The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-07-28
CHAPTER VII

They took the trail just as the
sun broke in dawn and sent It's
first warming rays into the mists
that formed soft, white cloak
over the hills toward which they
rode in pairs, conversing and ad-
justing their bodies to the galts OF
the fast-walking animals.
Nikki rode with Steve and real
lied, in the grandeur of the break
ing dawn, that she loved this man
very much and that she was being
distinctly unfair to him. Anything
might happen on this trip, she
thought, and decided to tell Steve
about Bancroft and the money at
the first opportunity. In the mean
time she rode beside him In silence
and told him with her eyes that
she loved him greatly.
Long before they stopped to eat
the sandwiches that had been pre-
pared and to boil coffee over a
tiny fire, the trail started upward
and became more and more rocky.
Once they crossed a dry river bed
that was a tremendous trail OF
boulderS walled in on either side
by cliffs along which the seams and
formations traced irregular patterns.
Their pause for lunch was brief
for Uncle Jim wanted to reach the
cabin before dark and the worst
of the trail law yet ahead. AS they
started out again he arranged them
In single file and warned each rider
against trying to pass another or
of getting too close on the trail.
Rance led the way, followed by
Nikki, Uncle Jim, Fiske, Sarto,
Steve, Bancroft, and Woody, who
brought up the rear to keep any
of the little party from struggling
too far back.
The trip appeared to be a hard
ship for Sarto alone. He was dis
tinctly not an outdoor man and
nature to him meant taking a taxi
through Central Park-when it was
the shortest route to his destination,
He chung to his saddle as the trail
narrowed and hunched disconSol-
ately in his seat, scowling silently.
Tho pack trip was obviously not OF
his choosing.
The trail wound along the side
OF q cliff, tortuous and rocky. On
the inside rose the sheer walls OF
stone, washed clean by centuries OF
mGuntain storms marked with the
oddly colored lines of capricious
reds and blacks against the brown.
On the other side, along most Of
the slender path, the mountain
sloped off steeply but not danger
ougly. A daring horseman could
have ridden down the side had he
chosen. 1t was dotted with clumps
of low-growing bushes and trees
that clustered courageously in the
soil around the boulders.
But in spots the violent torrents
of the spring thaws had burst over
the trail and rushed down the
mountain side in foaming white
cascade, stripping the slope of its
bushes, stunted trees, and boulders,
transforming the decline into sud-
den, breath taking drop that might
be so or might be 200 feet straight
down before the break ended in a
rough bed of granite.
They had been on that upward
trail several hours when it hap
pened. Nikki was watching her
horse stepping carefully at the heels
of RANGES mount. Behind her Uncle
Jim hummed a monotonous little
song and paid small attention to a
trail that was long familiar to him
Behind her uncle came Fiske
quiet and observant, and back OF
him rode the glowering Sarto. They
were passing one of the sections
of the trail narrowed by the snow
laden torrents and the path hung
precipitously over aWeSome nothing
ness on the right. There wasn't over
20 feet of danger and then the trai
widened and fell off into gradua
Sloping ground again.
Nikki heard a sudden frightened
yell and turned to see Sarto's horse
plunging forward, hugging the innel
wall. Sarto chung to the pommel, hi
head ducked forward into the steed!
name.
The quick lunge carried Sarto!
horse crowding between the wal
and the mare ridden by Fiske. Tit
mare fought desperately for bal
ance. Her iron-shod hoofs strucl
sparks as she slipped on the edge
of the trail.
Throw yourself off," shouted
Uncle Jim, twisting in his saddle
helpless to aid.
There was only an instant as tn,
mare hung on the brink. Fiske lean
ed desperately to throw his weigh
inward. Sarto's horse surged for
ward again in frightened leaps ant
broke through.
Steve, riding directly behind Sarto
refined in his horse abruptly a
Sarto's unexpected lunge. He coult
see the quick, deadly drop off tn,
trail, the narrow path upon which
two horses could not stand side b.
side. He could, see just ahead tn,
safety of the sloping mountain will
Its dotting shrubs and small trees.
That safety lay a bare seven fee
ahead of Fiske.
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