White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-09-15

| mo, you're right about Gitner. He
belongs to the lobo family, I reckon.
Well, I'll be movin' along"
II don't think you belong to the
lobo family, Mr.. McCann," she told
him impulsively. II did once, but I've
changed my mind"
Their level gazes met.
"Much obliged for that" he replied
In the drawl of the Southland. II
don't reckon I'd better tell you what I
think about you"
Into her dark eyes there flashed a
momentary panic. She drew back, her
pulses fluttering.
Phil called across to his companion.
Ready, Wils?'
The two horsemen disappeared
round bend in the road.
Wilson Mccain and Phil Stark did
not find VERIFY at home. Mexican
boy herding sheep on the hillside near
said he had seen him start downward
in the morning.
The trail assembled steeply. The
travellers left behind them the desert
vegetation. The lean and haggard
ocotillo, cruel of claw, no longer
of the landscape. Catclaw and cholla
were still to be seen and occasionally
Spanish bayonet Scrub oaks and
juniper appeared, at first struggling
and hesitant. The riders passed
through a splendid grove of live oaks
festooned with great clumps of mistle-
toe, and as they still climbed upward
pines were silhouetted against the sky
line
They camped far up in the hills,
choosing for the location small park
where grass grew in place of burro-
weed. The very sky had changed its
character. 1t had become more live.
much nearer, deeper blue. The tang
of the pines was in the whey air.
Phil chopped fuel and built fire
while his companion undid the lash
rope and removed the cross buck from
the pack horse, picketed the animals,
and brought water from the spring.
After supper they smoked a pipe and
chatted.
'We'd ought to reach Guadaloup by
nine o'clock, wouldn't you say?" Phil
murmured sleepily, his head pillowed
on the most comfortable spot Of his
saddle.
81 reckon. If we get an early start"
They were up before daybreak. The
sun was just peeping over the ridge
when Mccain threw the diamond
hitch with the lash rope. It was pos
sible, though not probable, that at any
time they might jump up the rustlers
driving stolen cattle. Wherefore they
rode warily, following ridges where
they could so that they could sweep
with their eyes as much territory as
was feasible.
Guadaloup canyon opened before
them after an hour or two of travel
Precipitous walls shut them into de-
file, narrow and tortuous, up which
they moved IN single file. The soil was
red clay formation. Loose rocks
strewed the doorway Of the gorge, flung
down ages ago from the heights above.
the ground. Sure enough there had
| been cattle here and recently. Prints
| of horses hoofs showed that they had
been driven and had not strayed here
by chance. This they already knew,
by the testimony of the cowpuncher
Red.
They followed the gulch for several
| miles. The walls opened out S. that
| the sun beat down upon the riders and
| baked them. There was no shade. The
| only vegetation showing was the creo-
| sote clinging to the rocks. Even this
was scarce and stunted.
| A bend in the canyon brought them
to clump of small pines. A spring
| emerged from a fissure in the red
stone strata.
| Wilson stopped the other rider.
Hold on! Let's have look before
| we mess up any tracks that may be
| here"
They swung down and grounded the
reins of the horses. Through the red
sand ran half a dozen tracks Of side.
winders.
The men moved forward slowly to
the damp soil surrounding the spring
What Wilson was looking for he found
His finger pointed out heel mark
The boot was evidently much run over
on the outside and the heel badly
worn. The print Of the same foot was
stamped also in another moist spot
below the spring. 1t had been made
by very large boot.
"Some folks are right careless" Nc
Cam said.