The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-06-08
CHAPTER Nv
The Spots Of the Leopard.

|
which completed her entire return to
the commonplace. She smiled as she
read them, and for the first time it
seemed as II there might be charm
or two in the great city he depicted
so colorfully.
She rode over to Chez wash to see
Two Fingers and Little Moon the next
day and found the Indian woman up,
and about the simple matters Of her
hogan, her rug and her family.
1t gave the girl thrill to see her
so, the flush of joy that such vindica-
ton of her work always brought.
There was something in the knowledge
that she had saved a life that made
her one with the great work of crea-
ton ITSELF She was poor as the goods
of this world went, they were all fair
| ly so, Serge and Lila and little Babs,
but she felt very rich inside her, ar
rogantly rich, and she could smile up
at the blue heavens with secret sense
of fellowship.
So she left her last instructions with
the little family at the hogan, patted
the cheek of the youngest round-eyed
child, and rode away erect in her sad
die and pretty well satisfied with her
self and the world at large.
| 1t was in this mood that she came
under the tall face of Lone Mesa.
| AS she swung round its southeastern
side, she decided to go up. The trail,
cut into the sheer face by those long
dead inhabitants Of the pueblo, went
up from here, angling sharply, and so
steep that none but the level headed
dared to make it. She was such, and
so was the good horse under her,
though they had both sweated in a
cool day the first time they had at
tempted It.
| 1t was a stiff and slow climb, but
presently they gained the top and
scrambled up through the small defile
that was the steep trails end.
| AS they went forward Sonya felt the
surge and thrill she always felt at
sight of the vast reach of the world
about her. spread out so far below.
Taking Off her hat, she sat long in con-
temptation, her hands and the hat rest
Ing on her pommel.
For a long time she sat so, then
refined away toward the right. She
would circle the mesa, look at the
silent white houses with their fat
roofs, still amazingly intact, look at
the great stone basin which was near
ly always sweet with water caught in
the yearly rains.
Presently she left the ancient tank
! and went on toward the north, circling
the huddled houses. and was turning
eastward around them when she
stopped dead still.
A horse stood there in the blue
shadow OF the silent walls and a man
sat on his launches smoking a Gig
arctic. The horse was golden as a
raw ingot, and the man was bronzed
and lean. The light Of his bare head
shone in the cool shade. He looked
up, and Sonya looked down, and the
| girls eyes dilated with a swift excite
ment.
"Sol" she said coldly, her lips sud
denly tight. you come here again?"
The man arose, a single motion
beautifully correlated.
Sonya, not conscious of what she
was doing, sat looking at him. and
presently he looked up at her, straight
look, humble and still.
alike the mesa" he said Its
so high and austere, so far from-from
everything"
At the contact Of his glance the
strange tense feeling which this mans
presence had caused at every meeting
took hold on Sonya. II was not fear
Il had never been-nor repugnance,
nor the anger which had stirred her,
but a little OF all shot through with
something which she could not define,
sense OF prophecy. a forecast of
destiny.
II chilled her within and sent a wave
OF FIRE across the chill, and for a wild
moment she felt as II the solid rock
were falling away beneath her. Then
she caught herself together severely
and lifted Darkness rein. and the man
spoke again.
please" he said. please. Miss
Savarin. don't 90 away. IN 60 right
gladly"
. He reached for the bride OF the
golden horse and drew Il to him. hesl-
tating.
Il know I've got no right even to
speak to you" he said. "or look az
you after-after-that day up here.
but n was 20 be hung for IL next
second I couldn't help H. And I don't
want to cause you another minutes
trouble or unhapplnesz. n this here
mesa's . favorits place Of yours IN
never come again. Don't stay away
yourself. It's too sweet 10 be lost
But you'd lose IT. Sonya said
against her wilL