The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-02-01

to our trail" said Thorne, his lined
and haggard face expressive of dark
passion. He has followed us into
this fearful desert. He'll lose men.
horses. perhaps his life. He's only
bandit, and he stands to win no gold.
All for poor little helpless woman
Just woman! can't understand it,
"Shore-just a woman" replied
Ladd, solemnly nodding his head.
Then there was long silence, dur.
Ing which the men gazed into the fire.
Those were cold, hard. grim faces
upon which the light fiickered.
Sleep" said Yaqui.
Thorne rolled in his blanket close
beside Mercedes. Then one by one
the rangers stretched out, feet to the
fire. Gale found that he could not
sleep. His eyes were weary. but they
would not stay shut; his body ached
for rest, yet he could not lie still.
The Yaqui sat like an image carved
out Of lava. The others lay prone and
quiet. Would another night see any
Of them lie that way, quiet forever7
Gale sat up after while and again
watched the fire. Nell's sweet face
foated like a wrath in the pale
smoke = glowed and flushed and
smiled in the embers. Other faces
shone there-his sister's-that of his
mother. Gale shook off the tender
memories. This desolate wilderness
with its forbidding silence and its
dark promise Of hell on the morrow
this was not the place to unnerve one
self with thoughts of love and home.
Toward dawn Gale managed to get
some sleep. Then the morning broke
with the sun hidden back of the uplift
Of the plateau. The horses trooped
up the arroyo and snorted for water.
After a hurried breakfast the packs
were hidden in holes In the lava. The
saddles were left where they were,
and the horses allowed to Craze and
wander at Will. Canteens were filed.
small bag of food was packed, and
blankets made into bundle. Then
Yaqui faced the steep ascent of the
lava slope
The trail he followed led up on the
right side of the fissure, opposite to
the one he had come down. 1t was a
steep climb, and encumbered as the
men were they made but slow prog
ress At length the rims widened out
and the red. smoky crater yawned be-
meath. Yaqui left the trail and began
clambering down over the rough and
twisted convolutions of lava which
formed the rim. 1t was with extreme
difficulty that the party followed him.
The choya was there to hinder pas
sage. Finally the Indian halted upon
a narrow bench Of nat. smooth lava,
and his followers worked with exceed
ing care and effort down to his posi-
ton.
= At the back Of this bench. between
lunches Of choya. was a niche, a shall
low cave with floor lined apparently
with mold. Yaqui spread blankets
Inside, left the canteen and the sack
of food, and with a gesture at once
humble, yet that Of a chief, he IN
vited Mercedes to enter. A few more
gestures and fewer words disclosed
his plan. In this inaccessible nook
Mercedes was to be hidden. The men
were to go around upon the opposite
rliil, anu DiOSh tnc tIhii icuuins uoWh
to the waterhole.
Ladd chose the smallest gun in the
party and gave 1t to Mercedes.
ashore it's hest to go the limit on
bein' ready" he said, simply. ''The
chances are you'll never need 1t. But
II you do"
He left of there, and his break waa
significant. Mercedes answered him
with fearless and indomitable flash
Of eyes. Thorne was the only one who
showed any shaken nerve. His leave
taking of his wife was affecting and
hurried. Then he and the rangers
carefully stepped in the tracks Of the
Yaqui. He strobe on up the trail
toward a higher point, where pres.
ntly his dark figure stood motionless
against the sky The rangers and
Thorne selected a deep depression, out
Of which led several ruts deep enough
for cover. Here the men laid down
rifles and guns. and. removing their
heavy cartridge belts, settled down
to wait.
Jim Lash crawled into little strip
of shade and bided the time TRANQUILITY.
Ladd was restless and impatient and
watchful, every little while rising to
look up the far-reaching slope, and
then to the right, where Yaqui's dark
figure stood out from high point Of
the rim. Thorne grew silent, and
seemed consumed by slow, sullen
rage. Gale was neither calm nor free
Of gnawing suspense nor Of wait
ing wrath. But as best he could he
put the pending action out of mind.
It came over him all Of q sudden
that he had not grasped the stupen-
dous nature Of this desert setting.
There was the measureless red slope,
It's lower ridges finally sinking into
white sand dunes toward the blue sea.
The cold, sparkling light, the white
sun. the deep azure Of sky. the feeling