The Nevada County picayune., 1923-02-15

chances are you'll never heeu It. if you do" ,,,s hraok was ....Iieaon+ Mercedes answered nm ,,itb q fearless and indomitaoie Hs''n of ayoe Thorne was the only one WHO showed any shaker nerve. lis 'eaSe , +aI,inc of his wife was affecting anu h,,n,.ie1 Then he and the rangers carefully stepped in the tracks '. 9 slg yaoni He strode on mp me u ''.' taa.ard a higher point. where pres an+,v his dark figure stood mntieaieSs o@oinst ,.,'' thc sky. The rangers anu Thornr selected deep depression, oul o of vhich led several ruts deep eP#ehoH@H for cover Here the men laid down rifles and guns. and, removing tat" heavy cartridge heIts, settled ao" Il to wait. ,...,-. .,.i,,
 Tim Lash craWlcd into little strip If shade and bided tbe time tranqulllH. I odd WAS restless and impatient amt ratcbful every little while rising 10 lool, m the far-reaching slope ana then to the right, where Ysqui,s dark tig.ra stood out from high point eI tho rim Thorne grew silent and seemed consumed by slow, satieh rage. Gale was neither calm hof Tree of q gnawing suspense nor. Of a "'ie inc wrath. But as best he could ne nst the bending action out of mind.
 Tt came over him all of sudden that he had not crasped the -StH4eh- dous nature of this desert setting. There WIS the mpaSureless red slope, its lower ridges finally sinking into white sand dunes toward the blue sea. The cold. sparkling light the white sun. the deep azure of sky, the feeling of boundless cXpanse all around nm these meant high altitude. South ward the barren red simply merged into distance The field of craters rose in high, dark wheels toward the dominating peaks. When Gale with drew his gaze from the magnitude ot these spaces and heights the crater beneath him seemed dwarfed. Yet while he gazed it spread and deep enpd and multiplied its ragged lines. No. he could not grasp the meaning of size or distance here. There was too much to stun the sight. But the mood in which nataure had created this convulsed world seized hold upon him.
 The hours passed Ks the San climbed the clear SKY, steely lights yaA- ished. the blue hazeS deepened. aad slowly the gllStening surfaces of lava turned redder. Ladd was concerned 10 discover that Yaqui was missing from his outlook upon the high point Jim Lash came out of the shady Crey- ice, and stood up to buckle on his car tridge belt His narrow. gray glance slowly royed from the height of lava down along the slope paused in doubt. and then swept an To reSurveY the whole vast eastern dip of the plateau.
 T reckon my eyes are pore, he sud. "Mebbe it's this | d-n Ted glare Any way, what's them creepin spots up there:'
 shore seen them. Mountain sheep" replied Laad
 Guess again, Laddy. Dick, I reckon you'd better flash the glass up the slope"
 Gale adjusted the field glass and be, gan to search the lava, beginning close at hand and working away from him. Presently the glass became stationary.
 II see half a dozen small animals, brown in color They look like sheep. But couldn't distinguish mountain sheep from antelope"
 Shore they're highorn, said Laddy.
 T reckon if you'l pull around to the east an search under that long wall of lava-there-you'lI see what see. added Jim
 The glass climbed and cirrled. Wa- vered an instant then fixed steady as rock. There was hreathleSe silence.
 Fourteen horses two packed some hounted-others without riders. and lame" said Gale. slowly.
 faqui appeared far IT. the trail. coming swiftly. Presently he sav the rangers and halted to wave his arms an6 point. Then he vanished as if the lava had opened beneath him.
 "Lemme tha' glass" suddenly said Jim Lash. I'm Seein' red, tell YOU.
 Well, pore as my eyes are they had it right Rojas an his outfit have left the trail Laddy, Pn be daneed if the GreaSer bunch hasn't vamoosed Gone out of sight, Right there not half mile away, the whole caboodle- gone"
 Shore they're behind a crust or have gone down into Il rut. suggested Lodd. They'll show again in min ute. Look sharn have fen