The Lamar register., 1923-02-28

fOflDIn IklNtT lilt less ItNNbl Nllflf
seemed to be for his own grievance.
He had to admit that 1t was personal
that he and Gale and the rangers
would never have been able to develop
the resources OF the valley as these
men were doing it,
April arrived with no news Of the
rangers. From Casita came vague re
ports of raiders In tile SonOyta coun-
try-reports impossible to verify until
his Mexican rangers returned. When
these men rode In. one of them, Con
zales. an intelligent and reliable half
breed. said he had met prospectors at
the oasis. They had just come in on
the Canine del Dlablo. reported a ter
rible trip of heat and drought, and
not trace Of the Yaquls party.
"Thnt settles it," declared Belding.
"Yaqui never went to Sonoyta. He's
clrcled round to the Devils road, and
the rangers. Mercedes, Thorne, the
horses-they-Tm afraid they have
been lost in the desert. It's an old
story on Canine del Diablo."
He had to tell Nell that. and 1t was
an ordeal which left him weak.
hTH. llNNfntu "
was silent for long time while she
held the stricken Nell TO her breast.
Then she opposed his convictions with
that quiet strength 50 characteristic
of her arguments.
"But mother, they're gone seven
weeks Seven weeks At the most
gave them six weeks Seven weeks In
the desert I"
How do the Yaquls live7" she asked
Belding could not reply to that, but
hope revived in him. He had faith
In his wife, though he could not ir
the least understand what he imag
ined was something mystic In her.
Years ago when was searching
for my father | learned many thingi
about this country" said Mrs. Beld
ing. you can never tell how long Q
man may live I'm the desert. The
fiercest, most terrible and inaccessibl,
places often have their hidden oasis
In his later years my father becam,
prospector Tha, was strange to
me for he never cared for gold OF
money. | learned that he was Otter
gone In the desert FOR weeks once foI
months Then the time came wher
he never came back. That was years
before I reached the southwest border
and heard OF him. Even then | diG
not for long give up hope OF his com
ing back. know now-somethinp
tells me-indeed. IL seems his spirit
tells me-he was lost. But | don't
have that feeling for Yaqui and his
party Yaqui has given Rojas tn,
slip or has ambushed him in some
trap. Probably that took time and
long journey into Sonora. The Indian
is too wise to start back now over
dry trails He'll curb the rangers
he'll wait. seem to know this dear
Nell, so be brave. patient. Dick Gale
will come back to you.''
That talk with the strong mother
worked a change In Nell and in Beld.
ing. Nell who had done little but
brood and watch the west and take
violent rides. seemed to settle into a
waiting patience that was sad. yer
serene. Beldlng. who had been break
ing under the strain Of worry. recov-
cred himself so that to outward ap-
pearance he was his old self He
HA'Ht hHtNH Al'Nfhflf lAlaAA illN llullltA
was forced, and that the slow burning
wrath he felt for the Chases was fam
ing into hate.
Bedding argued with himself that II
Ben Chase and his son. Radford. had
turned out to be big men in other
ways than In the power to carry on
great enterprises he might have be-
come reconciled to them. But the
father was greedy. grasping. hard,
cold: the son added to those traits an
overbearing disposition to rule, and he
showed fondness for drink and
cards. These men were developing
the valley, to be sure, and a horde OF
poor Mexlcans and many Americans
We're benefitlng from that develop
ment nevertheless, these ChaseS We're
operating in II way which proved they
cared only for themselves
Bedding went TO Caslta with a num-
her of his white thoroughbreds and
shipped them to rnnchers and horse
breeders in Texas. Then. being near
the railroad and having time, he went
up To Tucson. There he learned some
interesting particulars about the
Chases. They had an office in the
city; influential friends In the can