White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-09-15
The Deserts Price
Bq urlllAM MACLEOD RAlNE
w ednM.

| pack horse. He had not been at
home, he explained, when Phils mes
senger arrived. Hence the delay.
Julia said word to him before he
left. They were for the moment stand
| ing alone. you'll look after Phil
won't you? He's only boy"
"I'll do that Ill thing II can," he
answered, smiling into her eyes by
way of reinsurance.
IFS 1t safe to 90 up there-you two
alone?" she asked. Il wish you'd
wait and take posse"
He shook his head. Cant do that.
We'd be followin' cold trail II we
did. But I reckon it'll be all right.
We're not allowin' to bring any rust
lers back with US. Just now we're
after information"
SWELL don't let Phil do anything
foolish, please"
Again he promised to look after the
boy.
He frightened cinch before he made
reference to another subject on his
mind "Father was tellin' me about
his talk with you"
"Yes, we smoked a pipe of peace"
she said.
"I'm sure glad Far as l was con-
cerned it wasn't necessary. 1 was
through, anyhow. You an yore broth
err have done too much for me. I'd
never lift a hand against you. But
it's better to have an open treaty."
"If Dad had only lived" she MUIR
INJURED, more to herself than to him.
"Father can't get over that. Ireckon
they hated each other, but there was
something between them deeper than
hate. / expect Mr.. Stark knows that
now, If over there they know about
things here. Likely their hate hurt
them a lot more than they let on"
That's what I think. Did your ia
Their tell you about how feel?"
Her deep eyes met his and through
him went thrill that quickened his
pulses. His drumming heart beat the
tidings that he wanted this lovely girl,
so quick and vibrant with life, so pas
sionately DESTROYS Of the fine things it
had to offer-wanted to take her for
his mate and spend the years OF his
life beside her. Yet he knew 1t could
not be- There was chasm between
him and her that could not be bridged.
Eyes. l understand that too. It's
the only way you could feel. But. {.
Remember that night we rode across
| the desert together an talked about
how 1t had got us, how it had made
| us tough an ferocfous an harsh like
that clump of cactus there; an how
| you said 1t had another side, too, for
from that dry waste came lovely flow
ers an outa the heat came hours when
the air was all rose-colored an pink
an lilac? I've thought heap about
that an you sayin' 1t was thataway
with our lives, too. It's so. What
| I'm gettin at is this, that If the desert
makes us gaunt and hardy, if 1t gives
us endurance and fierceness shows US
| how to survive when softer folks, I'M
trained by it, would crumple up an
die, maybe these very qualities brought
into service an subdued to use, are the
ones we've got to have to win out on
| this thirsty frontier. We live where
we're always SEEM the flash Of teeth.
We've got to stand heat an drought
an hardship or get off the map All
summer my sister has been tryin' to
cut the ironweed outa her garden, but
it's still there, I notice"
"Yes, it's tough, like the bisnaga
and the cholla and the prfckly pear
she agreed.
Mature gives hooks an barbs an
saw-edged teeth to those Of her chill
dren that need 'em. mule-deer
learns to go coupla weeks without
water. Same way with prairie dogs
an coyotes. If they couldn't stand