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Show tfcit tlasa." anddenty taltl ?1m!-Jim Uih. "I'm aeeln' red, I tea you. . . . Well, port as my eyes art they bad It right Bojaa an' his outfit have left the trail. Uddy. 111 be danged If the Greaser bunch hasnt vamoosed. Gone out of aljbtl Bight there not half mile way. the whole caboodle gone!" wander st will. ( Canteens were filled, "Shore they're behind a emit or a small bag of jfood was packed, and have gone down Into a rut." suggested blankets mad into-- a bundle. Then Ladd. "They'll show again In a minYaqui faced the steep ascent of the ute. Look sharp, boy a, for rm lava slope. Rojas "U spread his men." The trail ha followed led up on the From time to time the rangwi right aide of the fissure, opposite- to looked Inquiringly at Gale. The field the one be had come down. It was a glass, however, like tlie naked sight, steep climb, and encumbered as the could not catch the slightest moving men were they made but slow prog- object" out there upon the lava. A GOLB CHAPTER XI. By ZANE GREY' Continued. The Indian led off Into one of tlie gray notches between the tumbled Streams of lava. At the apex of the notch, where two streams met, a nar- Author of . row gully wound and ascended. Ynqul led Diablo Into It,. and then began the moat laborious and vexatious aud , painful of all slow travel. The disintegrating surface of a lava bed was at once the roughest, the hardest, the meanest, the crudest, the most deceitful kind of ground to The fugitives made slow travel. They picked a cautious, progress. winding way to ami fro In little steps .here and there nhmg th,1 many twists of the trail, up and down, the unavoidable depressions, round anil round the holes. At noon, so winding back upon Itself had been their course, they appeared to have come only a short distance up i lie lava slope. I; was rough work fur them; It was terrible work for the Horses. "winnciT Diablo refused to answer to the power He balked, he plunged, Of the Yncnii. he bit and kicked, lie had to be pulled and beaten over many places. Mercedes' horse alimis; threw her, "and she was put upon I'.larico Sol. Tlie white charger snorted a protest, then, obedient "To Gale's s7ern7iiTr,'"p7inenfT.v" lowered his noble head and pawed the lava for a footing that would hold. The lava caused Gale toil and worry and pain, but he Muted the lie came almost to 'relieve choyas. what he had heard claimed by desert travelers xbat tlie cltoya was a Itve and leaped at man or beast. Certain It was when Gale passed one, If he did not put all attention to avoiding It. be was hooked through bis chaps and held by barbed thorns. Tlie i v in was almost unendurable. It was like It burned, stung, beat no other. If made almost seemed to freeze. useless arm or leg. It made him bite his tongue to kce( from crying o.it It made the sweat roll off him. It made him sick. Moreover, l ad as the choya was fur man, It was Infinitely worse for beast. A jagged stab from this poisoned capitis "as the only thing l'lanco Sol could no) stand. Many times that day. before be cr.rried Mercedes, h had wildly Mwrlril, and then stood trcni-hli'iwhile Gale pic ked broken thorns from the muscular legs. But after Mercedes bad been put upon Sol Gale made sure no choja touched him. The afternoon passed like the mornwinding and twisting, in ing and climbing along this abandoned trail. Gale saw many waterholcs. mostly dry, some containing water, all full only after of them Little ugly bunched rainy season. hushes, t! at Gale scarcely reeognix'Ml as uicsqulti'S. grew near these holes; ami pric!;ly also s.iinted pear. There was no glass, and the choya alone nourished in that hard soil. Darkness overtook the party as they unpacked eside a pool of water deep under an overhai ging shelf of lna. It had been a hard day. The horses drunk their (111, r.nd then stood patiently with drooping heads. Hunger and thirst were appeased, and a warm fire Cheered the weary and footsore And Vaijui said, "Sleep." fugitives. SO another night passed. The Riders of the Purple Sage, WildfireEtc. Brothers. looked