Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-02-23

| faQui headed south and Travelled
slowly, climbing to the brow of bold
height OF weathered. mesa. There he
sat his horse and waited. No one
| questioned him. The rangers dis
mounted to stretch their legs, and
Mercedes was lifted to rock. where
| she rested. ThOrne had gradually
| yielded TO the deserts Influence for
| silence. He spoke once or twice TO
| Gale and occasionally whispered to
Mercedes Gale fancied his friend
would soon learn that necessary
speech In desert travel meant few
! greetings, a few words to make real
| the fact of human companionship,
few short. terse terms for the bust
ness Of the day or night, and perhaps
stern order or soft call TO horse
The sun went down, and the golden
rosy wells turned to blue and shaded
darker till twilight was there in the
valley. Darkness approached, and the
clear peaks faded. The horses stamped
to be on the move.
"Malo!" exclaimed the Yaqui.
He did not point with arm, but mis-
falcon head was outstretched, and his
piercing eyes gazed at the blurring
spot which marked the location OF
Coyote tanks.
"Jim, can you see anythingT' asked
Ladd.
Nope, but I reckon he can"
Then Laid suddenly Strengthened
up, turned to his horse, and muttered
low under his breath.
Il reckon So" said Lash. and for
once his easy. good-natured tone was
not in evidence. His voice was
harsh.
Gales eyes, keen as they were, were
last OF the rangers to see tiny needle
points of light just family perceptible
in the bIackness.
"Laddyl Campfres?" he asked.
quickly.
Shores you're born. my boy"
How many?'
Ladd did not reply; but Yaqui held
up his hand. his fingers wide Five
campfires: A strong force Of rebels
was camping at Coyote tanks.
Yaqui sat his horse for a moment
motionless as stone. bis dark face i'm
mutable and impassive. Then he
stretched his right arm In the direc-
ton of No Name mountains. now los
ing their last faint traces Of the after
glow, and he shook his head He
made the same impressive gesture
toward the Sonoyta oasis with the
same somber negation-
Thereupon he turned Diablo's head
to the south and started down the
slope. His manner had been decisive
even stern. Lash did not question II.
nor did Ladd. Both rangers hesitated.
however, and showed strange almost
a sullen reluctance which Gale had
never seen in them before. Raiders
we're one thing, Rojas was another:
that vast and desolnte and unwatered
waste of cactus and lava. the Sonora
desert, might appall the stoutesr
heart. Gale felt his own sink-felt
himself finch.
'|Oh, where is he golng7 cried Mer
cedes. Her poignant voice seemed
to breaE spell.
ashore. lady. Yaqui's goin' home"
replied Laid gently. San considerin
our troubles. reckon we ought to
thank God he knows the way"
They mounted and rode down the
- - l.
Not until night travel was obstruct-
ed by a wall OF cactus did the Indian |
halt to make a dry camp. Water and |
grass for the horses and fire To cook |
by were not IN be had. Mercedes bore |
up surprisingly; but she fell asleep |
almost the instant her thirst had been |
nliayed. Thorne laid her upon blan-
kef and covered her. The men ate
and drank Gale lay down weary Of
limb and eye. He heard the soft /
hump OF hoofs. the sough of wind In /
he cactus--then no more.
Day dawned with the fugitiyes in
he saddle. A picketed wall Of cac-
ms hedged them In. yet the Yaqul
made a fortu0us path. that. zigzag as
Z might. In the main always headed
'oufh.
The Yaqui. II not az faplt was YET
Uncertain. HIS falcon eyes searched
nd r0yed. and became fixed az length
4 the southwest. and toward this hs
urned BIS horse The grfaf, nufed
aeuares. fffy. STAT. feet high, raised
forms. and fhelr hr0nfhing
lmhs and curyinF lines added q graoe
0 the desert. u Was che low'hushed
aefus fhaf Asde ihe ioll and paln ~
Iass fei these fhopy forms HeTs
eaullfA
"a ans beslns between fhf Fagfs A.
lshi snd lof along ihf door ~ l0N
lalps fhs plFafe el|slfped Naleged
adea vanished |ahes and iTelf eHa
'nude lnlfuei mnlnla|nf nNnf
4ssfaaea |n il} N'pf AZ ANd is'ni
4lf9 VI NhllfNHI|fA l|llf
Al noop la9Q Nalll llf sla'flff
n hsi selflifi y 5000 N l|sNNa' 4f
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