The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-03-01

and carried him back to the others.
Hes alive. but that's ail.v saia
Dick. as he laid the ranger down. 80
what you can. Stop the blood. Lat'
dys tough as cactus, you know. n
hurry back for Mercedes and Yaqui"
Gale. like fleet. sure-footed noun
tain sheep, ran along the trail He
rame upon Mercedes and the Yaqui.
She ran right into Dicks arms. anS
.hen her strength. II not her courage
broke and she grew lax.
Mercedes. you're safel Thorne's
safe. It's all right now"
"Rojasl" she whispered.
"Gonel To the bottom of the
crater! A Yaqui's vengeance. Mer
cedes."
He he ! the girl whisper the name
of the Virgin. Then he gathered her
up in his arms
Come, Yaqui."
The. Indian grunted He had one
hand pressed close over bloody place
In his shoulder. Gale looked keenly.
at him. YaquI was inscrutable. as of
old, yet Gale somehow knew that
WOuIiu IutdDt little To him. Inc In
dian followed him.
Gale carried Mercedes up to the
rim and along to the Others Jim Lash
worked awkwardly over Ladd. Thorne
was trying to assist. Ladd himself.
was conscious. but he was pallid.
apparently death-stricken man.
The greeting between Mercedes and
Thorne was calm-strangely so, 1t
seemed to Gale But he was now
calm himself Ladd smiled at him.
and evidently would have spoken had
he the power. Yaqui then Joined the
group, and his piercing eyes roved
from one to the other. lingering long
est over Ladd.
"Dick, I'm figger'n' hard" said Jim
family. "In minute it'll be up to
you an Mercedes. I've about shot my
bolt. Reckon you'll do-best by
bringin' up blankets-water-sa
firewood. Laddy's got-one chance
in hundred. Fix him up-frst. Use
hot salt water. If my legs broken
set 1t best you can. That hole in
Thorne's bad hurt Now rustic
DICK, Olu-DOV.
Lash's voice died away in a husky
whisper. and he quietly lay back.
stretching out all but the crippled leg.
Gale examined 1t, assured himself the
bones had not been broken. and then
rose ready TO go down the trail.
Mercedes. hold Thorne's head up.
in your lap-so. Now I'll 60"
On the moment Yaqui appeared to
have completed the binding of his
wounded shoulder. and he started to
follow Gale The descent to the ar
royo was swift and easy. Gale hastil
put together the things he needed
and. packing them all in tarpaulin
he turned to retrace his steps up the
trail.
Darkness was setting in. The trail
was narrow, exceedingly steep, and in
some places frontad on precipices.
Gales burden was not very heavy, but
its bulk made 1t unwieldy, and it was
always overbalancing him or knocking
against the wall side of the trail. At
last they reached a level, and were
soon on the spot with Mercedes and
the injured men.
Gale then set to work. Yaqui's part
was to keep the fire blazing and the
water hot. Mercedes to help Gale in
what way she could. Gale found Ladd
had many wounds, yet not one of them
was directly in vital place. Evi-
IDENTIFY, the ranger had almost. bled to
death. He remained unconscious
through Gales operations.
Jim Lash came out of his stupor. A
mushrooming bullet had torn great
hole in his leg. Gale, upon examina-
ton. could not he sure the bones had
been missed, but there was no bad
break. The application of hot salt
water made Jim groan. When he had
been bandaged and laid beside Ladd,
Gale went on to the cavalryman. A
furrow had been plowed through his
scalp down to the hone. When it had
been dressed, Mercedes collapsed.
Gale laid her with the three in row
and covered them with blankets and
the tarpaulin.
Then Yaqui submitted to examina-
ton. bullet had gone through the
Indians shoulder To Gale it appeared
serious. faqul SAID II was fea bite.
But he allowed Gale to bandage it.
and obeyed when he was told to lie
quiet in his blanket beside the fire.
Gale stood guard. The hour had
come for him to face his great prob
lem. 1t was natural that he hung back
little at first; natural that when he
went forward to look at the quiet
sleepers he did so with grim and
stern force urging him. Yaqui stirred,
reused, yawned. got up; and, though
he did not smile at Gale, light
shone swiftly across his dark. face.
His shoulder dropped and appeared
stiff, otherwise he was himself. Mer-
cedes lay In deep slumber. Thorne
had high fever. and was beginning
to show signs of restlessness. Ladd
seemed just barely alive. Jim Lash
slant ha wac nnf rnnph tho