till Me hurt Mis eyes. Then Me took Mis glass out of Its case on Hoi's saddle. There appeared to he nothing upon tlie lava bur the Innumerable dots of choya shining In the sun. Gale swept his glass slowly forward and back. Then Into n nearer field tf vision crept a long w line of Morses and men. Without a word Me handed the glass to Ijtdd. The ranger used It, muttering to himself. "They're on the lava fifteen miles down In nn air line," he said, present ly, "Jim, tor they're twloejmtn-rbrea- k more accordin' to the trail." Jim had his look and replied: "I reckon we're a day an a iiImIiI In the lead." "Is It Rojas?" burst out Thome with set jaw. It's Iiojas and a "Yes, Thome. 4wunvor --wote ..xepllc-j.Gale, nndhe looked up at Mercedes. She might She was transformed. have been a medieval' princess embodying all the Spanish power and passion of that time, breathing revenge, hate. uniuenchable spirit of lire. If her beauty had 1een wonder ful In her helph-s-- i and appealing moments, now, when she looked back , white-faceIt wa.t and transcendent. Gale drew a b ng, deep breath. The mood which had presaged pursuit, strife, blood on this somber desert, lie saw returned to him tenfold. Thome's face corded by black veins, and his teeth exposed like fliose'of a These rangers, who snarling wolf. had coolly risked death many times, and had dealt It often, were white as no fear or pain could have made them. Then, on the moment. Yaqui raised his bund, ret clenched or doubled tight, but curled rigid like an eagle's claw; and he shook it in a strange, slow gesture v. Inch was menacing unci terrible. It was the woman that called to the depths of these men. And their passion to kill and to suvi was surpassed only by the wild hate which was yet love, flic unfathomable emotion of a ;a!e marveled at It. peon slave. while lie. fell bis whole being cold and tense, as be turned once more to follow in the tracks of bis leadets. The tight predicted by Holding was at baud. What a light that must be! lloji.s was traveling light and fast. He was gaining. He bad bought his men with gold, with extravagant promise, per Maps w ith offers of the body and blood of an aristocrat .hateful to their kind. Lastly, there was the wild, desolate of environment, a tortured w jagged lava and poisoned choya, n lonely, fierce and repellent world, a red stage most son Mcrly and fittingly colored for a supreme struggle between men. Yaqui looked back no more. Mercedes looked back no more. the other looked, and the time came when Gale wtw the creeping line of pursuers with naked eyes. 4 A level line above marked the rim I 'pott the following morning, ten of the plateau. Sand began to show-Imiles or more up the the little lava pits, tin and upward lava slope. Gale was in the rear of nil the other Morses, so lis to tiUe. toiied the cavalcade, still very slowly for Mercedes' sake, the advantag" of advancing. At last Ynqul reached the the broken trail. Yaq'il was lea. ling rim. He stood with bis band on anil both were silhou Diablo, winding around a break. Ills l'.iiiiico That was the bead was bent lis he steppe I slowly etted gam: t the sky Ulltl,,, for a Y iqul: And h.s great and unevenly upon the lava. turned to look back, the first fine in several nays, lie thought, of coerse. of lio.las in eeilain pursuit; but it seemed absurd to look for him. Yaqui led on, and dale often glanced up from his task to watch the Indian presently be saw him stop, turn, and , look txii'f;, did ami then Jim and Thome, dale found the desire Irresistible. Thereafter lie often rested I'.lalico Sol. an looked buck the while. He hid his held glass, but did not ehoose to use It. "Kojas will follow." said Moive Gale regarded her hi auiao of her bad been in If there were fear then he failed p. detect It. She was gazing back down the colored slope, aid something about f.ibon gaze her, perhaps the of tier magnificent eyes, reminded him of Van, ill. Many tinges during the ensuing hour the Indian fined about, and always bis followers did likewise. It was high noon, with the sun beating hot and the lava radiating Meat, when Ynqul