Show th e L n 0 COT 0 f e a ao 70 1 CHAPTER XIV continued 12 stewart stewert led majesty out into the darkness past a line of mounted guess buesa were ready he said ill make the count lie ile went back along the line and on the return madeline heard him say several times now everybody ride close to the horse in front frond and keep quiet till daylight then tile the snorting and pounding of the big black horse in front of her told madeline that stewart had mounted all right were on off he called madeline lifted Maje bridle and let the roan go the trail led in a roundabout way through shallow gullies full of stone and brush washed down doscia by floods at every turn now 31 madeline adelino expected I 1 to 0 come upon water find and the ilia waiting pack train dut but time passed and miles of climbing aan and no water or horses were met expectation pec tation in Madel madeline lne gave place to desire she was hungry stewart kept ou on it was eight by y watch when upon turn ing ng into a wide hollow she saw horses grazing on spare grass a great pilo pile of canvas covered bundles and a fire round which cowboys and two dexl can women were busy madeline sat tier her horse and reviewed her followers as they rode up single alle ille her guests were in merry mood and they all talked at once breakfast and rustle called out stewart without ceremony for that matter matte madeline observed helen did not show any marked contrast to the others the hurry order did not interfere with the meal being somewhat in the nature of a picnic As soon as the pack train was in ref readiness stewart started it off in the lead to break trail A heavy growth of shrub interspersed with rock and lea actus covered the slopes and the trail appeared to be ba uphill the pack train forged ahead and the trailing couples grew crew farther apart at moon coon they got out of the foothills to face the real ascent of the mountains stewart waited for madeline and as she cami cam up he said were going colne to have a dorm shall I 1 call a halt band and make camp hero here oli oh no I 1 what do you think best well it if we have a good healthy thunderstorm it will be something new for your friends I 1 think wed be wise to keep on tile the go theres no place to make a good camp if it rains let it rain tile the pack outfit Is well covered we will have to get wet surely replied madeline and she smiled led nt at his inference she knew what a storm was in that country and lier her guests had yet to experience one if it rains let it rain stewart rode on and Madel madeline lne followed the way led in a winding course through a matted storm wrenched forest of stunted trees everi even up to this elevation the desert reached with its gaunt hand the clouds over sp rendIng the sky hiding the sun made a welcome change the pack train strain rested and stewart and madeline waited for the party parti to come up tip here he briefly explained to tier her that don con carlos and ills his bandits hod had left the ranch some time in the night the air grew oppressive the horses panted sure be a hummer said stewart 11 the first storm almost always Is tad I 1 can feel it ft in the air the air indeed seemed to be charged with a heavy force that was waiting to be liberated one by one the couples mounted to the cedar forest and the feminine contingent declaimed eloquently for rest but there was to be no permanent rma PL rest until night and then that d depended defended upon reaching the crags the pack train wagged onward and stewart tell fell in behind the storm center gathered slowly around the peaks low rumble and bowl of thunder increased in slowly the light shaded as smoky clouds rolled up the sir air grew sultrier and the exasperating breeze puffed a few times and then stalled av an hour later the party had climbed high and was rounding tho the side of a great reat bare ridge that long had hidden tie as crags the last burro of the pact pack train plodded over the ridge out of sight she looked backward down the slope amused to see tier her guests change wearily from side to side in their saddles for below lay the cedar flat and the foothills par far to the west the sky was still clear with shafts of sunlight shooting down from behind the encroaching clouds stewart reached tho the summit of the ridge and though only a few rods ahead he waved to her sweeping his hand round to what he saw beyond it was an impressive gesture and madeline never having climbed as high as this much majesty surmounted the last few steps stepi and snorting halted beside stewarts black to madeline tile the scene was as if the world had changed the ridge was a mountaintop mountain top it dropped before her into a black stone ridged shrub patched many ulf rulf r massed inky clouds were piling across the ho peaks obscuring the highest ones A fork of white lightning flashed and like the booming of an avalanche thunder followed madeline glanced gla ced at stewart ile he ler had forgotten ner presence immovable as stone he sat his horse dark faced dark eyed and like an indian unconscious of thought ho he watched and watched to see him thus to divine the strange affinity between we the nf till hl man become I 1 anti anil tile the savage environment that had developed him were powerful pew erf ul helps to madeline in tier her strange desire to understand fits nature A cracking of iron shod hoofs behind her broke the spell monty had reached the summit gene what it wont all be doln doin in a moses himself tell observed monty then dorothy climbed to ills his side and looked oh it just perfectly love lovely lyl 1 she exclaimed but I 1 wish it storm well till all get wet once more stewart faced the ascent keeping to the alio