The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-06-10
CHAPTER 18
THE CITY OF SILENCE

What was I going to do. you ask?
Well, I might smash in my English
door-and let Deacon out. He woulc
stop Lucy by telephone. Or / might
leave Deacon and take after Lucy
The first was what I ought to do, anc
the second was what I al going tt
do. Lucy's argument had impressed
me. It seemed vitality necessary to
Jerry's well-being that he give him
self up before he was arrested. II
Lucy had the courage to take the law
into her own hands, so had /.
Yes. even though 1t cost me Henry.
friendship! And. besides. she wasn't
going down to that devils cemetery
alone.
Slipping quietly into the house. ]
listened for a moment to the terrific
uproar Deacon was making. Tortu-
nately. the room vas remote from
the avenue. I made my way out to
the garage, feeling uncomfortable
about leaving him behind. Filling q
couple Of water canteenS at a faucet,
I took them into my car with me.
Two mountain ranges lay between
me and my destination. The first
40 miles Of road would be paved or
good dirt, the next 20 would fall by
degrees from poor to dreadful. Lucy
would make for Pitchfork Canyon,
the only possible approach to Tor
ridity from the west. and I hoped to
reach her before she began the de-
scent. That road down into the Skull
Is a madman's nightmare and I didn't
fancy her making 1t alone.
The San Felipe Valley was drenched
In sunlight and the sweet scent of
orange blossoms hung like incense.
This morning ! had little time for
sentimentalizing. however. and when,
some short while later, the rhythmic
throb Of the engine fell steeply into
silence, I had even less. ! got out
and looked In the tank. It was
empty! The nearest filling station
was sever miles behind me!
Raging at my carelessness, I flung
my coat into the car and set off down
the scorching road. When I finally
got my hand on the wheel again Lucy
was some three hours ahead Of me.
Likely enough she was at Torridity.
Skull Valley lies between the Skel-
eton Mountains and the Red Gold
Range. From the west you descend
into it by Shinbone Canyon and on
!! the east you ascend from 1t by the
Devils Mouth. A road of sorts spans
the valley from Shinbone to the Dew
! lis Mouth and II you want a taste OF
the grim terror of the place you may
cross it by car But Torridity is ten
miles south of the road which spans
the valley and the intervening stretch
Of desert is impossible. Another
road. a miserable affair. leads into
the valley by way Of Pitchfork Can
/ yon, passes through Torridity, and
joins the main road at Devils Mouth
on the east. This is the only road
into the town from the west. I sup
| posed Jerry and Lucy had taken 1t
and I purposed following It myself.
It vas just m o'clock when !
reached the summit Of the Skeletons.
Time was precious-my fears for
Lucy had increased with every mile
I had come-but nothing on earth
could have driven me down Pitchfork
until my eyes had had their desire Of
that sardonic masterpiece below.
Never before had the valley gripped
! my soul with 50 violent a sense Of
unholy horror and sleek and tawny
beauty.
The valley blazed with light and
| color. But as I looked upon this be-
witching o~palesccnce it seemed to me
that something alive and watchful
lurked beneath It. Something sleek
as seal skin, vital as a young tiger,
alluring a q perfumed goddess. Va
| porous arms reached out to me and
tried to cloud my senses-and I knew
that its beauty masked a spirit as
| venomous as Satan.
My eyes leapcd to the saffron flanks