desert gold-第49部分

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en…league　boots。　　After　being　hunted　a　few　times　and　shot　at；　the　sheep　became　exceedingly　difficult　to　approach。　　Gale　learned　to　know　that　their　fame　as　the　keenest…eyed　of　all　animals　was　well　founded。　　If　he　worked　directly　toward　a　flock；　crawling　over　the　sharp　lava；　always　a　sentinel　ram　espied　him　before　he　got　within　range。　　The　only　method　of　attack　that　he　found　successful　was　to　locate　sheep　with　his　glass；　work　round　to　windward　of　them；　and　then；　getting　behind　a　ridge　or　buttress；　crawl　like　a　lizard　to　a　vantage　point。　　He　failed　often。　　The　stalk　called　forth　all　that　was　in　him　of　endurance；　cunning；　speed。　As　the　days　grew　hotter　he　hunted　in　the　early　morning　hours　and　a　while　before　the　sun　went　down。　　More　than　one　night　he　lay　out　on　the　lava；　with　the　great　stars　close　overhead　and　the　immense　void　all　beneath　him。　　This　pursuit　he　learned　to　love。　Upon　those　scarred　and　blasted　slopes　the　wild　spirit　that　was　in　him　had　free　rein。　　And　like　a　shadow　the　faithful　Yaqui　tried　ever　to　keep　at　his　heels。

One　morning　the　rising　sun　greeted　him　as　he　surmounted　the　higher　cone　of　the　volcano。　　He　saw　the　vastness　of　the　east　algow　with　a　glazed　rosy　whiteness；　like　the　changing　hue　of　an　ember。　　At　this　height　there　was　a　sweeping　wind；　still　cool。　　The　western　slopes　of　lava　lay　dark；　and　all　that　world　of　sand　and　gulf　and　mountain　barrier　beyond　was　shrouded　in　the　mystic　cloud　of　distance。　　Gale　had　assimilated　much　of　the　loneliness　and　the　sense　of　ownership　and　the　love　of　lofty　heights　that　might　well　belong　to　the　great　condor　of　the　peak。　　Like　this　wide…winged　bird；　he　had　an　unparalleled　range　of　vision。　　The　very　corners　whence　came　the　winds　seemed　pierced　by　Gale's　eyes。

Yaqui　spied　a　flock　of　sheep　far　under　the　curved　broken　rim　of　the　main　crater。　　Then　began　the　stalk。　　Gale　had　taught　the　Yaqui　somethingthat　speed　might　win　as　well　as　patient　cunning。　　Keeping　out　of　sight；　Gale　ran　over　the　spike…crusted　lava；　leaving　the　Indian　far　behind。　　His　feet　were　magnets；　attracting　supporting　holds　and　he　passed　over　them　too　fast　to　fall。　　The　wind；　the　keen　air　of　the　heights；　the　red　lava；　the　boundless　surrounding　blue；　all　seemed　to　have　something　to　do　with　his　wildness。　　Then；　hiding；　slipping；　creeping；　crawling；　he　closed　in　upon　his　quarry　until　the　long　rifle　grew　like　stone　in　his　grip；　and　the　whipping　〃spang〃　ripped　the　silence；　and　the　strange　echo　boomed　deep　in　the　crater；　and　rolled　around；　as　if　in　hollow　mockery　at　the　hopelessness　of　escape。

Gale's　exultant　yell　was　given　as　much　to　free　himself　of　some　bursting　joy　of　action　as　it　was　to　call　the　slower　Yaqui。　Then　he　liked　the　strange　echoes。　　It　was　a　maddening　whirl　of　sound　that　bored　deeper　and　deeper　along　the　whorled　and　caverned　walls　of　the　crater。　　It　was　as　if　these　aged　walls　resented　the　violating　of　their　silent　sanctity。　　Gale　felt　himself　a　man；　a　thing　alive；　something　superior　to　all　this　savage；　dead；　upflung　world　of　iron；　a　master　even　of　all　this　grandeur　and　sublimity　because　he　had　a　soul。

He　waited　beside　his　quarry；　and　breathed　deep；　and　swept　the　long　slopes　with　searching　eyes　of　habit。

