Bloom of Cactus

n's rifle. Carmena rose from beside the emb

rected. "We'll eat over here

iff ledge, she stopped short with her gaze fixed upon

ila monster?"

't mean to s

thickset lizard that lay flattened upon the shadowed sand as if in a torpor. The repti

ked Carmena. "Hold on. Don't shoot. That s

weet wiggler-not that I believe the wild yarns about them. All lizards are non-poiso

ected to find hollow fangs and the sacs above, like a rattler's. Do you know why a Gila monster flops

all

him with a ch

ock their jaws, and the poison-- But I've seen a man snap the head off one of thos

ly he hesitated. He was not given to bravado, and even without her assertion that the

ifle, walked in beside the Gila monster, and suddenly clutching the lizard in mid-body, flung it se

un the slightest risk. You couldn't know that, though. Yes, you'll do. Only do

ugh he first rubbed his hands thoroughly in the sand. Neither had much to say. They were alike int

mid-day sun. It was viciously snapping its jaws and twitching its thick head from side to side. Carmena gave no h

h her ungloved hand on the sand at the edge of the cliff shadow. Like the

about her shapely head. The girl was neither pretty nor beautifu

seen many darting lizards that day. But none had moved more swiftly than the clumsily built Gila monster now darted at the dis

self forward to block the attac

. Caught outstretched and almost prone upon the ground, Lennon sought to wrench his hand free and draw away. The heavy lizard was dra

Lennon's ear: "Hol

revolver against the side of its lower jaw. The bullet shattered the jaw a

. Carmena flung herself upon her knees and caught up his

ite glare of the desert noon went black before Len

le Madonna face that appeared to hover close above him. His clearing gaze gradually made out the

ning consciousn

Jack!-You haven't left

the matter?-

ief had been knotted around his bared forearm and twisted very tight with the barrel of the little revolver. From the tourniquet down, the arm and wrist an

irl. "That'll kill the poison and not hurt you a bit. You're all right now-o

ed his swollen hand and arm. The tingling pain of returning circulation roused him like a stimulant. But the poison had not all been sucked from the woun

A gush of water dashed into his face-then the sea appeared to solidify into dry sand. He became conscious that Carmena was violently rolling hi

ut of lithe strength, grasped his body from behind to heave him upright. He gained his feet, but was far

Grip hold of his mane with your good hand. W

ted to clap the sombrero on his drenched head and steady him with a hand on the tourniquet. A guttural command started the pony off at a walk. Th

the hot sand but for the convulsive clutch of his left hand on the pony's mane and the strong support of Carmena a

d and his strength was fast returning. To offset this benefit, his arm was now blacker than ever and rapidly swelling. Car

she said. "The tie must come

evolver from the tourniquet. This time Lennon did not lose consciousness. Either the remaining poison had been

pt him steadied. Very soon the run under the hot sun had him panting for breath. His highly oxygenized b

able to do so much after the terrible shock of the Gila monster poison. They had come into the midst of scattered mesquit

spector's tools, packsacks, bacon, flour-all were discarded. From her saddlebags she dumped half of her own bacon and

ir rope. From its mate the girl refilled the smaller canteen, which Lennon had already

rom the other tanks. With your hand useless, we can't fight. We'll have to swing around

prang to

I'll trot along after you. Don't bother about me. I can shoot

ured hand. It was still swollen and bleeding, but the purple-black discoloration had lighten

said. "You don't suppose I'll leave you t

ho have saved mi

I'd have had no show at all. You didn't know how to treat the poison. No. Either t

Miss F

e girl's tanned chee

man like you, Jack. Won

in dress, yet rich coloured as the bloom of the red-flowered cactus. She had saved him from the horrible death of the

willing hand in

irl like you for pal-

tain of its meaning. "Oh, you mean pard. Yes, we're partner