Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-04-11
CHAPTER I


the WedtnereQ Gill; ner DOOttu
feet barely touching the narrow
ledge below, was chiefly conscious
of the strain upon her wrists. All
the pain In the world seemed CEN
tered there. She knew that 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
above, a face wild as a hawks with
long blue eyes that watched her
painfully.
Moreover, 1t was a drunken face
or 1t had been ten minutes ago.
Now 1t was SOLDERING fast. and
there vas sweat at Its temples.
"Let go with n hand-please-
an catch tn rope" its owner
begged, "for tn love of Godl"
Leave God out of It'll" the girl
painted thlnly. "a lot you know
about him."
Then for your folks, miss.
Haven't you got some folks some
where who'd break their hearts II
you-if you-fellT
"Sure, | have-a brother who'd
kill you If he knew"
"rd give him tn chance. Only
catch tn rope. It's a little pull. I'll
have you up here In a minute"
"For whatT she asked bitterly.
The man groaned
"For your life-an' your safety"
"You give me your word?"
"Yes. VIII you take it?"
II will. Swing that loop to my
other shoulder. I'm left-handed."
With the expert precision of a
trained COW hand the mar swung
the loop around her slim body. With
a cat-like sweep of her left hand
the girl caught It, let go 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 look
Ing into each others eyes with
tragic ~tenseness which precluded
speech.
Then the man stopped and picked
up the girls wide hat and timidly
held 1t out to her. She took 1t
without a word, set 1t 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 1t back.
She took her reins and swung up
In her saddle, her lips set In a tight
line above her firm chin. In that
tense silence she leaned to the start,
when he caught her horses bit.
'T-miss," he said thickly, 81 want
toto say that | amt ever felt 80
bad in my life. I've done a lot of
things that wouldn't bear light, but
nothin' so bad as this. | never
made 30 big a mistake In Judgment
in all my days, an there amt no ex-
GUS l a offer. / just-just didn't
know a woman lived who'd rather
die than-than-"
"No?" said the girl like a rasp.
you've got a lot to learn, then.
Now, get out of my way"
Across the high mesa she went
like a streak of flame, her scarlet
shirt against the blue sky making
a fire in the spirit of the man who
stood watching her. When be could
no longer hear the sound of her
horses feet sliding In the loose
stone silt he stopped and picked up
his own hat. For a long time he
held II In his two hands, staring at
1t u%nseeing.
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-fagged patio of her brothers
ranch house and swung off with
the last thunder Of the lron-shod
feet.
"That was a pretty piece of horse
manship, Sonya," said q mans
voice; quite spectacular. How long
have you ridden like that7"
"Oh, hello. Rodl Why, l don't
know. Ever since I've been In this
country, l guess-fve years now
It's O land that makes for flights
and wide gestures"
II see. You've been gone an I'm.
considerable time. Where've you
beenT'
"Over beyond Chez wash. There's
a sick woman In a hogan, and I'm
afraid she's going to DIE"
A shadow passed across the girls
face, ~darkening 1t for a moment.
These Indians are 80 pItiful
Rod, SO patient, 30 hopeless. And
they are so poor. They make me
fairly question destiny sometimes"
my darlingI Why bother your
dear head7 What's one Navajo more
or less7"
II wish you wouldn't talk like that
Rod" she said earnestly. IF yor
knew them like | do you couldn't