e dead burro again the somber
your pack," she said. "We'l
d clear of the pack. When Lennon's very creditable diamond-hitch had b
ith cornmeal. Same with your cooking outfit. Throw out all but
I can't begin to
my pony," cu
remonstrated Lennon. "I'll not permit you to wa
ng your permi
e girl's boots were not built with the usual cowb
is packsaddle and the other discarded articles of his outfit, Carmena went after her would-be stray, limping and gingerly picking her steps when she saw t
In a twinkling she stripped off the moccasins and thrust them down into the bottom of one of the saddlebags.
tisfaction with fragments of rock the rest of his outfit had been securely packed upon the pony by
on the two first maxims of desert travel. "Come along. No use trying to hide your cache or y
pony, whose reins had been tied to the pack, snorted and shied. But at a call
into that murderous savage if w
o the railroad," replied Carmena, and she
is rifle ready as they came up over the round of a stony ridge. Though neither could see the slightest s
dge side, until they came up into the mouth of a small ca?on. Between the bald ledges of the dry channel were
e trail of our r
to fix him with
he only way into the Basin; and, once in, they may get
ennon was r
and-perhaps you know the
Don't blame me if we meet up with th
Wouldn't you have a be
back out,
your pony. Then, if we are attacked, I may be a
ow in her eyes. Without a word she swung ahead, on up the ca?on. Though not a little puzzled over her
him a curt gesture for silence and led on at a quickened pace. Her swift ascent slackened only at the twists of the narr
d steeper. The pony, for all his goat-like agility and sure-fo
n the burning heat and his very natural excitement over Carmena's s
and flared out in a trough-like valley at the
iss Farley-all bare and open! Not a bit
wisted in a smile of contempt, but h
e lower end, it was you
there are Indian watchers on those ridges? Would it not be best for me to hold their attent
ush into Lennon's lean face. But her troubled eyes had cl
e rallied. "Besides, we don't go to the head of the valley
girl knew exactly what she was about, cooled Le
he jibed at himself. "Coming up the ca?on
. Her lips straightened in ha
we meet that bunch of bronchos, there's just one thing to do-shoot f
to consider, and I presume no peacef
square across the forehead. If yo
e girl's almost fierce insistence. He knew that the treatment of
g advance through the midst of the scraggly low-growing trees brought them to the notch in the rim-ridge. Below this break the mesa side pitched stee
on. But at his pleased exclamation Carmena told him that he was looking at no oasis. What he saw was only the green of mesquite and palo verde, the fluted columns of the gi
s, appeared a higher mountain. The top, dwarfed by distance but as clear
Triple Butte,"
hat? We can make it
you hurried enough. It's only
penly incredulou
e ranch. We'll strike for the nearest tank. I've notic
e offered canteen, which was still half full. Carmena drop
e rock, past scattered growths of thornscrub and cactus, to where windblown sand lay in sterile drifts al
e. The hat came up brimful of water. She drank deeply, refill
s much more as he can drink," she directed. "There's fire
e and deliciously cool. The watering of the pony took no little time and patience. Though the beast wa
ike the puffs of a giant's pipe, rising straight up in the still air from behind the point of rocks
elt beside it, leaning on the muzzle of her rifle. Her dark eyes were gazing
perceived the tenseness of the girl's attitude and hastened
sewood on the fire.
puffs
e and eyed h
nchos is anywhere within fifteen miles-with
e not cut
evils aren't mounted, they'd soon overtake us. A
he ridge and sat down to clean and rel
and back up to the spring. The cave is an
oo. I've knocked over a caribou with i
t head of its owner. Midway out across the desolate Basin, from the top of a craggy hill to the
take from her saddlebags a frying pan, several