Shoshone journal., 1923-04-13

Tor the water was new to him. He
stood gazing aloft at peaks. at 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 swirling
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 a pile Of stones,
weathered, crumbled, fallen into ruin.
but still retaining shape enough to
prove it had been built there by the
hands Of men. Round and round this
the Yaqui stalked, and his curiosity
attested further uncertainty. II
was as II he had come upon something
surprising. Gale wondered about the
pile Of stones. Had 1t once been a
prospector's claim?
"Ughl' 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
imprints OF many human hands with
fingers spread wide. Gale hac often
seen such paintings on the walls Of
the desert caverns. Manifestly these
told Yaqui he had come to the spot for
which he had aimed.
Then his actions became swift-and
Yaqui seldom moved swiftly. The
fact impressed Gale The Indian
searched the level floor under the
shelf He gathered up handfuls Of
small black stones, and he thrust
them at Gale. Their weight made
Gale start, and then he trembled. The
Indians next move was to pick up a
piece Of weathered rock and throw 1t
against the wall. 1t broke. He
snatched up parts, and showed the
broken edges to Gale. They contained
yellow streaks. dull glints, faint trac-
ings Of green 1t was gold.
Gale found his legs shaking under
him; and he sat down, trying to take
all the bits of stone into his lap. His
fingers were all thumbs as with knife
blade he dug into the black pieces Of
rock. He found gold. Then he stared
down the slope, down into the valley
with its river winding forlornly away
into the desert. But he did not see
any Of that. Here was reality as
sweet, as wonderful, as saving as a
dream come true. Yaqui had led him
to a ledge Of gold Gale had learned
enough about mineral to know that
this was a rich strike. All in a second
he was speechless with the Joy of it.
But his mind whirled in thought about
this strange and noble Indian, who
seemed never to be able to pay debt.
Belding and the poverty that had
come to himi Nell, who had wept
over the loss of spring. Laddy
who never could ride againi Jim
Lash, who swore he would always look
after his friendI Thorne and Mer-
cedesl All these people, who had
been good to him and whom he loved,
were poor. But now they would be
rich. They would one and all be his
partners. He had discovered the
source Of Forlorn river, and was rich
In water. Yaqui had made him rich
in gold. Gale wanted to rush down
the slope, down into the valley, and
tell his wonderful news.
Suddenly his eyes cleared and he
saw the pile Of stones. His blood
turned to ice, then to fire. That was
the mark Of a prospector's claim. But
It was old, very old. The ledge had
never been worked The slope was
wild. There was not another single
indication that prospector had ever
been there. Where, then. was he who
had first staked this claim1 Gale
wondered with growing hope, with
the fire easing, with the cold passing.
The Yaqui uttered the low, strange,
involuntary cry so rare with him,
cry somehow always associated with
death. Gale shuddered
The Indian was digging In the sand
md dust under the shelving wall. He
threw out an object that rang against
he stone. 1t was belt buckle. He
brew out old shrunken, withered
,oots. He came upon other things,
md then he ceased to dig.
The grave Of desert prosrectors!
sale had seen more than one. Ladd
lad told him many a story Of such
,ruesome finds. 1t was grim, hard
act.
Then the keen-eyed Yaqui reached
Ip to little projecting shelf of rock
nd took from 1t a small object. He |
howed no curiosity and gave the |
hing to Gale.
How strangely Gale felt when he re-
eived into his hands a fiat oblong |
oxi Was 1t only the influence Of
he Yaqui, or was there a nameless
nd unseen presence beside that
rave7 Gale could not be sure. But
e knew he had gone back to the old
esert mood He knew something
ung in thu balance. No accident, no
lck, no debt-paying indian could ac-
ount wholly for that moment. Gale
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