Heart of the Sunset

s of grass, was baked plaster hard. It burned like hot slag, and except for a panting lizard here an

s creaked and whistled, choked and rattled, snored and grunted; a dove mourned inconsolably, and out of the

ed not. In spite of her fatigue, regardless of the torture from feet and limbs unused to walking, she must, as she constantly assured herself, keep going until strength failed. So far, fortunately, she had kept her head, and she retained sufficient reason to deny the fanc

and unbelievably prodigal hand. Out of these false acres occasional knolls and low stony hills lifted themselves so that one came, now and then, to vantage-points where the eye leaped for great distances across imperceptible val

flat and dry; the galvanized mouthpiece burned her fingers. With a little shock she remembered that she had done this very thing several times before, and her repeated fo

n did nothing of the sort. Seating herself in the densest shade she could find-it was really no shade at all-she clos

he leaves hushed their faint whisperings; a near-by cactus held its forty fleshy ears alert, while others more distant poised in the same harkening attitude. It seemed to the woman that a thousand ears were straining wi

e told herself that she could never cover such a distance. No, the water-hole was nearer; it must be close at hand. If she could only think a little more clearly, she could locate it. Once more

ed herself upon sharing with the wild creatures, she were fated to become a victim of the chaparral. The possibility was remote; death at this moment seemed as far off as ever-if anything it was too far of

-bag over her shoulder and the loose cartridge-belt

inking to guide herself by their course, but she was not shrewd enough to read the signs correctly. The tracks she found were old, for the most part, and they led in no particular direction, nowhere uniting into anything like a trail. She wondered, if she could bring

they were joined by others, for, although they meandered aimlessly, they formed something more like a trail than anything she had as yet seen. Guessing at their general direction, she hurried on, coming finall

r breath made strange, distressing sounds as it issued from her open lips. Hounding the steep shoulder of the ri

nly cooled; overhead the empty, flawless sky was deepening swiftly from blue to purple; the chaparral had awakened and echoed

cely heeded him. She staggered directly toward the pond, seeing nothing after the first glance except the water. She would have flung herself full length upon the edge, but the man stepped forward and stayed her, then placed a tin cup in her

said the man, as he refilled

sank back, her feet curled under her, her body sagging, her head drooping. She felt the stranger's hands beneath her arms, felt herself lifted to a more comfortable position. Without asking permission, the str

e time she was too tired to do more than refill the drinking-cup occasionally, or to wet her fa

red curiously at the figure there. The appetizing odor of broiling bacon had drawn h

ready directly. How'd you li

clear and liquid tone, almost like some bird-call. He had spoken with an unmistakable Texas draw

r stockings and boots. Well back from the fire he had arranged a seat for her, using a saddle-blanket for a covering, and u

er how I-happen to

ips he waved a hand and smiled. "Drink hearty!" He set a plate of bread and bacon in her lap, then opened a glass jar of jam. "Here's the dulces. I've got a sort of sweet tooth in my head.

ectly interpret his expression, for had she been able to do so she would have realized something of the turmoil into which her presence had thrown him. He was accustomed to meeting men in unexpected places-even in the desert's isolation-but to

ur supper?" she

very tall and quite lean, with the long legs of a horseman-this latter feature accentuated by his high-heeled boots and by the short canvas cowboy coat that reached only

d her cup and plate as an invitation for him

ain't hungry," he

rained from urging him, and proceeded with her repast. When she

g the Arroyo Grande,"

eg, and I had

ter in the Grand

as plenty. I knew of this

here was water

s at the littl

nde. Lord! It's a good ten miles straigh

ver here but once, and-the country

e, eh? I figured there might be a little." The fact appeared to please him, for

e. Where ar

nville. My

other big cattle-ranches in the Hebbronville district. Probably he was a range boss

es

to borrow

o his plate. "Well

send you a fresh one by Ba

of his hat. "D'you reckon you could fi

an was

?" he asked. "I reckon you need a good rest about as much

et she reluctantly agreed. "P

t loan you my horse, miss.

boy could bri

to meet

er

es

will h

-morrow evening." Heedless of her disma

ride to Balli's and have yo

arlier than I expect

e it would make. It wouldn't interf

e aside, selected a fresh cigarette; the

y he killed a man over in Jim Wells County. They got me by 'phone at Hebbronville and told me he'd left. He's headin'

u're an

man comes. Do you live around here?" The speaker looked up inqui

was grateful for the g

y to examine a trac

answered; then he said, in a casual tone, "

we need mo

o. I was with General Castro wh

re a Ma

. That's a fine country

and put the Mexicans

on you haven't seen mu

lution br

emain neutral, but-" Ag

ortunately both sides

g his blanket, sought a favorable spot upon which to spread it. Then he helped Mrs. Austin to her feet-her muscles had stiffened until she co

embers flickered into flame and lit her hair redly. She had laid off her felt Stetson, and one loosened braid lay over her hard pill

th me when your Mexi

I'll hide you out in th

you sle

I'm used t

that she was; then, shaking

as, if reports were true, quite as mysterious, quite as cold and fixed and unapproachable, as the title implied. Knowledge of her identity had come as a shock, for Law knew something of her history, and to find her suing for his protection was quite thrilling. Tales of her pale beauty were common and not tame, but she was all and more than she had been described. And yet why had no

inst his palms-palms unaccustomed to the touch of woman's flesh-he felt the contact of her naked feet, as at the moment when he had placed them i

d had sent her to him out of the dusk-wild fancies, like these, bother men who are much alone. Of course he had not dreamed that she was the mistress of Las Palmas. That altered ma

rred nervous

beat hell?"