THE NEWS-RECORD, MARSHALL, N. C.
, 1J I
BESERT-
Conrrlrht bv Haroar Brother.
CHAPTER X Continued.
11
Belding paced up and down the
room. Jim and Ladd whispered to
gether. Gale walked to the window
and looked out at the distant group
of bandits, and then turned hia gaze
to rest upon Mercedes. She waa con
scious now, and her eyes seemed all
the larger and blacker for the whlte
. ness of her face. No one but Gale
saw the Yaqui In the background look
ing down upon the Spanish girl. All
of Yaqul's looks were trange; but
this was singularly so. Gale won
dered If the Indian were affected by
her loveliness, her helplessness, or her
terror.
Presently Belding called his rang
ers to him, and then Thome.
"Listen to this," he snld, earnestly.
"I'll go out and have a talk with Ro
jas.' I'll try to reason with him; tell
him to think a long time before he
sheds blood on Uncle Sam's soil. That
he's now after an American's wife!
I'll not commit myself, nor will I re
fuse outright to consider his demands,
nor will I show the least fear of him.
!'ll play for time. If my bluff goes
hrough . . . well and good. . . .
After dark the four of you, Laddy, Jim,
Dick and Thorne. will take Mercedes
and my best white hordes, and, with
Yaqul as guide, circle round' through
Altar valley to the trail, and hen (I for
Yuma. I want you to tuke the Indian,
because In a case of this kind he'll
be a godsend. If you get headed or
lost or have to circle, off the trail,
think what It'd menn to have a Yaqul
with you. He knows Seniors as no
Greaser knows It. lie could hide you,
find water and grass, when you would
absolutely believe It Impossible. The
Indian Is loyal. He has his debt to
pay, and he'll pay It, don't mistake me.
When you're gone I'll hide Nell so
Rojas won't see her If he searches the
place. Then I think I could sit down
and wait without any particular
worry."
The rangers approved of Holding's
plan, and Thorne went to the side of
his wife.
"Mercedes, we've planned to outwit
Rojas. Will you tell us what he
Srote?"
"Rojas swore by his saints and his
Virgin that If I wasn't given to him
In' twenty-four hours he would set
fire to the IIlage kill the men car
ry off the women hong the children
on cactus thorns!"
A moment's silence followed her
last halting whisper.
Then the Yaqul uttered a singular
cry. Gale had heard this once before,
and now he remembered It was at the
Pa pa go well.
"Look at the Indian," whispered
Bcldlng, hoarsely. "D n If I don't
believe he understood every word Mer
i cedes said. And, gentlemen, don't mis
take me. If he ever gets near Senor
Rojas there'll be some gory Aztec
knife work."
Yaqul had moved close to Mercedes,
and' stood beside her as she leaned
against her husband. She seemed Im
pelled to meet the Indian's gaze, and
evidently It was so powerful or hyp
notic that It wrought Irresistibly upon
her. But she must have seen or di
vined what was beyond the others,
for she offered him her trembling
hand. Yaqul took It and laid . it
against his body in a strange motion,
and bowed his head. Then he stopped
back Into the shadow of the room.
Belding went outdoors while the
rangers took up their former position
at the west window. Each had his
own somber thoughts. Gale Imagined,
find knew his own were dark enough.
He saw Belding halt at the corrals
and wave his hand. Then the rebels
mounted and came briskly up the
road, this time to rein in abreast.
Wherever Rojas had kept himself
opon the former advance was not
. clear; but he certainly was prominent
ly In sight now. He jnade a gaudy,
almost a dashing figure. Rojas dis
mounted and seemed to be listening.
Belding made gestures, vehemently
bobbed his big head, appeared to talk
with his body as much as with his
tongue. Then Rojas was seen to reply,
and after that it was clear that the
talk became painful and difficult. It
ended- finally In what appeared to be
mutual understanding. Itojas mount
ed and rode away with his men,
while Belding came tramping back to
the house. . 'J
As he entered the door his eyes
were shining, his. big hands were
clenched, and he was , breathing au
dibly. ; .'".v.;";' :....".'.;.-".
"Yon ican rope; me If I'm not lo
coed!" he burst out "I went out to
conciliate a red-handed little mur
derer, and, d n me If 1 didn't meet
a a well. I've no suitable name
handy.- I started my bluff and got
along pretty well, but I forgot to men
tion that Mercedes was Thome's wife.
