The Ely miner., 1923-08-17
CHAPTER xIV-Continued.

darkness past une VI hoo~"
horses.
Guess we're ready" he said. I'll
make the count" He went back along
the line, and on the return Madel'he
heard him say several times, NOW
everybody ride close 10 the horse IN
front, and keep quiet till daylight.
Then the snorting and pounding OF the
big black horse In front of her toio
Madeline that Stewart had mounted.
"AIl right, we're off," he called.
Madeline lifted Majesty's bride ana
let the roam go. The trail leo III
roundabout way through shallow gui-
lies full of stone and brush washeu
down by floods. At every turn now
Madeline expected to come upon wa
ter and the waiting pack-train. bu'
time passed, and miles of climbing.
and no water or horses were met. Ex-
pectation in Madeline gave place TO
desire; she was hungry.
Stewart kept on 1t was eight o'clock
by Madeline's watch when. upon turn
ing into q wide hollow, she saw horses
grazing on spare grass, great pile or
canvas-covered bundles, and hre
round which cowboys and two Mexi-
can women were busy.
Madeline sat her horse and reviewed
her followers as they rode up single
file Her guests were in merry mood,
and they all talked at once.
Breakfast = and rustic" called
out Stewart, without ceremony.
For that matter, Madeline observed
Helen did not show any marked con-
trast to the others. The hurry order
did not interfere with the meal being
somewhat in the nature of picnic.
AS soon as the pack-train was In
readiness Stewart started 1t off In the
lead to break trail. A heavy growth
of shrub interspersed with rock and
cactus covered the slopes; and now all
the trail appeared to be uphill. The
pack-train forged ahead and the trail
ing couples grew farther apart. AT
noon they got out of the foothills to
face the real ascent of the mountains.
Stewart waited for Madeline, and
as she came up he said Were going
TO have a storm. Shall l call halt
and make camp?"
Here? Oh no! What do you think
best?"
"Well, IL we have a good healthy
thunderstorm ii will be something new
for your friends. l think we'd be wise
to keep on the go. There's no place
TO make good camp. If 1t rains, let
1t rain. The pack outfit is well COW
cred We will have to get wet"
Surely" replied Madeline; and she
smiled at his inference. She knew
what a storm was In that country, and
her guests had yet to experience one.
eff II rains. let 1t rain"
Stewart rode on, and Madeline fol-
lowed. The way led In a winding
course through matted, storm
wrenched forest Of stunted trees. Even
up TO this elevation the desert reached
with its gaunt hand. The clouds over
spreading the sky, hiding the sun,
made a welcome change. The pack
train rested, and Stewart and Made
line waited for the party to come up.
Here he briefly explained to her that
Don Carlos and his bandits had left
the ranch some time In the night. The
air grew oppressive; the horses painted.
"Sure it'll be a hummer" said Stew
art. 1.-The first storm almost always Is
bad l can feel it in the air"
The air, indeed, seemed to be
charged with a heavy force that was
waiting to be liberated.
One by one the couples mounted to
the cedar forest, and the feminine
contingent declaimed eloQuently fol-
nent rest until night and then that de
pended upon reaching the crags. The
pack-train wagged onward, and Stew
art fell in behind. The storm-centel
gathered slowly around the peaks
low rumble and bowl of thunder in
creased In frequence slowly the ligh'
shaded as smoky clouds rolled up; the
air grew sultrier, and the exasperatinl
breeze pulled few times and ther
failed.
An hour later the party had climbed
high and was rounding the side Of ,
great bare ridge that long had hiddel
the crags. The last burro of the pack
Madeline's sight. She looked back
ward down the slope, amused to Sc
her guests change wearily from side t
side in their saddles. Far below la
the cedar fiat and the foothills. Fa
to the west the sky was still clear
with shafts of sunlight shooting dow
from behind the encroaching clouds.
Stewart reached the summit of tn
ridge and, though only a few rod
ahead, he waved To her, sweeping hi
hand round to what he saw beyond.
was an impressive gesture, and Made
line. never having climbed as high a
this, anticipated much.
Majesty surmounted the last fe,
steps and, snorting. halted besid
Stewards black. To Madeline tn
scene was as If the world had changed
The ridge was a mountain-top.
dropped before her into black, stone
ridged. shrub-patched, many-canyone
gulf Massed inky clouds were pilin
across the peaks, obscuring the higl
flashed, and, like the booming of a
avalanche, thunder followed.
Madeline glanced at Stewart. II
had forgotten her presence. Immo'
able as stone, he sat his horse, darl
faced, dark-eyed, and, like an India
unconscious of thought, he watche
and watched. To see him thus,
~
soul of this man. become primitiv
and the savage environment that ha
developed him, were powerful helps
Madeline Hammond In her strange
sire to understand his nature.