Bloom of Cactus

e dead burro again the somber

your pack," she said. "We'l

d clear of the pack. When Lennon's very creditable diamond-hitch had b

ith cornmeal. Same with your cooking outfit. Throw out all but

I can't begin to

my pony," cu

remonstrated Lennon. "I'll not permit you to wa

ng your permi

e girl's boots were not built with the usual cowb

is packsaddle and the other discarded articles of his outfit, Carmena went after her would-be stray, limping and gingerly picking her steps when she saw t

In a twinkling she stripped off the moccasins and thrust them down into the bottom of one of the saddlebags.

tisfaction with fragments of rock the rest of his outfit had been securely packed upon the pony by

on the two first maxims of desert travel. "Come along. No use trying to hide your cache or y

pony, whose reins had been tied to the pack, snorted and shied. But at a call

into that murderous savage if w

o the railroad," replied Carmena, and she

is rifle ready as they came up over the round of a stony ridge. Though neither could see the slightest s

dge side, until they came up into the mouth of a small ca?on. Between the bald ledges of the dry channel were

e trail of our r

to fix him with

he only way into the Basin; and, once in, they may get

ennon was r

and-perhaps you know the

Don't blame me if we meet up with th

Wouldn't you have a be

back out,

your pony. Then, if we are attacked, I may be a

ow in her eyes. Without a word she swung ahead, on up the ca?on. Though not a little puzzled over her

him a curt gesture for silence and led on at a quickened pace. Her swift ascent slackened only at the twists of the narr

d steeper. The pony, for all his goat-like agility and sure-fo

n the burning heat and his very natural excitement over Carmena's s

and flared out in a trough-like valley at the

iss Farley-all bare and open! Not a bit

wisted in a smile of contempt, but h

e lower end, it was you

there are Indian watchers on those ridges? Would it not be best for me to hold their attent

ush into Lennon's lean face. But her troubled eyes had cl

e rallied. "Besides, we don't go to the head of the valley

girl knew exactly what she was about, cooled Le

he jibed at himself. "Coming up the ca?on

. Her lips straightened in ha

we meet that bunch of bronchos, there's just one thing to do-shoot f

to consider, and I presume no peacef

square across the forehead. If yo

e girl's almost fierce insistence. He knew that the treatment of

g advance through the midst of the scraggly low-growing trees brought them to the notch in the rim-ridge. Below this break the mesa side pitched stee

on. But at his pleased exclamation Carmena told him that he was looking at no oasis. What he saw was only the green of mesquite and palo verde, the fluted columns of the gi

s, appeared a higher mountain. The top, dwarfed by distance but as clear

Triple Butte,"

hat? We can make it

you hurried enough. It's only

penly incredulou

e ranch. We'll strike for the nearest tank. I've notic

e offered canteen, which was still half full. Carmena drop

e rock, past scattered growths of thornscrub and cactus, to where windblown sand lay in sterile drifts al

e. The hat came up brimful of water. She drank deeply, refill

s much more as he can drink," she directed. "There's fire

e and deliciously cool. The watering of the pony took no little time and patience. Though the beast wa

ike the puffs of a giant's pipe, rising straight up in the still air from behind the point of rocks

elt beside it, leaning on the muzzle of her rifle. Her dark eyes were gazing

perceived the tenseness of the girl's attitude and hastened

sewood on the fire.

puffs

e and eyed h

nchos is anywhere within fifteen miles-with

e not cut

evils aren't mounted, they'd soon overtake us. A

he ridge and sat down to clean and rel

and back up to the spring. The cave is an

oo. I've knocked over a caribou with i

t head of its owner. Midway out across the desolate Basin, from the top of a craggy hill to the

take from her saddlebags a frying pan, several