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

Mercedes Must Ride; but the Others
Must Walk.
progress. They picked a cautious,
winding way to and fro in little steps
here and there along the many twists
of the trail, up and down the unavOid-
able depressions, round and round the
holes. At noon, so winding back upon
itself had been their course, they APP
peared to have come only a short dis
lance up the lava slope.
It was rough work for them 1t was
terrible work for the horses. Blanco
Diablo refused to answer to the power
of the Yaqui. He baked, he plunged,
he bit and kicked. He had to be pulled
and beaten over many places. Mer-
cedes' horse almost threw her, and
she was put upon Blanco Sol. The
white charger snorted a protest, then,
obedient to Gales stern call, patiently
lowered his noble head and paved the
lava for a footing that would hold.
The lava caused Gale toll and
worry and pain, but he hated the
choyas. He came almost to believe
what he had heard claimed by desert
travelers-that the choya was alive
and Ieaped at man or beast Certain
1t was when Gale passed one, If he
did not put all attention to avoiding
1t, he was hooked through his chaps
and held by barbed thorns. The pain
was almost uncomfortable 1t was like
4 r~eVr hnn
almost seemed to freeze IT made
useless arm or leg. 1t made him bite
his tongue to keep from crying out.
It made the sweat roll off him. II
made him sick.
Moreover, bad as the choya was for
man, 1t was infinitely worse for beast
A jagged stab from this poisoned cac-
tus was the only thing Blanco Sol
could not stand Many times that day.
before he carried Mercedes he had
wildly snorted, and then stood trem-
bling while Gale picked broken thOrns
from the muscular legs. But after
Mercedes had been put upon Sol Gale
made sure no choya touched him.
The afternoon passed like the morn
ing, in ceaseless winding and twist
ing and climbing along this abandoned
trail Gale saw many waterholes,
mostly dry, some containing water, all
of them catch-basins, full only after
rainy season. Little ugly punched
bushes, that Gale scarcely recognized
as mosquitoes, grew near these holes
also stunted greasewoOd and prickly
pear. There was no grass. and the
choya alone flourished In that hard
soil.
Darkness overlook the party as they
unpacked beside a pool Of water deep
under an overhanging shelf Of lava.
1t had been a hard day. The horses
drank their fill, and then stood pa
tiently with dropping heads. Hunger
and thirst were appeased, and warm
fire cheered the weary and footsore
fugitives. Yaqui said, "Sleep." And
so another night passed.
Upon the following morning, ten
miles or more up the slow-ascending
lava slope, Gale was in the rear Of
all the other horses, so as to take,
for Mercedes sake, the advantage Of
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 !
I'D 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 1t.
"Rojas will follow" said Mercedes.
Gale regarded her In amaze. The
tone Of her voice had been indefnable.
If there were fear then he failed to |
detect It. She was gazing back down
the colored slope, and something about
her, perhaps the steady, falcon 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 It 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
we're about to slip the packs and re-
move saddles when Yaqui restrained
them.
He fixed a changeless, cleaning gaze
On the slow descent but did not seem
10 look afar.
Suddenly he uttered his strange
cry-the one Gale considered involun-
tarv. or else significant Of some tribal