desert gold-第52节

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Dick　shook　his　head。

The　ranger　turned　his　gaze　upon　Thorne；　and　now　the　keen；　glistening　light　in　his　gray　eyes　had　blurred。

〃Thorne；　it's　different　with　you。　　Jim's　a　fool；　an'　young　Gale　has　been　punctured　by　choya　thorns。　　He's　got　the　desert　poison　in　his　blood。　　But　you　nowyou've　no　call　to　stickyou　can　find　that　trail　out。　　I'ts　easy　to　follow；　made　by　so　many　shod　hosses。　　Take　your　wife　an'　go。。。。Shore　you'll　go；　Thorne？〃

Deliberately　and　without　an　instant's　hesitation　the　calvaryman　replied　〃No。〃

Ladd　then　directed　his　appeal　to　Mercedes。　　His　face　was　now　convulsed；　and　his　voice；　though　it　had　sunk　to　a　whisper；　was　clear；　and　beautiful　with　some　rich　quality　that　Gale　had　never　heard　in　it。

〃Mercedes；　you're　a　woman。　　You're　the　woman　we　fought　for。　　An'　some　of　us　are　shore　goin'　to　die　for　you。　　Don't　make　it　all　for　nothin'。　　Let　us　feel　we　saved　the　woman。　　Shore　you　can　make　Thorne　go。　　He'll　have　to　go　if　you　say。　　They'll　all　have　to　go。　　Think　of　the　years　of　love　an'　happiness　in　store　for　you。　　A　week　or　so　an'　it　'll　be　too　late。　　Can　you　stand　for　me　seein'　you？。。。Let　me　tell　you；　Mercedes；　when　the　summer　heat　hits　the　lava　we'll　all　wither　an'　curl　up　like　shavin's　near　a　fire。　　A　wind　of　hell　will　blow　up　this　slope。　　Look　at　them　mesquites。　　See　the　twist　in　them。　　That's　the　torture　of　heat　an'　thirst。　　Do　you　want　me　or　all　us　men　seein'you　like　that？。。。Mercedes；　don't　make　it　all　for　nothin'。　　Say　you'll　persuade　Thorne；　if　not　the　others。〃

For　all　the　effect　his　appeal　had　to　move　her　Mercedes　might　have　possessed　a　heart　as　hard　and　fixed　as　the　surrounding　lava。

〃Never！〃

White…faced；　with　great　black　eyes　flashing；　the　Spanish　girl　spoke　the　word　that　bound　her　and　her　companions　in　the　desert。

The　subject　was　never　mentioned　again。　　Gale　thought　that　he　read　a　sinister　purpose　in　Ladd's　mind。　　To　his　astonishment；　Lash　came　to　him　with　the　same　fancy。　　After　that　they　made　certain　there　never　was　a　gun　within　reach　of　Ladd's　clutching；　clawlike　hands。

Gradually　a　somber　spell　lifted　from　the　ranger's　mind。　　When　he　was　entirely　free　of　it　he　began　to　gather　strength　daily。　　Then　it　was　as　if　he　had　never　known　patiencehe　who　had　shown　so　well　how　to　wait。　　He　was　in　a　frenzy　to　get　well。　　He　appetite　could　not　be　satisfied。

The　sun　climbed　higher；　whiter；　hotter。　　At　midday　a　wind　from　gulfward　roared　up　the　arroyo；　and　now　only　palos　verdes　and　the　few　saguaros　were　green。　　Every　day　the　water　in　the　lava　hole　sank　an　inch。

The　Yaqui　alone　spent　the　waiting　time　in　activity。　　He　made　trips　up　on　the　lava　slope；　and　each　time　he　returned　with　guns　or　boots　or　sombreros；　or　something　belonging　to　the　bandits　that　had　fallen。　　He　never　fetched　in　a　saddle　or　bridle；　and　from　that　the　rangers　concluded　Rojas's　horses　had　long　before　taken　their　back　trail。　　What　speculation；　what　consternation　those　saddled　horses　would　cause　if　they　returned　to　Forlorn　River！