baited for a rest. The horses bunched and drooped their heads. The ranger were about to slip the pinks and saddles when Ynqul restrained them. He fixed a changeless gleaming j:te on the slow descent but did not seem to look afar. That Wat the Outlook for a Yaqui. Suddenly Me uttered Ms strange Morse, (Mmzlingly white In the sunCff" the one Gale ennslilered Invidun tarjr, or else significant of somp tribal light, with bead wildly and proudly trait or feeling. Ynqul pointed down erect, mane and tail flying In tht the lava slope, pointing with tlnger wind, made u magnificent picture. The and arm and neck and Mead his others f.uled on and upwurd. and at whole being seemed to have been anl last (inle led Blanco Sol oer the rliu. mated and rhe frozen. Then all buiked down the red slope. "Shore he sees soinefliln'," said Hut shadows were gathering there Ladd. "But my eyes are no good ." and no mot in: line could Me neeii. "I reckon I ain't sure of mine." re Ynqul mounted and wheeled Diablo plied Jim. "I'm bothered hr a dim The other way. followed.. The inovln' sIMnk down there." Ynqui led tin m into a zone of crater. Thorne gazed eagerly down as he The lop of the earth seemed to h ive stood beside Mercedes, who sjit mo- been blown out In holes from a tew tionless facing the slope. (ue-- looked rods In widi li to large craters, some ah i flame-eyed- cea-cle- catch-basin- ; like-vise- Tin-ton- : & Copyright by Harper ress. At length the rims widened out and the red, smoky crater yawned her neatb. Yaqui left the trail and began clambering down over the rough and twisted convolutions of lava which formed the rim. It was with extreme difficulty that the party followed hlin. The choya was there to hinder passage. Finally the Indian baited upon a narrow bench of flat, smooth lava, and his followers worked with exceeding care and effort down to bis position, At the back of tbls bench between bunches of choya, was a niche, a shallow cave wtnTTTSSr" lined apparently with mold. - Yaqui spread blankets Inside, left the canteen and- the sack of food, and with a gesture at once humble, yet that of a chief, he Invited Mercedes to enter. A few more gestures and fewer words disclosed bis plan. In this Inaccessible nook Mercedes was to be bidden. The men were to go around upon the opposite rim, nnd block the trail leading down to the wnterhole. Ladd chose the smallest gun In the parti and gave 4t to Mercedes. '"Shore It's best to go the limit on "The beln' ready," he said, simply. chaflr'ps are you'll never need It. But If you do-"--" He left off there, end his break was Mercedes answered him significant. with a fearless and indoinltnble flash of eyes. Thorne was the only one who showed any shaken nerve. His of Mis wife was affecting and CHAPTER XII Then he and the rangers hurried. carefully stepped In the tracks of the The Crater of Hell. Presently Gale, upon turning a sharp Yaqui. He strode on up the trail corner, was utterly amazed to see that toward a higher point, where presthe split In the lava sloped out and ently his dark figure stood motionless widened Into an arroyo. It was so against the sky. The rangers nnd green and soft and beautiful in all Thome selected a deep depression, out of which led several ruts deep enough the angry, contorted red surrounding that Gale could scarcely credit his for cover. Here the men laid down their rifles and guns, and. removln sight. Iilanco Sol whistled Mis welcome to the scent of water. Then heavy cartridge belts, settled down Gale saw a great hole, a pit In the to wait. Jim Lash crawled into a little strip shiny lava, a dark, cool, shady well. There was evidence of the fact that of shade and bided the time tranquilly. at flood seasons water had on outlet Ladd was restless and Impatient and into tlie arroyo. The soil appeared to watchful, every little while rising to l e look up the a line sand, in which a reddish slope, and then to tlie right, where Ynqui's dark tinge predominated; and it was abundantly covered with a long grass, still figure stood out from a high point of partly green. Mesquites mid palo the rim. Thorne