Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-01-05

dlIdlId IuIllSitu a AlNA udNhEAphi
for the drove of about twenty white
horses. Blanco Diablo vas the only
one in the field that was not free to
roam and Craze where he listed. A
stake and a halter held him TO n
corner, where he was severely let
alone by the other horses. He did not
like this isolation. Blanc0 Diablo was
not happy unless he was running, or
fighting a rival. OF the two he would
rather fight. If anything white could
resemble a devil. this horse surely
did. He had nothing beautiful about
him, yet he drew the gaze and held
it. The look of him suggested dis
content, anger, revolt, vi~ciousness.
When he was not grazing or prancing,
he held his long, lean head level, point
ing his nose and showing his teeth.
Belongs favorite was almost all the
world to him, and he swore Diablo
could stand more heat and thirst and
cactus than any other horse he owned.
and could run down and kill any
horse in the. Southwest,
The cowboys admitted some OF
Belongs claims for Diablo, but they
gave loyal and u~nshakable allegiance
to Blanco Sol. AS for Dick, he had
to fight himself to keep out of argu-
ments. for he sometimes imagined he
was unreasonable about the horse.
Though he could not understand him
self. he knew he loved Sol as a man
loved a friend, a brother. a Free of
heavy saddle and the clumsy leg
shields. Blanco Sol was somehow all
satisfying to the eyes of the rangers.
The dazzling whiteness of the desert
sun shone from his goat he had the
fire and spirit of the desert In his
noble head, its strength and power in
his gigantic frame.
"Belding swears Sol never beat
Diablo," Dick was saying.
"He believes It," replied Nell. dad
IS queer about that horse"
give often wondered how Bedding
ever came to give Blanco Sol to me-"
said Dick.
"I think he wanted to get rid of
Sol"
"Maybe. He surely has strange pas
sion for horses. I think l understand
better than l used to. I owned a
couple Of racers once. They were
Just animals to me, l guess. But
Blanco Soil"
"Do you love himT" asked Nell; and
now a warm. blue flash of eyes swept
his face.
"Do I? Well, rather"
"I'm glad. Sol has been finer, a
better horse since you owned him. He
loves you, Dick. Sol always hated
Diablo, and never had much use for
Dad"
Dick looked up at her.
It'll be-be pretty hard to leave Sol
when l go away"
Tell sat perfectly still.
"Go away?" she asked, presently,
with Just the faintest tremor in her
voice.
"Yes. Sometimes when l get blue
as I am today think I'll go. But,
in sober truth, Nell, it's not likely
that I'll spend all my life here"
There was no answer to this. Dick
put his hand softly over hers; and,
despite her half-hearted struggle TO
free 1t, he held IN.
"Nellr"
Her color fled. He saw her lips
part. Then a heavy step on the gravel.
a cheerful, complaining voice inter
rupted him, and made him release Nell
and draw back. Bedding strobe into
view round the adobe shed.
"Hey, Dick, thar darned Yaqui In
dian can't be driven or hired or coaxad
to leave Forlorn River. He's well
enough to travel. 1 offered him horse,
gun. blanket, grub. But no CO."
That's funny" replied Gale. with
n smile. let him stay-put MIN 20
work"
at doesn't Strike me funny. But
I'll tell you what l think. That poor,
homeless. h%eartbroken Indian has
taken a liking to you, Dick. You
saved his life. That sort of thing
counts big with any Indian, eve with
an Apache. With a Yaqui maybe it's
Of deep significance. I've heard a
Yaqui say that with his tribe no debt
to friend or foe ever went unpaid.
Perhaps that's what ails this fellow"
"Dick, don't laugh" said Nell. I've
noticed the Yaqui. It's pathetic the
way his great gloomy eyes follow
you"
you've made a friend" continued
Bedding. "a Yaqui could be a real
friend on this desert. If he gets his
strength back he'll be of service to
you. don't mistake me. He's welcome
here. But you're responsible for him,
and you'll have trouble keeping him
from m~assacring all the Greasers in
Forlorn River"
The probability of a visit from the
raiders, and a dash holder than usual
on tile outskirts of a ranch, led Beld-
ing to build a new corral. 1t was not
slightly to the eye, but it was high and