As　Ladd　improved　there　was　one　story　he　had　to　hear　every　day。　　It　was　the　one　relating　to　what　he　had　missedthe　sight　of　Rojas　pursued　and　plunged　to　his　doom。　　The　thing　had　a　morbid　fascination　for　the　sick　ranger。　　He　reveled　in　it。　　He　tortured　Mercedes。　His　gentleness　and　consideration；　heretofore　so　marked；　were　in　abeyance　to　some　sinister；　ghastly　joy。　　But　to　humor　him　Mercedes　racked　her　soul　with　the　sensations　she　had　sufferd　when　Rojas　hounded　her　out　on　the　ledge；　when　she　shot　him；　when　she　sprang　to　throw　herself　over　the　precipice；　when　she　fought　him；　when　with　half…blinded　eyes　she　looked　up　to　see　the　merciless　Yaqui　reaching　for　the　bandit。　　Ladd　fed　his　cruel　longing　with　Thorne's　poignant　recollections；　with　the　keen；　clear；　never…to…be…forgotten　shocks　to　Gale's　eye　and　ear。　　Jim　Lash；　for　one　at　least；　never　tired　of　telling　how　he　had　seen　and　heard　the　tragedy；　and　every　time　in　the　telling　it　gathered　some　more　tragic　and　gruesome　detail。　　Jim　believed　in　satiating　the　ranger。　　Then　in　the　twilight；　when　the　campfire　burned；　Ladd　would　try　to　get　the　Yaqui　to　tell　his　side　of　the　story。　　But　this　the　Indian　would　never　do。　　There　was　only　the　expression　of　his　fathomless　eyes　and　the　set　passion　of　his　massive　face。

Those　waiting　days　grew　into　weeks。　　Ladd　gained　very　slowly。　Nevertheless；　at　last　he　could　walk　about；　and　soon　he　averred　that；　strapped　to　a　horse；　he　could　last　out　the　trip　to　Forlorn　River。

There　was　rejoicing　in　camp；　and　plans　were　eagerly　suggested。　The　Yaqui　happened　to　be　absent。　　When　he　returned　the　rangers　told　him　they　were　now　ready　to　undertake　the　journey　back　across　lava　and　cactus。

Yaqui　shook　his　head。　　They　declared　again　their　intention。

〃No！〃　replied　the　Indian；　and　his　deep；　sonorous　voice　rolled　out　upon　the　quiet　of　the　arroyo。　　He　spoke　briefly　then。　　They　had　waited　too　long。　　The　smaller　waterholes　back　in　the　trail　were　dry。　　The　hot　summer　was　upon　them。　　There　could　be　only　death　waiting　down　in　the　burning　valley。　　Here　was　water　and　grass　and　wood　and　shade　from　the　sun's　rays；　and　sheep　to　be　killed　on　the　peaks。　　The　water　would　hold　unless　the　season　was　that　dreaded　ano　seco　of　the　Mexicans。

〃Wait　for　rain；〃　concluded　Yaqui；　and　now　as　never　before　he　spoke　as　one　with　authority。　　〃If　no　rain〃　　Silently　he　lifted　his　hand。



XVI


Mountain　Sheep

What　Gale　might　have　thought　an　appalling　situation；　if　considered　from　a　safe　and　comfortable　home　away　from　the　desert；　became；　now　that　he　was　shut　in　by　the　red…ribbed　lava　walls　and　great　dry　wastes；　a　matter　calmly　accepted　as　inevitable。　　So　he　imagined　it　was　accepted　by　the　others。　　Not　even　Mercedes　uttered　a　regret。　No　word　was　spoken　of　home。　　If　there　was　thought　of　loved　one；　it　was　locked　deep　in　their　minds。　　In　Mercedes　there　was　no　change　in　womanly　quality；　perhaps　because　all　she　had　to　love　was　there　in　the　desert　with　her。

