Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-08-10


could only conclude that they ha,
seen the hunters.
Then Yaquls movements attracted
and interested him. The Indian haC
brought with him a red scarf and {
mesquite branch. He tied the scar
on the stick, and propped this up II
a crack OF the lava. The scarf waved
in the wind. That done, the Indiar
bade Gale watch.
Once again he leveled the glass al
the sheep. All five now were motion
less, standing like statues, heads
pointed across the gully. They were
more than a mile distant When Gale
looked without his glass they merged
Into the roughness Of the lava. He
was intensely interested. Did the
sheep see the red scarf7 II seemed
Incredible but nothing else could ac-
count for that statuesque alertness.
The sheep held this rigid position for
perhaps fifteen minutes. Then the
leading ram started to approach. The
others followed He took q few steps,
then halted Always he held his head
up, nose pointed
"By George, they're comingl" ex-
claimed Gale "They see that flag.
They're hunting us. They're curious.
If this doesn't beat mel"
Evidently the Indian understood, for
he grunted
Gale found difficulty in curbing his
Impotence. The approach of the
sheep was slow. The big ram led on
with regular persistence, and In half
an hours time he was In the bottom
Of the great gulf, and soon he was
facing up the slope. Gale knew then
that the alluring scarf had fascinated
him. The animals disappeared behind
another ridge. Gale kept watching,
sure they would come out farther
on. A tense period Of waiting passed.
then a sudden electrifying pressure of
Yaqui's hand made Gale tremble with
excitement.
Very cautiously he shifted his po-
sitlon. There, not fifty feet distant
upon high mound of lava, stood the
leader of the sheep. AS Gale watched,
the second ram leaped lightly upon
the mound, and presently the three
others did likewise.
The splendid leader stepped closer,
his round, protruding amber eyes,
which Gale could now plainly see, in
tent upon that fatal red flag. Like
automatons the other four crowded
into his tracks. A few little slow
steps, then the leader halted.
At this instant Gales absorbed at
tention was directed by Yaqui to the
rife, and so to the purpose Of the
climb. He reached for the .405. and
as he threw the she'll into the chamber
the slight metallic click made the
sheep jump. Then he rose quickly
to his feet.
The noble ram and his band simply
stared at Gale. They had never seen
a man. They showed not the slightest
Indication of instructive fear. Gale
Imagined that they were going to step
still closer. He did not choose to
wait to see If this we're true. Ger
tainly 1t already took a grim resolu-
lion to raise the heavy .405.
His shot killed the big leader. The |
others bounded away with remark
able nimbleness. Gale used up the
four shells to drop the sec
md ram, and by the time he had re-
oaded the others were out of range.
The Yaqui's method of hunting was
jure and deadly and saving in energy,
)ut Gale never would try 1t again. He
hose to stalk the game. After being
hunted a few times and shot at, the
iheep became exceedingly difficult to
lpproach. He failed often. The stalk
'alled forth all that was in him Of
ndurance, cunning, speed. And like
shadow the faithful Yaqui tried
ver to keep at his heels.
One morning Yaqui spied a flock of
heep far under the curved broken
i'm of the main crater. Then began
he stalk. Hiding, slipping, creeping,
Gale closed in upon his
uarry until the long rifle grew like
tone in his grip, and the whipping
spang" ripped the silence, and the
TRANCE echo doomed deep In the era
er, and rolled around, as if in hollow
lockery at the hopelessness of escape.
He waited beside his quarry, and
reathed deep, and swept the long
lopes with searching eyes Of habit
When Yaqui came up they set about
he hardest task of all, to pack the
est of that heavy sheep down miles
f steep, ragged, choya-covered lava.
The torrid summer heat came inn
erceptibly, or 1t could never have
cen borne by white men, It changed I
he lives Of the fugitives, making
hem partly nocturnal in habit The 4
lights had the balmy GOODNESS of
Dring, and would have been delight
Il for sleep, but that would have
ade the blazing days unendurable
As Ladd had said. one Of their
-eatest problems was the passing Of
ri.