The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-01-25


the broken trail Yaqui was leading
Diablo, winding around break. His
head was bent as he stepped slowly
and unevenly upon the lava. Gale
turned to look back, the first time In
several days. He thought. Of course,
Of Rojas In certain pursuit; but 1t
seemed absurd to look for him.
Yaqui led on, and Gale often glanced
! up from his task to watch the Indian.
| Presently he saw him stop, turn, and
look back. Ladd did likewise, and
then Jim and Thorne. Gale found the
| desire Irresistible. Thereafter he
often rested Blanco Sol, and looked
back the while He had his field
glass. but did not choose to use it.
"Rojas will follow" said Mercedes.
Gale regarded her in amaze The
tone Of her voice had been indefinable
If there were fear then he failed to
detect it. She was gazing back dawn
the colored SLOPE and something ahout
her. perhaps the steady fnlnon gaze
of her magnificent eyes, reminded him
Of Yaqui.
Many times during the ensuing hour
the Indian faced about. and always
his followers did likewise 1t was high
noon, with the sun beating hot and
the lava radiating heat, when Yaqui
halted for rest. The horses punched
and dropped their heads. The rangers
were about to slip the packs and re-
move saddles when Yaqui restrained
them.
He fixed changeless, cleaning gaze
| nm tha Cva hxxk -
to look afar.
Suddenly he uttered his strange
cry-the one Gale considered involun-
tary, or else significant of some tribal
trait or feeling. Yaqui pointed down
the lava slope. pointing with finger
and arm and neck and head-his
whole being seemed to have been AMI
mated and then frozen.
"Shore he sees somethin'," said
Ladd. "But my eyes are no good"
II reckon amt sure of mine," re-
piled Jim. I'm bothered by a dim
movin' streak down there"
Thorne gazed eagerly down as he
stood beside Mercedes, who sat mo
tionless facing the slope. Gale looked
and looked till he hurt his eyes. Then
he took his glass out Of its case on
SoPs saddle.
There appeared to be nothing upon
the lava but the innumerable dots of
choya shining in the sun. Gale swept
his glass slowly forward and back.
Then into a nearer field Of vision crept
long white-and-black line of horses
and men. Without a word he handed
the glass to Ladd. The ranger used
1t. muttering to himself.
"They're on the lava fifteen miles
down in an air line" he said, present
ly. "Jim, shore they're twice that an
more accordin' to the trail''
Jim had his look and replied: "I
reckon we're day an night in the
lead"
as 1t Rojas?" burst out Thorne
with set jaw.
Eyes. Thorne. It's Rojas and
dozen or. more" replied Gale, and he
looked up at Mercedes.
She was Transformed. She might
have been a medieval princess en-
bodying all the Spanish power and
passion of that time, breathing re-
venge, hate, unquenchable spirit of
fire. If her beauty had been wonder
full in her helpless and appealing mo-
ments. now, when she looked back
white-faced and flame-eyed, 1t was
transcendent.
Gale drew long, deep breath. The
mood which had presaged pursuit,
strife, blood on this somber desert,
returned to him tenfold He saw
Thorne's face corded by black veins,
and his teeth exposed like those of a
snarling wolf These rangers, who
had coolly risked death many times,
and had dealt 1t often. were white as
no fear or pain could have made them.
Then. on the moment. Yaqui raised his
hand. not clenched or doubled tight.
hut curled rigid like an eagles claw;
and lie shook 1t in a strange, slow ges-
ture which was menacing and terrible
II was the woman that called to the
depths of these men. And their pas
sion 10 kin and to save was surpassed
only by the wild hate which was yet
love, the unfathomable emotion of
peon slave. Gale marveled Mt 1t.
while he felt his whole being cold and
tense. as he turned once more to fol
low In the tracks of his lenders The
fight predicted by Belding was at hnnd.
What n fight that must bel Roias
was travelling light and fast. He was
ginning. He had bought his men with
gold, with extravagant promises, per
haps with offers of the body and blood
of an aristocrat hateful to their kind.
Lastly, there was the wild. desolate
environment, tortured wilderness of
jagged lava and poisoned choya, a
lonely, fierce and repellent world,
red stage most somberly and fittingly
coloreds for supreme struggle be-
tween men.
Yaqui looked back no more. Mer-
cedes looked back no more. But the