grew silent, and seemed consumed by a slow, sullen verdes dotted the arroyo and gradurage. Gale was neither calm nor free ally closed in thickets that obstructed of n gnawing suspense nor of a waitthe view. l'.ut as best he could he "Shore it all beats me," exclaimed ing wrath, I add. "What a place to hole-uin! put the pending action out of mind. We could have hid Mere; for a long It came over MIm all of a sudden time.. Beldln' was shore; right about that he had not grasped the stupenAn' I can se? Kojas' dous nature of this desert setting. the Indian. finish somewhere up along that awful There was the measureless red slope. Its lower ridges finally sinking Into Camp was made on a level spot. white sand dunes toward the blue sea. Yaqui took the horses to water, and The cold, sparkling light, the white tlien turned them loose in the arroyo. sun. the deep azure of sky. the feeling It was a tired and somber group that of boundless expanse all aronnd Mini these meant Mlgh altitude. Southsat down to eat. Mercedes was calm, but her groat dark eyes burned In her ward tlie berren red simply merged The field of craters white face. Yaqui watched her. The Into distance. others looked at her with unspoken rose In high, dark wheels toward the pride. Presently Thorne wrapped her dominating peaks. "tYhen Gale within his blankets, and she seemed to full drew Ids gaze from the magnitude of these spares and heights the crater asleep at once. Yet Little of Yaqul's purpose or plan beneath MIm seemed dwarfed. could be elicited from him. The wMile Me gazed ft spread and deept angers and Thorne. however, talked ened and multiplied Its ragged Hue's. in low tones. It was absolutely ImNo. he could not grasp the meaning possible for Ilojas and his men to of size or d. stance Mere. There was reach the wnterhole before noon of loo much to stun the sight. IV, t the the next iluy. And long before that mood in which nataure had created lime the fugitives would have decided this convulsed world seized Mold upon him. mi a plan of defense. The hours passed. As the sun "What stuns me is that Kojas stuck to our trail." said Thorne, his lined climbed the clear sky, steely lights vanand haggard face expressive of dark ished, the blue hazes deepened, and "lie has followed us Into slowly the glistening surfaces of lava passion, Ladd was concerned this fearful desert. He'll lose men, turned redder. horses, perlu. ps his life. He's only a to discover that Yaqui was missing bandit, and be stands to win no gold. from his outlook upon the MlgM point. Jim Lash came out of the shady crevAll for a poor little helpless woman just a unman! I can't understand it." ice, nnd stood up to buckle on his car"Shor jest a woman," replied tridge belt. His narrow, gray glance I.add. solemnly nodding bis Mead. slowly roved from the height of lava Then there was a long silence, dur- down along the slope, paused In doubt, ing which the men gazed into the fire. and then swept on to resurvey the Those were cold. hard, grim faces wMole vast eastern dip of the plateau. "I reckon my eyes are pore," he said. upon which the light flickered. "Mebbe It's this d n red glare. Any"Sleep." said Yaqtll. Thorne rolled In his blanket close way, what's them creepln' spots up beside Merit dcs. Then one by one there?'' tlie rangers stretched nUJ, feet to the "Shore I seen them. Mountain fire. t;ale found that he could not sheep," replied Ladd. sleep. His eyes were wenry, but they "Guess again, Dick, I Laddy. would nol stay shut; Mis body ached reckon you'd better flash the glass up for rest, yet he could not lie still. the slope." The Yaqui sat like nn Image carved Gale adjusted the field gluss aud beotil of hia. TMe others lay prone and gan to search the lava, beginning close quiet. Would amrther night see any atpiiand and working away from MIm. of them lie that Way. quiet forever? Presently the glass became stationary. Gale sal up alter a while and again "1 see half a dozen small animals, watched the fire. Nell's sweet face brown In color. They look like sheep. floated like a v. ralth In tlie pale Hut I couldn't distinguish