When　Yaqui　came　up　they　set　about　the　hardest　task　of　all；　to　pack　the　best　of　that　heavy　sheep　down　miles　of　steep；　ragged；　choya…covered　lava。　　But　even　in　this　Gale　rejoiced。　　The　heat　was　nothing；　the　millions　of　little　pits　which　could　hold　and　twist　a　foot　were　nothing；　the　blade…edged　crusts　and　the　deep　fissures　and　the　choked　canyons　and　the　tangled；　dwarfed　mesquites；　all　these　were　as　nothing　but　obstacles　to　be　cheerfully　overcome。　　Only　the　choya　hindered　Dick　Gale。

When　his　heavy　burden　pulled　him　out　of　sure…footedness；　and　he　plunged　into　a　choya；　or　when　the　strange；　deceitful；　uncanny；　almost　invisible　frosty　thorns　caught　and　pierced　him；　then　there　was　call　for　all　of　fortitude　and　endurance。　　For　this　cactus　had　a　malignant　power　of　torture。　　Its　pain　was　a　stinging；　blinding；　burning；　sickening　poison　in　the　blood。　　If　thorns　pierced　his　legs　he　felt　the　pain　all　over　his　body；　if　his　hands　rose　from　a　fall　full　of　the　barbed　joints；　he　was　helpless　and　quivering　till　Yaqui　tore　them　out。

But　this　one　peril；　dreaded　more　than　dizzy　height　of　precipice　or　sunblindness　on　the　glistening　peak；　did　not　daunt　Gale。　　His　teacher　was　the　Yaqui；　and　always　before　him　was　an　example　that　made　him　despair　of　a　white　man's　equality。　　Color；　race；　blood；　breedingwhat　were　these　in　the　wilderness？　　Verily；　Dick　Gale　had　come　to　learn　the　use　of　his　hands。

So　in　a　descent　of　hours　he　toiled　down　the　lava　slope；　to　stalk　into　the　arroyo　like　a　burdened　giant；　wringing　wet；　panting；　clear…eyed　and　dark…faced；　his　ragged　clothes　and　boots　white　with　choya　thorns。

The　gaunt　Ladd　rose　from　his　shaded　seat；　and　removed　his　pipe　from　smiling　lips；　and　turned　to　nod　at　Jim；　and　then　looked　back　again。

The　torrid　summer　heat　came　imperceptibly；　or　it　could　never　have　been　borne　by　white　men。　　It　changed　the　lives　of　the　fugitives；　making　them　partly　nocturnal　in　habit。　　The　nights　had　the　balmly　coolness　of　spring；　and　would　have　been　delightful　for　sleep；　but　that　would　have　made　the　blazing　days　unendurable。

The　sun　rose　in　a　vast　white　flame。　　With　it　came　the　blasting；　withering　wind　from　the　gulf。　　A　red　haze；　like　that　of　earlier　sunsets；　seemed　to　come　sweeping　on　the　wind；　and　it　roared　up　the　arroyo；　and　went　bellowing　into　the　crater；　and　rushed　on　in　fury　to　lash　the　peaks。

During　these　hot；　windy　hours　the　desert…bound　party　slept　in　deep　recesses　in　the　lava；　and　if　necessity　brought　them　forth　they　could　not　remain　out　long。　　the　sand　burned　through　boots；　and　a　touch　of　bare　hand　on　lava　raised　a　blister。

A　short　while　before　sundown　the　Yaqui　went　forth　to　build　a　campfire；　and　soon　the　others　came　out；　heat…dazed；　half　blinded；　with　parching　throats　to　allay　and　hunger　that　was　never　satisfied。　　A　little　action　and　a　cooling　of　the　air　revived　them；　and　when　night　set　in　they　were　comfortable　round　the　campfire。

As　Ladd　had　said；　one　of　their　greatest　problems　was　the　passing　of　time。　　The　nights　were　interminably　long；　but　they　had　to　be　passed　in　work　or　play　or　dreamanything　except　sleep。　　That　was　Ladd's　most　inflexible　command。　　He　gave　no　reason。　　But　not　improbably　the　ranger　thought　that　the　terrific　heat　of　the　day　spend　in　slumber　lessened　a　wear　and　strain；　if　not　a　real　danger　of　madness。

Accordingly；　at　first　the　occupations　of　this　little　group　were　many　and　various。　　They　worked　if　they　had　something　to　do；　or　could　invent　a　pretext。　　They　told　and　retold　stories　until　all　were　wearisome。　　They　sang　songs。　　Mercedes　taught　Spanish。　　They　played　every　game　they　knew。　　They　invented　others　that　were　so　trivial　children　would　scarcely　have　been　interested；　and　these　they　played　seriously。　　In　a　word；　with　intelligence　and　passion；　with　all　that　was　civilized　and　human；　they　fought　the　ever…infringing　loneliness；　the　savage　solitude　of　their　environment。