And what do you think Rojaa swore
he loved Mercedes swore he'd marry
her right here In Forlorn' River
swore he would give up robbing and
killing people, and take her away
from Mexico. ' ' He has gold Jewels.
He swore If' bp didn't get her noth
ing mattered. 'He'd die anyway with
out her. ,- . . And here's the strange
thing. I believe him I He was cold
e Ir. end a3 b I Isilde. Nevar aaw I
Author of Riders of the Purple
minim wwm iiii
a Greaser like him. Anyway, without
my asking he said for me to think It
over for a day and then we'd talk
again."
"Shore we're born lucky J" ejacu;
lated Ladd.
"I reckon Rojaa'll be smart enough
to string his outfit across the few
trails out of Forlorn River," remarked
Jim.
"That needn't worry us. All we
want Is dark to come," replied Bel
ding. "Yaqul will slip through. If
we thank any lucky stars let It be for
the Indian. You may go to Yuma In
six days and maybe In six weeks. You
may have a big fight. Laddy, take
the .405. Dick will pack his Reming
ton. All of you go gunned heavy. But
the main thing Is a pack that'll be
light enough for swift travel, yet one
that'll keep you from starving on the
desert."
The rest of that dny passed swiftly.
The sun set. twilight fell, then night
closed down, fortunately a night
slightly overcast. Gale saw the white
horses pass his door like silent
ghosts. Even Blanco Diablo made no
sound, and that fact was Indeed a
tribute to the Yaqul. Gale went out
"If I Coma Back No When I Come
Back, Will You Marry Me?"
to put his saddle on Blanco Sol. The
horse rubbed a soft nose against his
shoulder. Then Gale returned to the
sitting room. There was nothing more
to do but wait and say good-by. Mer
cedes came clad In leather chaps and
coat, a slim stripling of a cowboy, her
dark eyes flashing. Her beauty could
not be hidden, and now hope and
courage had fired her blood.
Gale drew Nell Into his arras.
"Dearest, I'm going soon. . . .
And maybe I'll never"
"Dick, do don't say It," sobbed
Nell, with her head on his breast .
"I might never come back," he went
on, steadily. "I love you I've loved
you ever since the first moment I saw
you. Do you love me?"
"Yes, yes. Oh, I love you sol I
never knew It till now. I love you so.
Dick, 111 be safe and I'll Walt and
hope and pray for your return."
"If I come back no when I come
back, will you marry me?"
"I I oh yes!" she whispered, and
returned his kiss.
Belding was In the room speaking
softly. ; ":
"Nell, darling, I must go," said
Dick.
. "I'm a selfish little coward," cried
Nell. "It's so splendid of you all. - I
ought to glory In it, but I can't. . . ,
Fight if you must, Dick. Fight for
that lovely persecuted girl. , I'll love
you the more. . . ,, , Oh 1 Good
by! Goodby!"
With a wrench that shook him. Gale
let her go. He heard Beldlng's soft
voice. ' : .:. , ' "
"Yaqul says the early hour's the
best. Trust him, Laddy. Remember
what I say Yaqul's a godsend."
Then they were all outside In the
pate gloom under the trees. Yaqul
mounted Blanco Diablo ; ; Mercedes
was Htted upon White Woman ;
Thorne Tllmbed astride Qneen ; Jim
Lash was already upon his horse,
which was as white as the others but
bore no name; Ladd mounted the stair
Hon Blanco Torres, and gathered up
the long halters pf the two pack
horses; Gale came last with Blanco
Soi,-:,. "".'.'-. r W-.'.: - ' :
As he toed the stirrup, hand on
mane and pommel, Gale took one more
look In at the door. .: Nell stood In'
the gleam of light, her hair shining,
face I'lre ashes, her eyes dark, her
Hps parted, her arms outstretched.
That sweet and tragic picture etched
Its cruel outlines into Gale's heart. He
waved his hand and . theb fiercely
leaped Into the saddle. '
Blanco Sol stepped ont '
Before Gale stretched a line of mov
ing horses, ' white against dark shad
ows. He could not see the head of
that column ', he scarcely beard a soft
hoofbeat. A single star shone out
of a rift In thin clouds. There was
i" '
.it . ill
GOLB by Zone Grey
no wind. The air was cold. The dark
space of desert seemed to yawn. Tc
the left across the river flickered s
few campflres. The chill night, silent
and mystical, seemed to close in upon
Gale; and be faced the wide, quiver
ing, black level with keen eyes and
grim Intent, and an awakening of that
wild rapture which came- like a spell
to him In the open desert,
CHAPTER XI
Across Cactus and Lava.