mountain smoke glowed and Unshed ami sheep from antelope." smiled In the enihin. Other faces "Shore tMcy're bighorn," said Laddy. slione I Mere-sister's that of Mis "I reckon If you'll pull around to the mother. off shook ;ale the lender east an' searcli under tMat long wall This desolate wilderness of iHva there memories. you'll see wliat I see," with its forbidding silence and Its added Jim. dark promise of hell on the morrow TMe glass climbed and circled, thin was not tlie place to unnerve onenn Instant, tlnvi fixed steady self with thoughts of love and Monte. as a There was n breathless Toward dawn Gale managed to gel silence. some sleep. Then the morning Mroke "Fourteen Morses two packed with the sun hidden back of the uplift some mounted others without riders, of the plateau. The Morses trooed and lame," said Gale, slowly. and snorted for water. up llie arroyo Yaqui apiieared far np the trail, After a hurried breakfast (Me packs coming swiftly. Presently he saw the were Midden In Moles In tlie lava. Tlie rangers and Malted to wave Mis arum saddles were left where they Were nod point. Then he vanished m if t)le Morsi and the allowed to graze, and lava had open-- d beneath bu ' shallow, others deep, and all red as fire. Yaqui circled elose to abysses which yawned shee.- from a level surface, and he appeared always to be turning upon his coarse to avoid them. The plateau had now a considerable dip to the west. Gale marked the slow heave and ripple of the ocean of lava to the south, where high, rounded peaks marked the center of this volcanic region. TMe uneven nature of tlie slope westward prevented any extended view, until suddenly the fugitives emerged from a rugged -- ta a sublime and coBifc-ttpspectacle. They were upon a Mlgh point of the western slope of tho plateau. It was strange to Gale, and perhaps to the others, to gee their guide lead Diablo into a smooth and trail along the rim of the awful crater. Gale looked down Into tMat red chasm. It resembled an Inferno. The dark cliffs upon the opposite side were veiled In blue haze that seemed like smoke. Here Yaqui was at home. lie moved and looked about Mint a&fl man Gale coming at last into his own saw hlin stop and gaze out over that void to Gale divined that somewhere along this crater of hell the Yaqui would make his final stand ; and one look into Mis strange, inscrutable eyes made imagination picture a fitting doom for tlie pursuing Rojas. on g well-wor- n the-Qjlf- leave-takin- g long huajfffewiountlng suspense wore oh "Shore It's all goln' to be as queer as the Yaqui," said Ladd. Indeed, the strange mien, the silent action, the' ribmber character of the Indian had not been without effect upon the minds of the men. Then the weird, desolate, tragic scene added to the vague sense f mystery. And now the disappearance of Rojas' band, the long wait In the silence, the boding certainty of Invisible foes crawling, circling closer and closer, lent to the situation a final touch that made it unreal. "I'm reckonln there's a mind behind them Greasers," replied Jim. "Or mebbe we ain't done Rojas credit. . . . If soipetbln' would only come CHEERFUL DECORATIONS FOR THE HOME cLT TRIMBLE CRETONNE USED FOR BEDROOM DECORATIONS Cretonne, with a basket pattern, furnishes the keynote for this bedroom. The valance over the windows Is made of the cretonne and the baskets are cut from the material and pasted on to the blue rep which forms the side drapes. Blue candles, mahogany candlesticks, mahogany furniture carry out the plan. i TO HAVE CHEERFUL-LOOKIN- BREAKFAST ROOM G orrr That Lash, the Coolest, the most of men in provoklngly nonchalant times of peril, should begin to show a nervous strain was all the more Indicative of a subtle pervading unreality. look sharp '""suddenly called "Low down to the left mebbe three hundred yards. See, along by them seams of lava behind the choyas. First off I thought it. was a sheep. But It's the Yaqui! ." . . Crawlin' swift as a lizard ! Can't you see hlra?" It was a full moment before Jim's companions could locate the Indian. Flat as a snake, Yaqui wound himself