Gale　had　often　pondered　over　this　singular　change　in　character。　He　had　trained　himself；　in　order　to　fight　a　paralyzing　something　in　the　desert's　influence；　to　oppose　with　memory　and　thought　an　insidious　primitive　retrogression　to　what　was　scarcely　consciousness　at　all；　merely　a　savage's　instinct　of　sight　and　sound。　　He　felt　the　need　now　of　redoubled　effort。　　For　there　was　a　sheer　happiness　in　drifting。　　Not　only　was　it　easy　to　forget；　it　was　hard　to　remember。　His　idea　was　that　a　man　laboring　under　a　great　wrong；　a　great　crime；　a　great　passion　might　find　the　lonely　desert　a　fitting　place　for　either　remembrance　or　oblivion；　according　to　the　nature　of　his　soul。　But　an　ordinary；　healthy；　reasonably　happy　mortal　who　loved　the　open　with　its　blaze　of　sun　and　sweep　of　wind　would　have　a　task　to　keep　from　going　backward　to　the　natural　man　as　he　was　before　civilization。

By　tacit　agreement　Ladd　again　became　the　leader　of　the　party。　Ladd　was　a　man　who　would　have　taken　all　the　responsibility　whether　or　not　it　was　given　him。　　In　moments　of　hazard；　of　uncertainty；　Lash　and　Gale；　even　Belding；　unconsciously　looked　to　the　ranger。　　He　had　that　kind　of　power。

The　first　thing　Ladd　asked　was　to　have　the　store　of　food　that　remained　spread　out　upon　a　tarpaulin。　　Assuredly；　it　was　a　slender　enough　supply。　　The　ranger　stood　for　long　moments　gazing　down　at　it。　　He　was　groping　among　past　experiences；　calling　back　from　his　years　of　life　on　range　and　desert　that　which　might　be　valuable　for　the　present　issue。　　It　was　impossible　to　read　the　gravity　of　Ladd's　face；　for　he　still　looked　like　a　dead　man；　but　the　slow　shake　of　his　head　told　Gale　much。　　There　was　a　grain　of　hope；　however；　in　the　significance　with　which　he　touched　the　bags　of　salt　and　said；　〃Shore　it　was　sense　packin'　all　that　salt！〃

Then　he　turned　to　face　his　comrades。

〃That's　little　grub　for　six　starvin'　people　corralled　in　the　desert。　But　the　grub　end　ain't　worryin'　me。　　Yaqui　can　get　sheep　up　the　slopes。　　Water！　　That's　the　beginnin'　and　middle　an'　end　of　our　case。〃

〃Laddy；　I　reckon　the　waterhole　here　never　goes　dry；〃　replied　Jim。

〃Ask　the　Indian。〃

Upon　being　questioned；　Yaqui　repeated　what　he　had　said　about　the　dreaded　ano　seco　of　the　Mexicans。　　In　a　dry　year　this　waterhole　failed。

〃Dick；　take　a　rope　an'　see　how　much　water's　in　the　hole。〃

Gale　could　not　find　bottom　with　a　thirty　foot　lasso。　　The　water　was　as　cool；　clear；　sweet　as　if　it　had　been　kept　in　a　shaded　iron　receptable。

Ladd　welcomed　this　information　with　surprise　and　gladness。

〃Let's　see。　　Last　year　was　shore　pretty　dry。　　Mebbe　this　summer　won't　be。　　Mebbe　our　wonderful　good　luck'll　hld。　　Ask　Yaqui　if　he　thinks　it　'll　rain。〃

Mercedes　questioned　the　Indian。

〃He　says　no　man　can　tell　surely。　　But　he　thinks　the　rain　will　come；〃　she　replied。

〃Shore　it　'll　rain；　you　can　gamble　on　that　now；〃　continued　Ladd。　〃If　there's　only　grass　for　the　hosses！　　We　can't　get　out　of　here　without　hosses。　　Dick；　take　the　Indian　an'　scout　down　the　arroyo。　To…day　I　seen　the　hosses　were　gettin'　fat。　　Gettin'　fat　in　this　desert！　　But　mebbe　they've　about　grazed　up　all　the　grass。　　Go　an'　see；　Dick。　　An'　may　you　come　back　with　more　good　news！〃

Gale；　upon　the　few　occasions　when　he　had　wandered　down　the　arroyo；　had　never　gone　far。　　The　Yaqui　said　there　was　grass　for　the　horses；　and　until　now　no　one　had　given　the　quest