing him or knocking
against the wall side of the trail. A
! last they reached a level. n wer'
} soon on the spot With Mercedes ant
the injured men.