At the far corner of the field Yaqul
halted, and slowly the line of white
horses merged Into a compact mass.
Yaqul slipped' out of his saddle. He
ran his bond over Dlablo's nose and
spoke low, and repeated this action
for each of the other horses. Gale
had long censed to question the
strange Indian's behavior. There was
no explaining or understanding many
of his maneuvers. But the results of
them were always thought-provoking.
Gale had never seen horses stand so
silently as In this Instance; no stomp
no champ of bit no toss of head
no shake of saddle or pack no heave
or snort 1 It seemed they had become
Imbued with the spirit of the Indian.
Yaqul moved away Into the shadows
as noiselessly as if be were one of
them. The darkness swallowed him.
He bad taken a direction parallel with
the trail. Gale wondered If Yaqul
meant to try to lead his string of
horses by the rebel sentinels.
The Indian appeared as he had van
ished. He might have been part of
the shadows. But he was there. He
started off down the trail leading
Diablo. Again the white line stretched
slowly out. Gale fell In behind. Peer
ing low with keen eyes, he made out
three objects a white sombrero, a
blanket and a Mexican lying face
down. The Yaqul had stolen upon this
sentinel like a silent wind of death.
Once under the dark lee of the river
bank Toqul caused another halt, and
he., disappeared as before. Moments
passed. The horses held heads up,
looked toward the glimmering camp
fires and listened. Gale thrilled with
the meaning of It all the night the
silence the flight nnd the wonderful
Indian' stealing with the slow Inev
ltableness of doom upon another sen
tinel. '
Suddenly the Indian stalked out of
the gloom. He mounted Diablo and
headed across the river.- Once more
the line of moving white shadows
stretched, out. Gale peered sharply
along the trail, nnd, presumably, on
the pale sand under 1 cactus, there
lay a blanketed form, prone, out
stretched, a carbine clutched In one
hand, a cigarette, still burning, In the
other.
The cavalcade of white horses
passed within five hundred yards of
campflres, around which dark forms
moved in plain sight. The lights dis
appeared from time to time, grew
dimmer, more flickering, and at. last
they vanished altogether, Beldlng's
fleet and tireless, steeds were out in
front; the desert opened ahead wide,
dark, vast. Itojas and his rebels were
behind, eating, drinking, careless. The
somber shadow lifted from Gale's
heart. He held now an unquenchable
faith In the Yaqul. Belding would be
listening bnck there along the river.
He would know of the escape. He
would tell Nell, and then hide her
safely. As Gale had accepted a
strange and fatalistic foreshadowing
of toll, blood and agony In this desert
journey, so he believed In Mercedes'
ultimate freedom and happiness, and
bis own return to the girl who had
grown dearer than life. '..-'. , '
, '
A cold, gray dawn was fleeing be
fore a rosy sun when Yaqui .halted
the inarch at Papago well. The horses
were taken to water, then led down
the arroyo Into the grass. Here packs
were, slipped, saddles removed. Jim
Lash remarked how cleverly they had
fooled the rebels.
"Shore they 'll be com In' along," re
plied Ladd. ; .
They built a fire, cooked and 'ate.
The Yaqui spoke only one ' word :
"Sleep." Blankets were spread. Mer
cedes dropped Into a deep slumber,
her head on, Thorne'a shoulder. Ex
citement, "kept Thorne awake. The
two rangers dozed beside the fire.
