Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-08-24

Like an Indian Unconscious Of
Thought.
creased in frequence; slowly the light
shaded as smoky clouds rolled up; the
air grew sultrier, and the exasperating
breeze puffed q few times and then
failed.
An hour later the party had climbed
high and was rounding the side Of a
great bare ridge that long had hidden
the crags. The last burro Of the pack
train plodded over the ridge out of
Madeline's sight. She looked back
ward down the slope, amused to see
her guests change wearily from side to
side in their saddles. Far below lay
the cedar fiat and the foothills. Far
to the west the sky was still clear,
with shafts of sunlight shooting down
from behind the encroaching clouds.
Stewart reached the summit Of the
ridge and, though only few rods
ahsad, he waved 10 her. sweeping ~
hand round to what he saw beyond. It
was an impressive gesture, and Made
line, never having climbed as high a.
this, anticipated much.
Majesty surmounted the last few
steps and. snorting, halted beside
Stewards black. To Madeline the
scene was as If the world had changed.
The ridge was q mountain-top. 1t
dropped before her into black, stone
~ cby
gulf. Massed inky clouds were piling
across the peaks, obscuring the high
est ones. A fork Of white lightning
flashed, and, like the booming Of an
avalanche, thunder followed.
Madeline glanced at Stewart. He
had forgotten her presence. Immov-
able as stone, he sat his horse. dark
faced, dark-eyed, and, like an Indian
unconscious Of thought, he watched
and watched. To see him thus, to
divine the strange affinity between the
soul Of this man, become primitive,
and the savage environment that had
developed him, were powerful helps to
Madeline Hammond in her strange de-
sire to understand his nature.
A cracking Of iron-shod hoofs behind
her broke the spell. Monty had
reached the summit.
"Gene, what 1t won't all be dOin' in
q minnut Moses hisself couldn't tell"
observed Monty.
Then Dorothy climbed to his side
and looked
"Oh, isn't 1t just perfectly lovely"
she exclaimed. "But wish 1t wouldn't
storm. Well all get wet"
Once more Stewart faced the ascent,
keeping to the slow heave Of the ridge
as it rose southwark toward the loom
ing spires Of rock. Soon he was Off
smooth ground, and Madeline, some
rods behind him, looked back with
concern at her friends. Here the real
toll, the real climb began, and noun
tain storm was about to burst In all its
fury.
The sky grew blacker; the slow
gathering clouds appeared to be sud-
denly agitated; they piled and rolled
and mushroomed and obscured the
crags. The air moved heavily and
seemed to be laden with sulphurous
smoke, and sharp lightning flashes be-
gan to play. A distant roar of wind
could be heard between the peals of
thunder.
Stewart waited for Madeline under
the lee of a shelving cliff, where the
cowboys had halted the pack-train
Majesty was sensitive to the flashes of
lightning. Madeline patted his neck
and softly called to him. The weary
burros nodded; the Mexican women
covered their heads with their mantles.
Stewart united the slicker at the back
Of Madeline's saddle and helped her
on with it. Then he put on his own.
The other cowboys followed suit Pres
emily Madeline sew Monty and Dor
wv rounding the saa hoped the