Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-01-26


his horse. Blanco Sol heard him com
| ing and whistled welcome. and when
| Gale ran up the horse was snorting
war Mounting, Gale rode rapidly back
| to the scene of the action, and his
| first thought, when he arrived at the
well, was to give Sol q drink and to
| fill his canteens.
Then Gale led his horse up out of
the waterhole, and decided before re-
mounting to have look at the In
dams. The Papago had been shot
through the heart. but the Yaqui was
still alive. Moreover. he was conscious
and staring up at Gale with great.
strange, somber eyes, black as yolcan-
ic Stag.
"Gringo good-no KILL" he said. In
husky whisper.
His speech was not affirmative so
much as questioning.
"Yaqui, you're done for" said Gale.
and his words were positive. He was
simply speaking aloud his mind.
"Yaqui-no hurt = much" replied
the Indian, and then he spoke
strange word-repeated it again and
again.
An instinct of Gales, or perhaps
some suggestion in the husky, thick
whisper or dark face, told Gale to
reach for his canteen- He lifted the
Indian and gave him q drink, and If
ever in all his life he saw gratitude
in human eyes he saw 1t then. Then
he examined the injured Yaqui. The
indian had three wounds-a bullet
hole in his shoulder, a crushed arm,
and badly lacerated leg.
The ranger thought rapidly. This
Yaqui would live unless left there to
die or be murdered by the Mexicans
when they found courage TO sneak
hack to the well. 1t never occurred to
Gale to abandon the poor fellow. All
the same. he knew he multiplied his
perils a hundredfold by burdening
himself with a crippled Indian. Swift
y he set TO work, and with rifle ever
under his hand. and shifting glance
spared from his task. he bound up the
Yaquis wounds. At the same time he
kept keen watch.
The Indians burros and the horses
of the raiders were all out of sight
Time was too valuable for Gale to use
any In what might be vain search
Therefore, he lifted the Yaqui upon
SoI's broad shoulders and climbed
into the saddle. At word Sol
dropped his head and started east
ward up the trail. walking swiftly.
without resentment for his double bur-
den.
Gale, bearing in mind the ever-pres
ent possibility of encOuntering more
the strength of the horse. Once out
of sight of Papago well. Gale dis
mounted and walked beside the horse
steadying with one firm hand the help
less. dangling Yaqui.
Gale kept pace with his horse. He
bore the twinge of pain that darted |
through his injured hip at every stride |
In the heat of midday he halted in the |
shade of rock. and. lifting the Yaqui i
down. gave him drink. Then. after
a long. sweeping survey of the sur
rounding desert, he removed SOl's sad |
die and let him roll. and took for him
self welcome rest and bite to eat.
The Yaqui was tenacious of life.
He was still holding his own. For the
first time Gale really looked at the
Indian to study him. He had large
head nobly cast. and q face that re-
sembled a shrunken mask. 1t seemed
In the dark eyed. volcanic
lava OF his Sonora wilderness. The
Indians eyes were always black and
mystic. but this Yaqui's encompassed
all the tragic desolation of the desert.
I aey were fixed on Gale. moved only
W. N he moved.
Gale resumed his homeward jour
ney. He held grimly by the side of
the tireless, implacable horse, hold
ing the Yaqui on the saddle. taking
he brunt OF the merciless thorns In
he end il became heartrendins toll
HIS heavy chaps dragged him down;
tut he dared not go on without them
Tor. thick and stiff as they were. the
errlble. steel-bayoneted spikes Of the
.hoyas pierced through to sting his
Eggs.
To the last mile Gale held 10 BlancO !
s0fs gait and kept eyer-watchful gaze
head on the trail. Then. With the
Ow, fat houses OF FOrl0rn River shin
ne red IN the sunset Gale Ragged and
aDidly weakened. The iaqui slipped
,ut Of the saddle and dropped limp Ia
he sand. Gale could DOi mount BIS
I0rse. lie clutohed SOILS long tail and Z
visited his har1 10 IL and stag
erred On.
Blanoo Sol Hblstled Q piercing blast
ie scented cool Water aud sweet al' ,
alta bay TVinkllng lights ahead q
lennf rest qhe melancholy desert
wight rapidly succeeded lhe sunset {
aeceniuated me f0rl0ru LONELINESS ,
Z ihe gray, Winding rlger ~ sand and +
s Wnyef shores hlglf shadow u
.ooped down from enc blscb ane T
mining uuuulNIna