Gale shared the Yaqul's watch. At
the end of three hours the rangers
grew active, Mercedes was awak
ened; and eoon the party faced west
ward, their long shadows moving be
fore them. Yaqul led with Blanco
Diablo In a long, easy lope. The
heated air lifted,' and Incoming cur
rents from the west swept low and
hard over the. barren earth. In the
distance, all around the horizon, accu
mulations of dust seemed like ranging;
mushrooming yellow clouds. ,
Yaqui was the only one of the fu
gitives who never looked back. : Gale
had a conviction that , when Yaqui
gazed back toward the well and the
shining- plain beyond, there would be
reason for It. But when the sun lost
Its heat and the wind died down Yaqul
look long and careful surveys west
ward from the high points on . the
trail. Sunset was not far off, nnd
there in a bare, spotted valley Iny
Coyote tanks, the only water hole be
tween Papago well and the Soaoytaj
Sage, , Wildfire, Etc.
oasis. Gale used his glass, told Yaqul
there was no smoke, no sign of life;
still the Indian fixed his falcon eyes
on distant snots and looked long. No
further advance was undertaken. -The
Yaqul headed south and traveled
slowly, climbing to the brow of a bold
height of weathered mesa. There he
sat his horse and waited. No one
questioned him. The rangers dis
mounted to stretch their legs, and
Mercedes war lifted to a rock, where
she rested. Thorne had gradually
yielded to the desert's Influence for
silence. He spoke once or twice to
Gale, and occasionally whispered to
Mercedes. Cale fancied his friend
would soon learn that necessary
speech In desert travel meant a few
greetings, a few words to make real
the fact of human companionship, a
few short, terse terms for the busi
ness of the day or night, and perhaps
a stern order or a soft call to a horse.
The sun went down, and the golden,
rosy veils turned to blue and shaded
darker till twilight was there In the
valley. Darkness approached, and the
clear peaks faded. The horses stamped
to be on the move.
"Malo!" exclaimed the Ynqui.
He did not point with arm, but his
falcon head was outstretched, and his
piercing eyes gazed at the "blurring
spot which marked the location of
Coyote tanks.
"Jim, can you see anything?" asked
Ladd.,
"Nope, but I reckon he can."
Then Ladd suddenly straightened
up, turned to his horse, and muttered
low under his breath.
"I reckon so," said Lash, and for
once his easy, good-natured tone was
not In evidence. His voice was
harsh.
Gale's eyes, keen as they were, were
last offihe rangers to see tiny needle
points of light Just faintly perceptible
In the blackness.
"Laddy! Campflres?" he asked,
quickly.
"Shore's you're born, my boy." s
"How many?"
Ladd did not reply; but Yaqul held
up his band, his Angers wide. Five
campflres! A strong force of rebels
or raiders or some other desert troop
was camping at Coyote tanks.
Yaqul sat his horse for a moment
motionless as stone, his dark face Im
mutable and Impassive. Then he
stretched his right ami In the direc
tion of No Name mountains, now los
ing their last faint traces of the after
glow, and he shook his head. He
made the same Impressive gesture
toward the Sonoyta oasis with the
same somber negation.
Thereupon he turned Dlablo's head
to the south and started down the
slope. His manner had been decisive,
even stern. Lash did not question It,
nor did Ladd. Both rangers hesitated,
however, and showed a strange, almost
a sullen reluctance which Gale had
never seen In them before. Raiders
were one thing, Rojas was another;
Camlno del Diablo still another; but
that vast and desolate and unwatered
waste of cactus and lava, the Sonoru
desert, might appall the stoutest
heart. , Gale felt his own sink felt
himself flinch.
"Oh, where Is he going?" cried Mer
cedes. Her poignant voice seemed
to breac a spell.
"Shore, lady,' Yaqul's goln home.''
replied Ladd gently. "An' conslderln'
our troubles, I reckon we ought to
thank God he knows the way."-
They mounted -and rode down the
slope toward the darkening south.
Not until night travel was obstruct
ed by a wall of cactus did the Indian
halt to make a dry camp. Water and
grass for the horses and fire to cook
by were not to be had. Mercedes bore
up surprisingly; but she fell asleep
almost the instant her thirst had been
allayed. Thorne laid her npon a blan
ket and covered her. The men ate
and drank. Gale lay down weary of
limb and1 eye. He heard the soft
thump of hoofs, the sough of wind In
the cactus then no more.
Day dawned with the fugitives In
the saddle. . A picketed wall of cac
tus hedged them In, yet the Yaqul
made a tortuous path, that, zigzag as
It might, In the main always headed
south, - .'-. . I '
The. Yaqul. If not at fault, was yet
uncertain. HI falcon eyes searched
and roved, and became fixed at length
at the southwest and toward this he
turned his horse. The great, fluted
enguaros, fifty, slxt, feet high, raised
colnmnal forms, and their branching
limbs and curving lines added a grace
to the desert. It was the low-bushed
cactus that made the toll and PRln of
travel. - Yet these thorny forms were
beautiful. ..' ,
In the basins between the ridges, to
right and left along the floor .of low
plains the mirage glistened,-wavered,
faded, vanished lakes and trees and
clouds. Inverted mountains hung
suspended hi the lilac air and faint
tracery, of whlte-walled cities.