along with incredible rapidity. "Floys, Lash. Black and white Is the color scheme used In this cheerful-lookinbreakfast room. Table and chairs painted deep cream with touches of black ; drapes aiwi table cover; black and white gingham; flowers appliqued on. g OAK NEEDLEWORK FOR TrfE DINING ROOM FASHIONABLE F f " Mis rttf-k- . iz'-?y- "He's Raisin' His Rifle Slow. How Slow He Is!" Lord, i Ills advance was all the more remarkable for the fact that Me appeared to pass directly under the dreaded choyas. Sometimes he paused to lift his head and look. "Shore he's headln for that Mlgh place," said Ladd. "He's going slow now. There, lie's stopped behind some He's geltin' up no, he's choyas. kneelin'. . . . Now- what the h !" "Laddy, take a peek at the side of that lava ridge," sharply called Jim. "I guess mebbe somethln' ain't comin' off. See! There's Kojas an' his outfit climbin'. Don't make out no bosses. . . Dick, use your glass an' tell us what's doln'. I'll watch Yaqui an' tell you what Ids move means." Clearly and distinctly, almost as If he could have touched them. Gale had Uojas snd his followers In sight. They were tolling up the rough lava on foot. "They're almost np now." Gale was saying. "There! They Mnlt on top. I see Rojas. He looks wild. By ! fellows, an Indian ! It's a Papngo. Belding's old herder! . . . The. Indian polnts this way then down. He's showing Rojas the lay of the 1 . t '- JM' -I .v. imii irii e.t,;vi ii'J J Hand needlework for chair and sofa The use of a small amount of vivid color to relieve an otherwise neutral backs Is becoming very fashionable. color scheme Is one of the cleverest Any embroidery design may be used effects achieved by the modern decor and If the colors are selected with rare a very good effect may be obator. Take, for example, this dining-roofurnished In oak, with the new tained. Here the material is a soft r with a basket silver-grarubbed finish. A lovely wool In wicker tray, decorated with orange weave and bits of brilliant color amy poppies on a black background Mangs be used In the floral designs. The over the buffet. Two urns of Iri- footstool matches the chair In color descent glass, shading from pale yel- and material. low to deep orange, decorate the buffet top. The draperies are of gray MAKE ATTIC ROOM CHEERFUL shantung, lined w'th orange. Japanese grass cloth In a gray shade, wltn Just a suggestion of orange, covers the walls, and a rug of gray completes the picture. sand-colo- y two-tone- d THE DAINTY SERVING TABLE trail." "Boys, Yaqul's In range of that bunch," said Jim. swiftly. "He's raisin' his rifle slow Lord, how slow-hIs! . . . He's covered someone. Which one I can't say. But I think he'll pick Rojas." "The Yaqui can shoot. He'll pick Rojas." added Gale, grimly. "Rojas yes yes !" cried Thorne, In passion of suspense. "Not on your life!" Ladd's voice cut In with worn. "Gentlemen, you can gamlile Tanul'll kill, the Papago. That traitor Indian knows these sheep haunts. He's telliu' Rojas" A sharp rifle shot rang out. "Laddy's right." called Gale. The Papago's hit his arm falls. There, he tumbles." (TO BR COVTIMBp.l Artesian Well Sevan Centuries Old. TMe oldest artesian well In Europe Is found at Llllers, France. From Its mouth water bus flowed uninterruptedly for more than 75 years. I860 Belle Paid $1 Tor Hat fashionable woniun of 1360 would not pay more than fl tor One straw A hat. Contlaued U Wednesday's bsrald J E4 The serving table top may be left entirely plain or a narrow scarf of tilet or Italian cut work may be used. The lovely French plate mirror Mae delicate scroll design of wrought Iron, r V hiiltlfxnVI " ' ' An extra room In the sttic, which Is used for a sewing room snd occasionally for a sleeping room, was mads ever so cheerful by s hsppy combination of ruffled curtains wltUr a cretonne A gray crevalance and tonne printed with large roses is used snd the lrt box under this window Is covered with plain gray combined with the flowered material. Gray braided rugs sre used on the floor and several cast-of- f chairs from the llvliil room with slip covers of cretouns l homey look. |