Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-04
ROBBERS RoosT
~ ZANE GREY

carrying Helen in front Of him. Con.
sctous, but too spent 70 speak or move,
| she lay on his arm and watched him.
There had been trail along here
once, as was proved by q depressed
line on the gravelly earth. When Jim
surnounted this barren divide, he sud-
denly was confronted by an amazing
and marvellous spectacle.
Blue Valleyr" he calculated.
Below him opened . narrow, winding
valley, green as emerald with its cotton
woods and willows. Only in the distance
DID 1t shine blue under the hot sun.
Through It the Dirty Devil wound q
Wandering course, yellow as q bright
ribbon. It was bank-full in swirling
mood. And from where 1t left the val-
ley. which point Jim could not see,
dul chatting Of waters came to his ears.
of the brakesI safe! Men live here s
She heard him, for she smiled I'D
into his Iace. glad for his sake, but in
her exhaustion beyond caring for her
own.
There was no sign Of habitations, nor
any smoke. But Jim knew this was
Blue valley. 1t was long, perhaps IS
miles, and probably the farms were To-
Gated at the head where irrigation had
been possible. How could even pioneers
utilize that ferocious river?
The startling beauty Of this lost val
ley struck Jim next. It resembled q
winding jewel OF emerald and amethyst,
set down amid barren hills Of jasper
and porphyry. and variegated mosaics
OF foothills waving away on the left,
and golden racks Of carved rocks. and
mounds Of brown clay and dunes Of
rusty earth.
Jim followed the lead pack horse
down Into gumbo mud. The floor Of the
valley supported mass Of foliage be-
sides the stately cottonwoods. And at
every step a horse hoof sank deep, to
come forth with huge cake of mud.
AZ midday Jim passed deserted cabins,
some on one side OF the river, some
on the other. They did not appear so
Old. yet they were not new. Had Blue
Valley been abandoned? Jim was con-
vlnced 1t could not be So But when
ne espied deserted church, with va
cant, eye-like windows, then his heart
sank; Helen must have rest, care, food.
he was at the end Of his resources.
An hour later he toiled past a shack
ouilt OF logs and stones and adjoining
q dugout set into the hill. People had
lived there once, but long ago.
Jim's last hope fed. He was still far
from the head Of the valley, but APP
parently he had left the zone Of habita-
ton behind.
$40 aAOCAH OOn WdOeQ. Inc 0OfSeD
plodded on. slower and slower, wearing
to exhaustion. Helen was a dead weight
Despair had seized upon him when he
turned a yellow corner between the
slope and the cottonwoods, to be con-
fronted by . wide pasture, at the end
OF which log cabin nestled among
cottonwoods. A column of blue smoke
rose lazily against the foliage.
The horses labored out Of the mud
to higher ground. Jim rode up to the
cabin. Never in all his life had he
been so glad to smell smoke, to see a
garden, to hear Q dog bark. His ever
quick eye caught sight Of a man who
had evidently been watching, for he
stepped out on the porch, rife In hand.
Jim kept on to the barred gate. There
were flowers In the yard and vines on
the cabin-proof Of feminine hands.
And he saw q bed on the porch.
Hello" he shouted, as he got on
carefully, needing both hands to handle
Helen.
"Hullo, yourself!" called the man.
who was apparently curious, but not
unfriendly. Then as Jim let down a
bar Of the gate with his foot this resi-
dent of Blue Valley leaned his rifle
against the wall and called to some
one within.
CTo Be Continued