Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-04-19
Desert . ZANE GREY
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where Thorne had fallen in head first.
Laid bent over, went to his knees,
so that Gale saw only his head. Then
he appeared rising with arms round
the cavalryman. He dragged him
across the hole to the sheltered corner
that alone afforded protection. He
had scarcely reached it when car
bine cracked and a bullet struck the
fiinty lava, striking sparks, hen sing
ing into the air.
Thorne was either dead or uncon-
scious, and Gale, with contracting
throat and numb heart, decided for
the former. Not so Ladd, who probed
the bloody cash on Thorne's temple,
and then felt his breast.
Hes alive an not bad hurt. That
bullet hit him glancin'. Shore them
steel bullets are some lucky for us.
Dick, you needn't look so glum. | tell
you he amt bad hurt. felt his skull
with my finger. There's no hole In
it. Wash him off an tie Wow! did
you get the wind of that one? An
mebbe it didn't sing off the lava"
1t was indeed a joy to Gale to find
that Thorne had not received wound
necessarily fatal, though it was seri-
Gus enough. Gale bathed and bound
it, and laid the cavalryman against
the slant of the bank, his head high
to lessen the probability of bleeding.
AS Gale Strengthened up Laid NUT
tered low and deep, and swung the
heavy rifle around to the left. Far
along the slope a figure moved. Laid
began to work the lever of the Win
chester and to shoot. At every shot
Gale saw the bullets strike the lava
behind, beside, before the fleeing
Mexican, sending up dull puffs of dust.
On the sixth shot he plunged down
out of sight, either hit or frightened
into seeking cover.
"Dick, 4nebbe there's one or two left
above; but we needn't f1gger much on
it," said Laid, as, loading the rifle,
he jerked his fingers quickly from the
hot breech. Listen! Jim an Yaqui
are hittin' it up lively down below.
I'll sneak down there You stay here
an keep about half an eye peeled up
yonder, an keep the rest my way"
There seemed a 1ull in the battle.
Gale ventured to stand high, and,
screened behind choyas, he wept the
three-quarter circle of lava with his
glass. In the distance he saw horses,
but no riders. Below him, down the
slope along the crater rim and tie
trail, the lava was bare of all except
az al
ance. 1t looked as If the daT was
favoring his side Then Thorne, com
ing partly to consciousness, engaged
Gales care. The cavalryman stirred
and moaned, called for water, and
then for Mercedes Gale held him
back with a strong hand and present
ly he was once more quiet.
Suddenly harsh, prolonged yeIls
brought Gale to his feet. Far down
the trails where the crater rims closed
in the deep fssure he saw moving
forms. They were three in number.
Two Of them ran nimbly across the
lava bridge. The third staggered far
behind. It was Laid. He appeared
hard hit. He dragged at the heavy
rife, which he seemed unable to raise.
The yells came from him. He was
calling the Yaqui.
Gales heart stood still momentar-
lily. Here, then, was the catastrophe!
He hardly dared sweep that fssure
with his glass. The two fleeing fig
ures halted-turned to fire at Ladd.
Gale recognized the foremost one
small, compact, gaudy -Rojas! The