The Rainbow Trail

t day, which was Sunday, Withers rode in, accompanied by

my new man, John Sheff

ar blue eyes. The bishop appeared old, dry, and absorbed in thought; he spoke quaintly, using in every speech some Biblical word or phr

your looks," r

ized me up," re

p Kane's a square old chap. Crazy on religion, maybe, but otherwise he's a good fellow. I made the best stand I could for you. The Mormons over at Stonebridge were huffy because I hadn't consult

ford. "Hope my obligations don't grow bey

here. He left the trail, Nas Ta Bega said. I learned at Stonebridge that Shadd is well disposed toward Mormons. It takes the Mormons to handle Indians. Shadd knows of this village and that's why he shunted off our trail. But he might hang down in the pass and wait for us. I think I'd better go back to Kayenta alone, across country. You stay here till Jo

al enthusiasm, and the omission cause

"There's no light in your eye t

lied Shefford. "I'm depressed this m

t along wit

ve enjoyed myself. It's a

like the

es

en much of t

d saw her only once again. I've been w

Any of these Mormon women may fall in love with you. They CAN'T love their husbands. That's how I figure it. Religion holds them, not love. And the peculiar thing is this: they're second, third, or fourth wives, all sealed. That

hers, I

love with you. That won't hurt them so long as you keep your head. Savvy? Perhaps I seem rough and coarse to a man of your class. Well, that may be. But human nature is human nature.

caution me. I seem to be wild-thirsting for adventure-chasing a gleam. In these unstable days I can't answer fo

tered a bl

ems all the beautiful young women in Utah are corralled in this valley. When I come over here I feel natural, but I'm not happy. I'd like to make love to-to that flower-faced girl. And I'm not ashamed

once spoken, not at all strange. The trader was a man who spoke his inmost thought. And what he said suddenly focused Shefford's mental vision clear and

ust me," rep

a bad job," said the trader,

bath morning's toilet. One thing surely this dress occasion brought out, and it was evidence that the Mormon women were not poor, whatever their misfortunes might be. Jewelry was not wanting, nor fine lace. And they all wore beautiful wild flowers of a kind unknown to Shefford. He receiv

into a stranger adventure than this? He had only to shut his eyes to believe it all a creation of his fancy-the square log cabin with its red mud between the chinks and a roof like an Indian hog

who had grown old in the desert. The physical things that had molded characters of iron, the obstacles that only strong, patient men could have overcome, the making of homes in a wilderness, showed the greatness of this alien band of Mormons. Shefford conceded greatness to them. But the strange religion-the

as he could see, religion existed to uphold the founders of a Church, a creed. The Church of his own kind was a place where narrow men and women went to think of their own salvation. They did not go there to think of others. And now Shefford's keen mind saw something of Mormonism and found it wanting. Bishop Kane was a sincere, good, mistaken man. He believed what he preached, but that would not stand l

dian. Nas Ta Bega threw away his cigarette and made an i

tiply, send your sons out into the world and bring us young women, many young women. And when the first Mormon became strong with many followers he said again: Give to me part of your labor-of y

mons are a great and good peop

er builds for hims

igion. He has no

the creeping growths on their eyes. They have no God they

mp and halted on his way to speak to Shefford. He was kind and fa

d Shefford, thankful h

'Away on the desert I heard its cry.'... God b

presently the green-choked neck of the valley hid them from view. Shefford coul

d that the coming of Bishop Kane had made a subtle change in the women. That change was at first hard to define, but from every point by which he approached it he came to the same conclusion-the bishop had not objected to his presence in the village. The women became natural, free, and unrestrained. A dozen or twenty young and attractive women thrown much into companionship with one man. He might become a Mormon. The idea made him laugh. But upon reflection i

latter fact weighed more with Shefford than fears for himself. His word was given to Withers. He would have felt just the same without having bound himself. Still, in the light of the trader's blunt philosophy, and of his own assurance that he was no fool, Shefford felt it incumbent upon him to accept a belief that there were situati

He had meant to see her face once, clear in the sunlight, so that he could always remember it, and then never go near her again. And now it came to him that if he did see much of

d the memory

e games for the children. And he talked or listened. In the early evening he called on Ruth, chatted awhile, and went on to see

white shadow ag

should have been, Shefford thought. He talked, swiftly, eloquently, about whatever he believed would interest her. He stayed long, and finally left,

ros and the mustangs. Shefford grew strong and active. He made gardens for the women; he cut cords of fire-wood; h

little parties at the cottages and picnics under the cedars. He rode up and down the valley with Ruth, who could ride a horse as no other girl he had ever seen. He cli

natural as a laugh to any pretty woman. But that was not what hurt him. It was to see Ruth or Rebecca, as the case might be, full of life and fun, thoroughly enjoying some jest or play, all of a sudden be strangely recalled from the wholesome pleasure of a girl to become a deep and somber woman.

he knew, his visits were unknown to her neighbors. Still, it did not matter to him if they found out. To her

urs in the shadow of the stars with him. She seldom spoke. She listened. Wonderful to him-sometimes she laughed-and it seemed the sound was a ghost of childhood pleasure. When he stopped to consider that she might fall in love with him he dro

late. The moment of parting was like a break. Her good-by was sweet, low music; it lingered on his ear; it bade hi

ed to see her face in the wan g

ying to find

ver seen one

ce to her face and the name of the flower, but her unconsciousnes

here the lilies

he

fternoon I'll come to the

. . .