But　they　had　only　finite　minds。　　It　was　not　in　reason　to　expect　a　complete　victory　against　this　mighty　Nature；　this　bounding　horizon　of　death　and　desolation　and　decay。　　Gradually　they　fell　back　upon　fewer　and　fewer　occupations；　until　the　time　came　when　the　silence　was　hard　to　break。

Gale　believed　himself　the　keenest　of　the　party；　the　one　who　thought　most；　and　he　watched　the　effect　of　the　desert　upon　his　companions。　He　imagined　that　he　saw　Ladd　grow　old　sitting　round　the　campfire。　Certain　it　was　that　the　ranger's　gray　hair　had　turned　white。　　What　had　been　at　times　ahrd　and　cold　and　grim　about　him　had　strangely　vanished　in　sweet　temper　and　a　vacant…mindedness　that　held　him　longer　as　the　days　passed。　　For　hours；　it　seemed；　Ladd　would　bend　over　his　checkerboard　and　never　make　a　move。　　It　mattered　not　now　whether　or　not　he　had　a　partner。　　He　was　always　glad　of　being　spoken　to；　as　if　he　were　called　back　from　vague　region　of　mind。　Jim　Lash；　the　calmest；　coolest；　most　nonchalant；　best…humored　Westerner　Gale　had　ever　met；　had　by　slow　degrees　lost　that　cheerful　character　which　would　have　been　of　such　infinite　good　to　his　companions；　and　always　he　sat　broding；　silently　brooding。　　Jim　had　no　ties；　few　memories；　and　the　desert　was　claiming　him。

Thorne　and　Mercedes；　however；　were　living；　wonderful　proof　that　spirit；　mind；　and　heart　were　freefree　to　soar　in　scorn　of　the　colossal　barrenness　and　silence　and　space　of　that　terrible　hedging　prison　of　lava。　　They　were　young；　they　loved；　they　were　together；　and　the　oasis　was　almost　a　paradise。　Gale　believe　he　helped　himself　by　watching　them。　　Imagination　had　never　pictured　real　happiness　to　him。　　Thorne　and　Mercedes　had　forgotten　the　outside　world。　　If　they　had　been　existing　on　the　burned…out　desolate　moon　they　could　hardly　have　been　in　a　harsher；　grimmer；　lonelier　spot　than　this　red…walled　arroyo。　　But　it　might　have　been　statelier　Eden　than　that　of　the　primitive　day。

Mercedes　grew　thinner；　until　she　was　a　slender　shadow　of　her　former　self。　　She　became　hard；　brown　as　the　rangers；　lithe　and　quick　as　a　panther。　　She　seemed　to　live　on　water　and　the　airperhaps；　indeed；　on　love。　　For　of　the　scant　fare；　the　best　of　which　was　continually　urged　upon　her；　she　partook　but　little。　　She　reminded　Gale　of　a　wild　brown　creature；　free　as　the　wind　on　the　lava　slopes。　　Yet；　despite　the　great　change；　her　beauty　remained　undiminished。　　Her　eyes；　seeming　so　much　larger　now　in　her　small　face；　were　great　black；　starry　gulfs。　　She　was　the　life　of　that　camp。　　Her　smiles；　her　rapid　speech；　her　low　laughter；　her　quick　movements；　her　playful　moods　with　the　rangers；　the　dark　and　passionate　glance；　which　rested　so　often　on　her　lover；　the　whispers　in　the　dusk　as　hand　in　hand　they　paced　the　campfire　beatthese　helped　Gale　to　retain　his　loosening　hold　on　reality；　to　resist　the　lure　of　a　strange　beckoning　life　where　a　man　stood　free　in　the　golden　open；　where　emotion　was　not；　nor　trouble；　nor　sickness；　nor　anything　but　the　savage's　rest　and　sleep　and　action　and　dream。

Although　the　Yaqui　was　as　his　shadow；　Gale　reached　a　point　when　he　seemed　to　wander　alone　at　twilight；　in　the　night；　at　dawn。　　Far　down　the　arroyo；　in　the　deepening　red　twilight；　when　the　heat　rolled　away　on　slow…dying　wind；　Blanco　Sol