Evening star., 1935-03-31
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
~ OSITA reached out her right
- hand, shouting. Every sound
Of her voice struck through the
l. heart Of the Kid like mighty
chord sung by . thousand
sweet oices.
"The black horse for you, Pas
cual!" he called over his shoulder.
Steady, all. I throw on the brake!"
It screeched. the wooden blocks
grinding on the iron tires as the Kid
checked the rush Of the horses with
all his might. And then down into
the tangle. He caught the knife from
the hand Of the girl and slashed.
The leather traces were shorn, the
long reins gashed in two, and in q
moment Mateo Rubriz, on the bare
back Of the white wheeler, was gal
Looping straight ahead down the road.
For he knew that the girls mus
tang, the red mare. and the black
horse were all fresh, but the white
was tired. very tired, already and with
no feathers weight on its back.
They raced their horses for dis
tance.
And then they were running for
time, with q sun that sloped with
maddening slowness toward the west
ern horizon. For the pursuit could
held back the four fugitives.
More than once bullets sang in
the air, but the distance was entirely
too great; only q random shot could
strike them.
At last the Kid brought Sally close
beside the white He took the hand OF
Rubriz and lifted 20 pounds, 80
pounds, 40 pounds Of the bulk Of the
big rider, transferring it thus to the
strong back and the tireless, iron legs
of red Sally.
There was no faltering in her, and
1t was her strength that carried them
into the red of the sunset. and sud-
denly into the quick twilight that
securely covered them from further
pursuit at that moment.
All pursuit was not ended, of course
unless those savage riders from the
Valley Of the Dead gave a little more
thought to their memory of Juan
Silva, smiling open-eyed at the sun
But the truth was that they had
neither sight nor sound Of an enemy
all the way to Duraya.
But the taste of life was so exceed
ingly sweet to them all, after the VAL
ley Of the Dead, that the precious
trinket inside the bit Of chamois was
never unwrapped once during the
entire journey.
Perhaps there never was a happier
journey, in spite of the sand filled
winds that whipped and choked them
and the foul water, and the starvation
rations most of the way. and the rea-
son for that happiness was that here
were four who had been through fire
together. so that they knew the temper
of one another. And what Is happi-
ness in this world?
They had come into the green OF
living mountains-living with grass
and with trees and with water after
the naked desert they had crossed.
The Kid himself, as the evening
closed in. had brought down with two
shots from one of Estrada's revolvers
deer that leaped out before them
from thicket.
RoSita stood leaning against a tree
just then, tapping with her slender
fingers against the rough Of the bark
Tell me, Mateo," she said. If you
have forgiven this gringo? Have you
forgiven him. and forgotten?"
"I?" exclaimed Rubriz-but even
he guarded his voice so that it might
not enter the sleep and disturb the
dreams of Pascual If I forgive him
may San Juan of Capistrano never
forgive me or be aiding me again!
What? A man-Stealer who caught
away Tonic from me? Forgive him?
I'll see him damned before I forgive
him"
He half raised himself and glared
at Montana. who lay fiat on his back