Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-06-23
SYNOPSIS

rem. father of a girl whom Cameron
wronged, but later married, back in Illi-
nois. Camerons explanations appease
Warren, and the two proceed together.
Taking refuge from sandstone in a
cave Cameron discovers gold, but too
late; both men are dying. Cameron leaves
evidence, In the cave, of their discovery
of gold, and personal documents.
CHAPTER I.-Richard Gale, adven-
turer, in Casita, Mexican border town,
meets George Thorps. lieutenant In the
Ninth cavalry, old college friend. Thorne
tells Gale he is there to save Mercedes
Castaneda, Spanish girl, his affianced
wife. from Rojas. Mexican bandit.
CHAPTER II.-Gale 'roughhouses"
RoJas and his gang, with the help Of
two American cowboys, and he. Mercedes
and Thorne escape. A bugle call from
the fort orders Thorne to his regiment.
He leaves Mercedes under Gales pro-
lection.
CHAPTER III.-The pair, aided by the
cowboys who had assisted Gale in the
escape, Charlie Ladd and Jim Lash, ar
rive in safety at ranch known as For
lorn River. well across the border.
CHAPTER Iv.-The fugitives are at
Tom Belongs home Bedding is imni-
grafton inspector. Living with him are
his wife and stepdaughter, Nell Burton.
Gale, with Ladd and Lash, take service
with Beldlng as rangers. Gale telling
Bedding the cause of his being a wanderer,
a misunderstanding with his father con-
corning the sons business abilities
CHAPTER v.-Mercedes gets word to
Thorne of her safety. Dick also writes
to his parents Informing them Of his
whereabouts. Nell's personality, and her
kindness, attract Gale.
CHAPTER vL-Riding the range Gale
falls in with a party OF three Mexican
raiders encamped st a water hole.
Watching his opportunity to Gust them
he sees two Indians ride into the camp
One of them, a Yaqui, is evidently badly
wounded. and the Mexicans seek to kifl
him In a cruel way Dick drives them
off, conveying the wounded Yaqui to
Belongs ranch.
CHAPTER vII.LThe Indian Is taker
In, cared for and remains in Belongs
services. becoming Dicks ardent admirer;
Gales admiration for Nell increases, and |
he believes she is not averse to his atten- |
lions. Belongs horses. thoroughbreds, |
the pride Of his life, after his wife and |
stepdaughter, are run on by Mexicans-
CHAPTER VIII-GaIe, with Laid, Lash |
and the Yaqui, pursue the raiding party |
Five of the six thieves are killed and the |
party of whites, with the recovered |
horses, return to the ranch in triumph.
CHAPTER IX.-Gale secures from Mrs. |
Bedding what he feels is reluctant per-
mission to allow him to seek Nell for a |
wife. He begins his courtship with energy, |
confident that he can win her.
CHAPTER x.-Nct getting word from
Thorne whose period of army service has |
expired Mercedes loses heart. Nell, al |
though forbidden, rides to Casita to seek |
information of him. She finds he is /
prisoner of Rojas. and is instrumental In /
effecting his escape, bringing him TO Mer.
cedeb at Belongs ranch. Thorne and |
Mercedes are married. Rotas. with a /
large force of raiders, appears at Bel
ding's and demands Mercedes be sur
rendered to him. Fearing their ability |
to stand off the bandits, It is arranged
that the three rangers, with the Yaqui /
as guide. and Thorne, convey Mercedes
across the desert to Yuma, where she Will /
be in safety. The party sets out.
Thereup0n lie turned Diablo's head
to the south and started down the
slope. His manner had been decisive,
even stern. Lash did not question 1t,
nor did Laid. Both rangers hesitated,
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.
ooh, where is he going?" cried Mer-
cedes. Her poignant voice seemed
to break a spell.
ashore, lady, Yaqui's goin' home"
replied Ladd gently. "An' considerin'
our troubles, 1 reckon we ought to
thank God he knows the way"
They mounted and rode down the
slope toward the darkening south.
Not until night travel was obstruct-
ed by 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 to be had. Mercedes bore
up surprisingly; but she fell asleep
almost the instant her thirst had been
allayed. Thorne laid her upon a blan-
ket and covered her. The men ate
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 dawned with the fugitives In
the saddle. A picketed wall of cac-
tus hedged them in, yet the Yaqui
made a tortuous path, that, zlgzag as
1t might, in the main always headed
south.
The Yaqui. If not at fault, was yet
uncertain. His falcon eyes searched
and roved, and became fixed at length
at the southwest, and toward this he
turned his horse. The great, fluted
saguaros. fifty, sixty feet high, raised
columnaI forms, and their branching
limbs and curving lines added grace
10 the desert It was the low-bushed
cactus that made the toll and pain of
travel. Yet these thorny forms were
beautiful
In the basins between the ridges, to
light and left along the floor of low
plains the mirage glIstened, wayered