The Lamar register., 1923-03-28

IL Ildu IA dSI'tl At NhH ''''''NN
never to mingle with the waters of the
Gulf. 1t wound away down the valley
growing wider and shallower, en-
croaching more and more on the gray
flats, until 1t disappeared on its sac
journey toward Sonoyta. That vast
shimmering, sun-governed waste recog-
nized Its life only at this flood season,
and was already with parched tongue
and insatiate fire licking and burning
up its futile waters.
Yaqui put hand ON Gales knee.
1t was bronzed, Scared, powerful
hand always eloquent Of meaning.
The Indian was listening His bent
head, his strange dilating eyes, his
rigid form, and that close-pressing
hand how these brought back to Gale
the terrible lonely night hours on the
laval
What do you hear, Yaquir' asked
Gale He laughed little at the mood
that had come over him. But the
sound Of his voice did not break the
spell. He did not want to speak
again. He yielded to Yaqufs subtle
nameless influence. He listened him
self, heard nothing hut the scream of
an eagle Often he wondered II the
Indian could hear things that made no
sound. Yaqui was beyond understand
ing.
Whatever the Indian had listened
to or for, presently he satisfied him
self. and. with grunt that might
mean anything, he ross and turned
away from the rim. Gale followed,
rested now and eager to go on. He
saw that the great cliff they had
climbed was only stairway up' to
the huge looming dark bulk of the
plateau above.
Suddenly he again heard the dull
roar OF falling water II seemed to
have cleared itself of mufiied yibra-
tions. Yaqui mounted a little ridge
and halted. The next instant Gale
stood above bottomless cleft into
which a white stream leaped His as
founded gaze swept backward along
this narrow swift stream TO Its end in
a dark. round. boiling pool. 1t was II
huge spring. u bubbling well, the out
cropping OF an underground river
coming down from the vast plateau
above.
Yaqui had brought Gale to the
source of Forlorn river.
Flashing thoughts In Gales mind
were no swifter than the thrills that
ran over him. He would stake out a
claim here and never be cheated out
OF II. bitches on tine benches and
troughs ON the steep walls would car
ry water down to the valley. Ben
Chase had built great dam which
would be useless II Gale chose to turn
Forlorn river from Its natural course.
The fountain head OF that mysterious
desert river belonged TO him.
His eagerness, his mounting passion,
was checked by Yaqui's unusual ac-
tion. The Indian showed wonder,
hesitation. even reluctance. HIS
strange eyes surveyed this boiling well
as II they could not believe the sight
they saw. Gale dlyined instantly that
Yaqui had never before seen the
source of ForlOrn river. If he had
ever ascended to this plateau, prob
ably II had been TO some other part.
for the water was new to him He
stood gazing alOit al peaks, NJ lower
rampants of the mountain. and at
nearer landmarks of prominence.
Yaqui seemed at fault He was not
sure OF his location.
Then he strobe past the swirllng
pool of dark water and began to AS
cend little slope that led up TO a
shelving cliff. Another object halted
the Indian. 1t was pile of stones,
weathered. crumbled, fallen into ruin,
hut still retaining shape enough to
prove IL had been built there by the
hands uf men. Round and round this
the Yaqui stalked. aud his curiosity
attested further uncertainty. 1t
was as If he had come upon something
surprising Gale wondered about the
pile OF stones. Had # once been ii
prospector's claim?
"Ugh"' grunted the Indian: and;
though his exclamation expressed no
satisfaction. 1t surely put AN end to
doubt. He pointed up to the roof of
the sloping yellow shelf Of stone.
Family outlined there In red were the
lmprints of many human hands with
hngrrs spread wide Gale had often