Arizona Nights

EMIG

ed up at the Double R over one day,

the Cattleman summed up the situation. "We'd bog down the chuck-wagon if we tried to get ba

of Arizona. It's a big country and rough, and no one lives there, and there's l

!" sa

th kyacks. On these, we managed to condense our grub and utensils. There were plenty of horses, so

ds and oaks grew so thick as partially to conceal the cliffs on either side of us. The rim-rock was mysterious with caves; beautiful with hanging gardens of tree ferns and grasses growing

ome from Texas and established a herd with no other ass

rough, and at last ended in the thousand-foot cliffs of the buttes, running sheer and unbroken for many miles. During all the rest of our trip they were t

fter the rain. Each and ever

zona," said Jed Parker. "And when

but when the peaks again showed, we stared with astonishment to see that they were white with snow. It was as though a magician had passe

turned slippery and adhesive. On the sides of the mountains it was almost impossible to keep a footing. We speedily b

s, "is an old shack that I fixed up seven y

ly behind the falling rain; beyond them waved and eddied the storm mists through which the mountains revealed and concealed proportions exaggerated into unearthly grandeur.

this-right now-at the present moment. Very well; I will do so, and I will refuse to look forward even five minutes to

ich horse feed-an ideal place to camp were it not for the fact that a thin sheet of water a quarter of an inch deep was

llen in, and the floor was s

s-but sat on our horses taking in the details. Fin

cave, but it has such a steep floor that I'm not sure as we

nough coming this way-and the cave may shoot us out into space, b

avagely far down below our left, and sheets of water glazing the footing we could find among the boulders and debris. Hardly could the ponies keep from slipping sideways on the slope, as we proceeded farther and farther from the solidity of the ridge behind us, we experienced the illusion of vent

he is,"

n inclined tunnel, far up into the dimness. We had to dig our toes in and scramble to make way up it at all,

uoth Jed Parker. "Now

deer had jumped. It was dry at the moment, but we uttered pessimistic predictions if the wind sho

id they, and departed with the t

Parker, and me. In a moment Windy Bill

llos and follo

to another cave, twenty feet high, fift

. "Found her just now while I was

pt for the very edges, which did not much matter, our blankets and "so-guns," protected by the canvas "ta

on the other fellows,

r first choice

ld man," the Catt

I told him of this yere cave first. B

kets. The result looked good to

and coffee, merely for the sake of sustenance. It certainly amounted to little in the way of pleasure. The water from the direct rain, the shivering trees, and our hat brims accumula

ng high, and our bodies had ceased shivering. Fantastically the firelight revealed the knobs and crevices, the ledges and the arching walls. Their shadows leaped, following the flames, receding and advancing like playful beasts. Far above us was a single tiny opening through which the smoke was sucked as through a c

d to come over south of here, through what they called Emigrant Pass, on their way to Californy. I was a kid then, about eighteen year old, and what I didn't know about Injins and Age

along any old way, but once there they herded up together in bunches of twenty wagons or so, 'count of our old friends, Geronimo and Loco. A good many of 'em had horned cattle to their wagons, and they

Chiricahua Mountains and Emigrant Pass it's maybe a th

the Springs their tongues was hangin' out a foot. You see, for all their plumb nerve in comin' so far, the most of them didn't know sic 'em. They were plumb

Texas Pete ma

exas Pete was goin' to jump next. He was a side-winder and a diamond-back and a little black rattlesnake all rolled into one. I believe that Texas Pete person cared about as little for killin' a m

in the plumb middle of the desert. He promptly annexed said wa

or beast-and nobody got a mouth

An average twenty-wagon outfit, first and last, would bring him in somewheres about fifty dollars-

canvas shack and that well, they begun to cheer up and move fast. And when they

t do nothin' but sit there and smoke, with a kind of sulky gleam in one corner of his eye. He didn't even take

water for humans?"

that sign?" Texa

ad for HUMANS!" yells the man. "W

sign, can't you?"

an, tryin' a new deal, "but they tell

nd Mr. Emigrant shel

freighters, and the motto was always "Hold up Uncle Sam," at that. Once in a while some outfit would get mad and go chargin' off dry; but

to spit-and we was just gettin' back from drivin' some beef up to the troops at Fort Huachuca. We was due to cross the Emigrant Trail-s

t off. Their tongues was out, and every once in a while they'd stick in a chuck-hole. Then a man would get dow

just to take a loo

man was drivin'

says I, "ain't yo

" say

vellin' through an In

," says he. "Can

on," I

nd Gentleman Tim followin' along because our trail led that

ts to water them

ed up kind o

in't got no four bits. I g

" growls Texas P

ked about h

to the next wat

ile," I t

e says, to

ed his shoulde

the evenin'; we'll make it." He turns

the cu

o us alkalis opened the flaps and gave out a

ou is they?" a

lies the man

then," says Texas

an straighten

has been out in this sun all day without a drop of water. Our cask slippe

head," say

a baby in her arms. The kid had fuzzy yellow

e a sick child a drink o

h; I guess he was just beginning to get his sno

t no money at all?" he growls, "and how do you expec

in't got no money, but I'll give you six bit

s Texas Pete, and turns square on

t you?" whispers G

red," I

im turns to

, Pete. I'll pay you

wn," gro

s Tim. "I wouldn't speak to you if I met you

sneers Pete. "Don't they have a

make it disagre

ls Pete, gettin' hostile

he stooped down to dig up a little of the wet from an overflow puddle lyin' at his feet. At the same time the hosses

unt of the jumpy country we'd been drivin' the steers over. But Gentleman Tim, who had unslung his rope, aimin' to help the hosses out of the chuckhole, snatched her off the horn, and with one of the prettiest twenty-foot flip throws I ever see done he snaked old Texas

ight, but Texas Pete had bored one of them poo

get the old man," says Gentl

he range long enough with him to know that when he got

ing drink. As for your hoss, pray do not be under any apprehension. Our friend, Mr. Tex

, wide, and handsom

omething; but I managed

t way, he's mad; and when he's mad, it's better

ittle fire and started some grub, while Gentlem

ke up his mind. He went o

k to get away, or if you refuse to do just as I tell you, I won't sho

s Pete carry them right along the trail a

er loose, and his rope free. The man and I stood by, not darin' to say a word. Aft

he, "is this her

he gentleman's hoss decent interme

s!" growls

any more. Tim cock

quit panting and swe

beginning to scare him up the worst way. By and by he had

hat will d

Then I intend to shoot you and put you in with the hoss, and write you an epitaph that will be a comfort to such travellers of the Trail as ar

ght he looked an extra long time, but when he

says he v

e corral Tim took Texas Pete's best te

u'd better hit the trail. Take that

r some time after the schooner had pu

hanged

got

. I'll be back to-morrow to turn you loose. In the meantime it won't

t sundown, leavin' Te

said so, but I couldn't get a word out of Gentleman T

pick or a shovel apiece, and to get set for Texas Pete's. We got there a little after noon, turned the old boy out-without firearms-and then began to dig at a place

ER-HOLE. W

nt to on your own property. But if I ever hear of your layin'

noted indications of water; and it struck him that runnin' the old renegad

wing a thin trickle of water running down the other side of the cave. The st

e do after that?" a

l. "Well, he put in a heap of hi