orts of Shadd had come in to Stonebridge from different Indian villages; Joe was not

, and stayed in camp alone. A depression weighed upon him. It was dispelled, however, early in the afternoon by the sight of a slender figure in

her face. It made of her a woman, a Mormon woman, and s

down her bucket. "Do you still

Shefford, wit

you c

o where

far, at least, Shefford did not feel talkative; and Mary had always been one who mostly listened. They came at length to a place where

well to an offset above. Shefford, in amaze and admiration, watched

empt resulted in like failure. Then he backed away from the wall, to run

olicitous. When he assured her he was unhurt

a-a bird,"

can climb. When we get over the

range waves of wind-worn rock. He could not attend to anything save the red, polished rock under him, and so saw little. The

he great towering peaks between which the green-and-black mountain loomed. Facing the other way, Shefford had only a restricted view. There were low crags and smooth stone ridges, between which were aisles green with cedar and pinon. Shefford's companion headed toward one of these, and when he h

rately to look at her. They entered a narrow, low-walled lane where cedars and pinyons grew th

rple sage; another bush with yellow flowers she named buck-brush, and there were vermilion cacti and low, flat mounds of lavender daisies which

s the horses go crazy wh

ed," she sai

med in the gold of her hair. How white her skin! But it was like pearl, faintly veined and flushed. The profile, clear-cut a

rounded bluffs, and Shefford looked down upon a grander and m

on first sight; here and there round, red rocks, isolated and strange, like lonely castles, rose out of the green. Beyond the green all the earth seemed naked, showing smooth, glistening bones. It was a formidable wall of rock that flung itself up in the distance, carved into a

ttered an

Juan canyon. And the other dark line, that's Escalante canyon. They wind down into this great purple chasm

glory, just to sit there an hour, slowly and appallingly to realize! Something came to Shefford from the distance, out of the purple canyon and from those dim, wind-wor

as a girl's face he saw, flower-like, lovely and pure as a Madonna's, and strangely, tragically sad. The eyes were large, dark gray, the color of the sage. They were as clear as the air which made distant thin

ago-lilies?" he

oo cold up here for t

l of rock, down into a verdant canyon where a brook made swift music over stones, where the air was sultr

plucked somethin

e are three colors. The yellow and pin

whiteness purer than new-fallen snow, and a heart of rich, warm gold. Its fragrance was so faint as to be almost indistinguishable, yet of a haunting, u

the lilies," said Mary.

on. She laughed and said it was foolish for the women to call her the Sago Lily. She had no coquetry; she spoke as she would have spoken of the stones at her feet; she did not know that she was beautiful. Shefford imagined there was some resemblance in her to the lily-the same whiteness, the same rich gold, and, more striking than either, a strange

tly and tirelessly. When he reached her upon the promontory ther

rocks," she said. "I've n

ere you go,

d to look away across the wavy sea of stones to something beyond the great walls. When they got high the wind blew her hair loose and it flew out, a golden stream, with the sun bright upon it. He saw that she changed her direction, which had been in line with the two peaks, and now she climbed toward t

its whiteness; it wa

earn-to run over rock

. "Ah! it's so good to be up on the

t him a strong hand, and sometimes let it stay long in his clasp. Tireless and agile, sure-footed as a goat, fleet and wild she leaped and climbed and ran until Shefford marveled at her. This adventure was indeed fulfilment of a dream. Perhaps she might lead him to the treasure at the foot of the rainbow. But that thought, sad with memory daring forth from its grave, was irrevocably linked with a girl who was dead. He could not remember her, in the presence of this wonderful creature who

ms wide, her full breast heaving, her slender body straight as an Indian's, her hair flying in the wind and blazing in the sun. She seemed to embrace the west, to reach for something afar, to offer herself to the wind and distance. Her face was scarlet from the exertion of the climb, and her broad brow was m

iness, where the wind blew and the peaks loomed and silence held dominion. The sinking sun touched the rim of the

not matter when he was certain of it now. He trembled a little, fearfully, though without reg

ly it died out. The girl changed as swiftly. She seemed to remember herself, and

ust go," she said. But

u are ready,

g her what he felt, to keep from pouring out a thousand questions. But the privilege of having seen her, of having been with her when she had forgotten herself-that he believed

Plain it was how she loved that wild upland. And there seemed to be some haunting

," she said

t he had helped her to forget the present, to remember girlhood, and that somehow she would always asso

t, the best, the most revealing

. At the top of the wall above the village she put on the da

efford had difficulty in finding Mary's bucket. He filled it at the

to-night-late

en he watched her white form slowly glide

s uncommunicative. Joe peered curiously at him in the flare of the blaze. Later, after

g round cam

rport of the remark, which was either jealousy or admo

pointed toward the home of the girl whose beauty and sadness and mystery had bewitched him. After what seemed hours he took th

hite form against the dark background. In the silenc

d. Soon he made out moving horses with riders. They filed past him to the number of half a score. Like a

ley, into the lonely silence and