The Border Boys Across the Frontier
ith it. Coming from no definite direction, it yet impregnated the atmosphere. The air, too, began noticeably to thicken, until the sun, from a
ph Stetson suddenly.
id Coyote Pete. "The wind'
ny worse?" inquired t
gits any better," was t
?" asked Jack, turni
a heavy, suffocating sort of heat. The wind that drove the myriads upon myriads of ti
ur heads under 'em," ordered the cow-puncher, bris
. The ponies could hardly be induced to stand up while the process of unsaddling was gone through. As for the burros, those intelligent beasts had thrown themselves down as soon as the halt
red cousins. The bipeds of the party made haste to follow their animals' example, only, in their case, thei
t as black as night, and the wind fairly screamed as it swept over them. Jack could feel little piles of sand drifting up about them, just as driven snow form
ck, trying in vain to moisten his mout
ing toward them at a rapid rate. For an instant the thought flashed across him that it was their own
driving sand he had distinctly seen three enormous forms sweep by, seen like dim shadows in the glo
n impression of their great size, he had no more definite idea of the apparitions. That they were travelling at a tremendous pace was doubtl
evolved the problem, but no explanation that he could think of woul
se he had ever seen. Besides, their blotty-looking
an to abate. To be sure, at first it hardly seemed to have diminished its force, but in the course of half an
l all about them. The animals, too, struggling to their feet out of the little mounds that had formed around them, were covered with a thick coat of grayish dust
was sinking lower. In a short time it would have set, and, as Ralph Stetson, in a choked voictty soon, their predicament
. If only they could yet "pick up" the mesa before dark, this would not be so s
ustache, "waal, I reckon we might as well hang fer a sheep as er lamb, anyhow. Ef we
fessor, leading an eager rush for the water c
Jack, as Ralph Stetson bent over backw
egun to drink yet
vised Pete. "Thet's highly
d drank sparingly, as did Pete and the others. Ralph, alone, of all the party, appeared no
stood motionless beneath him, he stood erect upon the leather seat. From this elevation, he scanned the horizon on every side. Far off to the sout
r compass," said Pete, resumin
ended hi
l right, I know,"
me this way was with an old prospector who knew this part of the country well enoug
professor. "But are y
nt as not to know that, in the many miles they had traveled, the deflection of
p being right?" asked Ja
n carrying your revolver
left side," rejoined J
pass on the
hy? Isn
all now, perfusser; that thar shootin
rejoined th
our they arrived at the startling conclusion that they had travelled perhaps many miles out of their wathink of such a possibilit
as happened to experienced sea-captains, and they have navigated
runted Pete. "Suppose now, perfusser, that you jes' fig
cult task, I fear,"
sk, ef we don't hit water purty
nd, taking out a small notebook, began, with the compass before him, to m
sked Jack
might be. We are, according to my reckoning, about tw
his noteboo
vel in that direction." He indicated a poin
-five miles, you
y be more, and aga
ter it'll suit yours truly. Thi
they set out once more, this time taking t
ph whispered to Jack, as they urged t
gged his
se of supposi
egun to be noticeable in the air, when Jack g
" he cried.
he monotony of the sky-line sharply. Coyote Pete scrutinized it with keen
ng on the verdict of the next few seconds, but Pete's slow drawl was more pronounced and unperturbed than ever. He p
e others all bent forward in their
have said more, but the rest of his w