The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-05-11
CHAPTER I

Lone Mesa.

OUS4hVA SCAbCACO tACAVe NAO nav" s@-~~s
three hundred feet Of space hung blue
and clear beneath her, that the azure
sky cupped serenely above, and still
she endured with her mouth set and
her dark eyes flaming upward at the
face which topped the mesa's rim.
This was a mans face, young and
lean and weathered as the land about.
q face wild as a hawks, with long blue
eyes that watched her painfully.
Moreover, it was drunken face-or
It had been ten minutes ago.
Now it was SOLDERING fast, and there
was sweat at its temples.
LET go with one hand-please-an'
catch tn rope" its owner begged, "for
tn love Of Godp
"Leave God out Of It'll" the girl
painted thinly. "a lot you know about
him!"
"Then for your folks, miss. Haven't
you got some folks somewhere who'd
break their hearts If you-if YOU
fell?"
"Sure I have-a brother who'd kill
you If he knew"
'T'd give him tn chance. Only
catch tn rope. It's little pull. I'll
have you up here in minute"
"For what?" she asked bitterly.
The man groaned.
"For your life-an' your safety"
'You give me your word?"
eyes. viii you take it?"
II will. Swing that loop to my other
shoulder. I'm left-handed."
With the expert precision of
trained COW hand the man swung the
loop around her slim body. With a
cat-like sweep Of her left hand the
girl caught it, let 60 the bare root Of
the dead pinon pine stump on the rim
which had saved her, and swung clear.
Hand over hand the man raised her
the scant ten feet which had separated
them and pulled her over the edge Of
the cliff. Together they rose to their
feet and stood looking into each others
eyes with tragic tenseness which pre-
cluded speech.
Then the man stopped and picked
up the girls wide hat and timidly
held it out to her. She took it without
a word, set it on her dark head,
brushed the white, sandy sift Of the
cliff-face from her shirt and riding
breeches, and watched him catch her
horse and lead it back.
She took her rein and swung up In
her saddle, her lips set in tight line
above her firm chin. In that tense
silence she leaned to the start, when
he caught her horses bit.
"I-miss," he said thickly, II want
TOTO say that amt ever felt so bad
in my life. I've done a lot of things
that wouldn't bear light, but nothin'
so bad as this. never made so big a
mistake in judgment in all my days,
an there amt no excuse can offer. I
just-just didn't know a woman lived
who'd rather die than-than-"
"No?' said the girl like rasp.
"You've got lot to learn, then. Now,
get out of my way"
She lifted the rein again, leaned in
her saddle, and the tall black horse
beneath her leaped to his stride from
a standing start.
Across the high mesa she went like
q streak of flame, her scarlet shirt
against the blue sky making a fire in
the spirit Of the man who stood watch
ing her. When he could no longer
hear the sound Of her horses feet slid
ing in the loose stone silt he stopped
and picked up his own hat For a
long time he held 1t in his two hands,
staring at it unseeing.
Down on the sandy levels the girl
gave her horse his head and sailed
away toward the north and east. Two
hours later she rode into the stone
tagged patio Of her brothers ranch
house and swung off with the last
thunder of the iron-shod feet.
'That was a pretty piece of horse
manship, Sonya," said mans voice:
quite spectacular. How long have
you ridden like that?'
"Oh, hello, Rodl Why, don't
kuOWs Ever SLICE I've De6U III CnlS
country, guess-five years now. It's
land that makes for flight and wide
gestures"
II see. You've been gone an uncon-
scionable time. Where've you been?"
"Over beyond Chez wash. There's
sick woman In a hogan. and I'm
afraid she's going to die"
A shadow passed across the girls
face, darkening it for moment.
"These Indians are so pitiful. Rod,
30 patient, so hopeless. And they are
so poor. They make me fairly ques-
ton destiny sometimes"
my darlingl Why bother your dear
head? What's one Navajo more or
less?"
II wish you wouldn't talk like that,
Rod" she said earnestly. IF you
knew them like do you couldn't.
They are a lost people, that grant
you, who know they are lost, and they
are going down to oblivion like a gal
liant ship with its sails set and flags
flying. You don't understand. Rod"
GNn - said Tho man Ootffn0 mn and