Evening star., 1935-06-16

the shooting. She leaned toward him,
her fingers resting lightly on his arm.
PLEASE" she said, keep away
from that Flying-M heard that, for
some reason, the men didn't like you.
They're a peculiar lot, Border riff
raft, and -"
She was interrupted by series of
regular, rhythmic jolts as the car
slowed to stop. Dick looked at her
withagrin. and said, We'll, it's a good
thing I've got spares on this heap"
He swung the car to the side of the
road and looked at the fiat tire.
I'm sorry, Miss Daine," he said.
I'll have to get at the tools under that
seat"
She touched his extended hand as
she stepped lightly to the running
board. A car swept past them with a
roar. Dust and fumes from the exhaust
enveloped them. Dick made little
splitting sounds with his lips as he
sought to keep the dust from getting
into his mouth.
Listen" he said, this is no place
for you - not in those clothes. There
are going to be plenty of cars using
this road today. If you stand here.
you'll be covered with dust Suppose
you sit over there in the shade of that
smoke tree and let me change the tire.
won't be but a few minutes"
She wiped the dust from her face
with wisp of handkerchief, then
looked in dismay at the dark smudges
on the linen.
Good heavens" she said. Quartz
burg is becoming center of things. 1t
used TO be that a dozen cars day
wouldn't come over this road, and
now look at them. think I'll take you
up on that, if can't help with the
tire"
"Of course you can't help. Sit in
the shade and be comfortable"
He pulled tools from under the front
seat, removed his coat, and inserted a
jack under the rear axle while she,
moving over to the shade of the smoke
tree, selected comfortable seat. be-
coming virtually invisible to anyone
travelling the road.
In the desert where the air is very
dry and very clear, there is little or
no diffusion of light in the shadows.
The spots which catch the sunlight
reflect it with such dazzling intensity
IT causes the eyes to ache, while the
shadows seem, in comparison, almost
pitch black. 1t is this trick of light
which enables desert animals to make
themselves invisible by sitting mo-
tionless in the shadows.
Dick started unsCrewing the lugs in
the wheel of the car. The tools were
hot to his touch. The sun beat down
with steady intensity. Perspiration,
oozing from Dicks skin, trapped and
held the powdery dust which per-
meated the atmosphere above the road
and for some feet on either side.
Dick heard the sound of horses
hoofs, and looked up. Three men were
riding. stirrup to stirrup. Their Stet-
sons had been soiled with much usage.
The faces of two of the men were
tanned to the color of deep mahogany.
That Of the third was suspiciously
pale, the pallor of skin which is
starved for sunlight. Dick recognized
one of the riders as the man who had
ridden into Phoenix with him. All
three, apparently, were hilariously
drunk.
"Whoopeeeee" yelled one of the
men. Look at the gold rusher with
fiat tire!'
Dick stared. holding in his hand the
wrench which fitted the lugs on the
wheel. He saw one of the men lean to
one side and whisper something to the
pasty-faced individual. The pasty-
faced individual promptly united the
braided rawhide lasso which hung in
coil on the right of his saddle.
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