, 1923-01-31

1auul uedueu SOuln anu tTiNeieu
slowly, climbing to the brow of a bold
height of woathered mesa. There he
sat his horse and waited. No one
questioned him. The rangers dis
/ .ounted to stretch their legs, and
Mercedes was lifted to a 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 a few
greetings, a few words to make real
the fact of human companionship, n
few short, terse terms for the bust
ness of the day or night, and perhaps
a stern order or a soft call to a horse.
The u 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.
l. "Malol" exclaimed the Yaqui. D.,
He did not point with arm, but his
falcon head was outstretched. and his
piercing eyes gazed at the blurring
spot which marked the location of
Coyote tanks.
Jim, can you see a~nything?' asked
Laid.
Nope, but l reckon he can
Then Ladd suddenly Strengthened
up, turned to his horse, and muttered
low under his breath.
81 reckon So" said Lash. and for
once his easy, good-natured o 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 blackness.
"Laddyi 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
campfiresl A strong force of rebels
or raiders or some other desert troop
was camping at Coyote tanks.
Yaqui sat his horse for a moment
hlotioiitSS as SUM. HIS ulIh ldtt ilu-
mutable and impassive. Then he
stretched his right arm in the direc-
tion 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.
T~herespon he turned Diablo's head
to the south and started down the
even stern. Lash did not question II.
o did Ladd. Both rangers hesltated.
however, and showed a strange, almost
a sullen reluctance which Gale had
never seen in them before. Raiders
were one thing. Rojas was another:
Canine del Diablo still another: but
that vast and desolate and unwatered
waste of cactus and lava. the Sonora
desert, might appall the stoutest
heart. Gale felt his own sink-felt
himself finch.
"Oh, where is he going?' cried Mer.
cedes. Her poignant voice seemed
TO brea,; n spell.
ashore. lady. Yaqul's goln' home"
replied Ladd gently. "An' conslderin'
our troubles. I reckon we ought to
thank God he knows the way"
They mounted and rode down the
slope toward the darkening south.
No until night travel was obstruct-
ed by a wall of cactus did the Indian
grass for the horses and fire to cook
by were not to be had. Mercedes bore
up surprisingly; but she fell asleep
almost the instant her thirst had been
allayed. Thorne laid her upon n bIan.
ket and covered her. The men nte
and drank. Gale lay down weary of
limb and eye. He heard the soft
thump of hoofs. the sough of wind In
the cactus-then no more.
Day dnwned with the fugitlves In
the saddle. A picketed wall of cac.
tus hedged them in. yet the Yaqui
made n tortuous path. that. zigzag as
II might, In the main always headed
south.
The Yaqui, II not Mt fault, was vet
uncertain. His falcon eyes searched
and roved, and became fixed nj length
at the southwest. and toward this he
turned his horse. The great. nuted
saguaros, fifty, slxt. feet high. raised
columnal forms, and their branching
limbs and curving lines added n grace
to the desert. II was the i~ow-bushed
cactus that made the toll and pain OF
travel. Yet these thorny forms were
beautiful.
In the basins between the ridges. TO
right and left along the floor of low
plains he mirage glistened. wnvered.
faded, vnnlshed-lakes and trees and
clouds. Inverted mountains hung
suspended In the lilac air and faint
tracery OF wbite-wailed cities.
At noon Yaqul halted the cavnlcnde.
He had selected n field Of blsnagi enc.
tus for the place OF rest preso,,,y