At noon Yaqul halted the cavalcade.
He had selected a field of blsnagl cac
tus fpr the place of rest Presently
his reason became obvious. "With long,
heavy knife he cut off the tops of
these barrel-shaped . plants. . He
scooped out soft pulp, and With stone
and hand then began to pound the
deeper pulp Into a juicy mass. Vieo ,
m
he threw this out there was a little
water left, sweet, cold water which
man and horse shared eagerly. Thus
he made even the desert's fiercest
growths minister to their needs.
But he did opt halt long. Miles of
gray-green spiked waits lay between
him and that line of ragged, red lava
which manifestly he must reach be
fore dark. The travel became faster,
stralghter. And the glistening thorns
clutched . and clung to leather and
cloth and flesh. The horses reared,
snorted, balked, leaped but they
were sent on. Only Blanco Sol, the
patient, the plodding,, the Indomitable,
needed no goad or spur. Mercedes
reeled in her saddle. Thorne bade
her drink, bathed her face, supported
her, and then gave way to Ladd, who
took the girl with him on Torres'
broad back. The middle of the after
noon saw Thorne reeling In his saddle,
and then,' wherever possible, Gale's
powerful arm lent him strength to
hold his seat
,The fugitives were entering a des
late, buVned-out world. The .waste
of Hand began to yield to cinders.
The horses sank to their fetlocks as
they tolled on. A fine, choking dust
blew back from the leaders, and men
coughed and horses snorted. But the
sun was now behind the hills. In be
tween ran the stream of lava. It
was broken, sharp, dull rust color, full
of cracks and caves and crevices, and
everywhere upon Its Jagged surface
grew the whlte-thorned choya.
Again twilight encompassed the
travelers. But there was still light
enough for Gale to see the constricted
passage open into a wide, deep space
where the dull. color was relieved by
the gray of gnarled and dwarfed mes
quite. Blanco Sol, keenest of scent,
whistled his welcome herald of water.
The other horses answered, quickened
their gait. Gale.smelled it, too, sweet,
cool, damp on the dry air.
Yaqul turned the corner of a pocket
In the lava wall. The file of white
horses rounded the corner after him.
And Gale, coming , last, saw the pale,
glancing gleam of a pool of water
beautiful In the twilight. j
Next day the Yaqul's relentless
driving demand on the horses was no
longer In evidence. He lost no time,
but he did not hasten. His course
wound between low cinder dunes
which limited their view of the sur
rounding country. These dunes finally
sank down to, a black floor as hard as
flint, with tongues of lava to the left,
and to the right the slow descent Into
the cactus plain. Yaqul was now
traveling due west It was Gale's
Idea that the Indian was skirting the
first sharp-toothed slope of a vast vol
canic plateau which formed the west
ern half of the Sonora desert and .-ex-
tnniliul In tha fliilf rt Pnltfni-nln m
Travel was slow, but not exhausting
for rider or beast
Thirty miles of easy stages brought
the fugitives to another waterhoTe, a
little round pocket under the heaved
up edge of lava.' There was spare.
Mercedes Must Ride; but the Others
Must Walk.
short, bleached grass for the horses,
but no wood, for a fire. This1 night
there were question and reply, con
jecture, doubt, opinion and conviction
expressed by the men ' of the party.
But the Indian, who alone could have
told where they were, where they
were, golng.swhat chance they had to
escape, maintained his stoical silence.
Gale' took the early watch, Ladd the
midnight one, and Lash that of the
morning. . The day broke rosy, glort
ous, cold as Ice. Action was neces
sary to make Useful benumbed hands
and feet Mercedes, was fed while yet
wrapped Jn blankets. . , .
It was a significant Index to the
day's travel that Yaqul should keep
a blanket from the pack and tear It
Into strips to bind the legs of the
horses. It meant the dreaded cheya
and the knife-edged lava. That Yaqul
did not mount Diablo was still more
significant. Mercedes must ride; bu
the others mnst wniv - -
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