Arizona state miner., 1926-08-14


something, to be q Water Bearer, to
the thirsty earth or to thirsty people.
To make city grow where none has
been, or render dry lands fertile"
do you expect to settle out West"
asked Clinton. "To make your home
here?'
II hadn't gone quite as far as that"
answered Caleb with a smile. 'It de-
pends upon whether I get the chance
to settle-I mean by that if work opens
up. | like the West l should like to
make home here, l think. l have
none elsewhere" he added simply. II
have relatives in the East, and l even
own house out there-but 1t isn't
home any longer, since both my father
and mother are dead"
There are silences that create an at
mosphere more sympathetic than the
finest choice of phrase. Caleb found
himself talking of his plans in greater
extension than he would have consjd-
cred possible to chance-met, recent ac-
Quaintances. He had, he told thems
little money, he had a chance to sell
| his Massachusetts house that held
open indefinitely. This with his train
ing, and his youth constituted his cap
ital. At the end of the evening, in his
room, the windows open, admitting
the fragrance of the patio garden, the
subdued chuckle of the overflow from
the spring basin, he realized that he
had done little but talk about himself
and his own affairs
He wondered whether he had not
been bit of prig, even a bore He
had shown no appreciation of the girls
femininity, had surely been lacking in
even conventional gallantry. Girls,
Caleb believed, liked that sort Of
thing-expected it. Yet, talking to her
in the dusk of the veranda had been q
good deal like talking to another man.
Her intelligence was keen, her interest
had not seemed feigned.
Meanwhile, in her own chamber,
Betty Clinton came to favorable con-
clusiOn in the same matter
For a Yank," she told herself, as
she arranged her hair for the night in
two great, shining braids, "he is quite
agreeable-so far. l think am going
to like Caleb Warner"
Caleb decided not to outstay his well
come. He announced his intention at
breakfast
"We shall h"oe to see you again"
said Clinton and Betty backed his in
vitation
She seemed a little older this morn
4 ing, appearing the weIl-poised hostess
in her housegown. To Caleb, still new
to western ways, it was hard to recon-
cIe this housewifely- person presiding
over the silver coffee urn with the
rider on the pinto, galloping hard after
her hounds to the kill. Yet there was
no real discrepancy, no loss of dignity,
Of sex. And she made the girls that
Caleb had grown up with seem snd-
denly CONSTRUCTED in his recollection.
'You are not to walk down to the
train," she told him. ''I am sorry that
l cannot drive you but have a lot to
do. You shall ride the Don. Padilla
will go with you and bring him back.
And we are to see you again. Soon"
Caleb was not at all certain Of his
prowess In the saddle. To his relief
the horse turned out to be a natural
single-footer, racking along with
smooth motion that left him almost
motionless in the saddle. The selec-
ton was, he felt, another indication
of kindly tact.
Padilla, swarthy, bow-legged, agile,
bore signs Of battle that had come
close to manning him. The left side
of his face was marked with puck.
cred scar, purple against his brown
skin. 1t ran from eye to chin, a rak-
ing veal that showed where the flesh
must have been laid open by a fright
full blow. He wore no coat and his
sleeves were rolled high. His left fore
arm was scored with cicatrices. His
left side seemed shrunken between hip
and shoulder. Caleb was conscious
that all down the canyon, Padilla SUBJ
jected him to a close scrutiny When
directly in front of him he COULD al
most feel Padilla's black eyes boring
between his shoulder blades. Despite
the unworded recommendation that the
Mexican held from his employment at
Ell Nido, Caleb fancied him a better
companion for high noon than dark
night
The trail dipped down towards
water level, fording the stream Caleb
reined in to let the Don drink the
bright water and Padilla followed ex-
ample AS they sat side by side the
Mexican spoke for the first time.
"Eet was here, senor," he said, that
I got these"
He touched his cheek, his left ribs,
and tapped his left forearm with
swift gesture.
"Eet was puma, senor. A cougar,
a lion of the mountains. Carrajo! AL
most eet keel me, Luis Padilla. Knife
against claws an teeth, senior. And
the knife ween. Thees knife"
With the same swift deftness he
half drew shining blade from
cbooth thot 1ryoc t,1oIyaJ ;r,c;d @lo ia