slow heave of the ridge as it rose southward toward the looming spires of rock soon he was off smooth ground and madeline some rods behind him looked back with concern at her friends here the real toll the real climb and it a mountain storm was about to burst la till all its fury the sky grew blacker the slow elow gathering clouds appeared to be suddenly agitated they plied piled and rolled and mushroomed and obscured the crags the air moved heavily and seemed to be laden with sulphurous smoke and sharp lightning flashes began to play A distant roar of wind could be heard between the peals of thunder stewart waited for madeline under the lee of a shelving cliff where the cowboys had halted the pack train majesty was sensitive to the flashes of it lightning madeline patted his neck and softly called to him alie weary burros nodded the mexican women covered their heads with their mantles stewart untied the slicker at the back of saddle and helped her on with it then he be put on his own the other cowboys followed suit presently madeline saw monty end and dorothy rounding the cliff and hoped the others would come soon A blue white knotted rope of lightning burned down out of the clouds and instantly a thunderclap thunder clap crash cras hedl etil seeming to shake the foundations of tile the earth this moment of the breaking of the storm with the strange growing roar of wind like a moaning monster was pregnant with a heart disturbing emotion for madeline hammond glorious it was to bo be tree free healthy out in tile the open under unde r the shadow of the mountain and cloud in the teeth of the wind and rain and storm suddenly as the ground quaked un dei horses feet and all the sky arc lack and crisscrossed by flaming immovable as stone ston he sat hla his horse hore dark faced darkened Dar dark kEyed eyed and like an indian unconscious Unco niclous of thought streaks and between thunderous reports there was a strange hollow roar nwe sweeping down upon her she realized haw small was her knowledge and experience per peri lence ence of the mighty forces of nature with blacker gloom and deafening roar came the torrent of rain it wits was EL a cloudburst cloud burst it was wag like solid water gum tumbling bling down for long made madeline file sal her horse head bent to the pelting rain when its force lessened find and she heard stewart call for all to follow she sh looked up to see that he was starting once more she turned her horse into his fits trail rain fell steadily the fury of the storm however had passed and the he roll of thunder diminished in volu volume me the air had wonder wonderfully fally cleared and was growing cool madeline began to feet feel uncomfortably cold and wet stewart was climbing faster than formerly and she noted that monty kept at tier her heels pressing her on time had been lost and the campsite camp site was a long way off the stag hounds began to lag ing and get footsore the sharp rocks of the trail were cruel to their feet then as madeline began to tire she noticed less and less around her her horse climbed and climbed and brush and sharp corners of stone everlastingly pulled and tore at tier her wet garments A gray gloom settled down around her bee night was approaching stewarts horse vas on a jog trot now and madeline left the trail more to majesty titan than to tier her own choosing As black night began to envelop her ber surroundings she marked that the R fir r trees had glien given place to pine forest iv at pinpoint pin point of light pierced pl erceil A ro manc ae M by zane grey copyright by harper and brothen brother the ebony blackness it grew crew larger black tree trunks crossed her line of vision the light was a firel she heard a cowboy song and the wild chorus of a pack ot of coyotes stewarts tall figure with sombrero slouched down was now and then outlined against a growing circle ot of light and by the old aid of that light site she saw him turn every moment or so to look back probably to assure himself that she was close behind with a prospect of fire and warmth anil and food and rest enthusiasm revived what a clit climb 1 there was promise in this wild ride and lonely trail and hidden craggy height not only in the adventure her friends yearned for but in some nameless joy and spirit for herself CHAPTER XV the crags crag glad indeed was madeline to be lifted off tier her horse beside a roaring firc to see sec sten steaming ining pots upon red hot coals except about her shoulders which had been protected by the sticker slicker site she was wringing wet tile the mexican women came quickly to help tier her change in a tent nearby but madeline preferred for the moment to warm her numb feet and hands and to watch tile the spectacle of her arriving friends warm clothes hot drinks and grub warm blankets rang out stewarts Ste sharp order then with florence helping the mexican women it was not long until madeline and the feminine side of the party were comfortable except for the weariness and aches that only rest and sleep could alleviate neither fatigue nor pains however howe ver nor the strangeness of being packed ellke under canvas nor the howls bowls of coyotes kept Ma Mines guests from stretching out with long grato tul sighs and one by one dropping into deep slumber Madel madeline lne whispered a little to florence and laughed with her once or twice and then the light flickering on the calivas canvas faded and her eyelids closed darkness and roar of camp life low v voices of men thump of horses hoofs coyote serenade the sense of warmth and sweet ordet rest all drifted away when she awakened shadows of swaying swaging branches moved on the sunlit canvas above tier her slow regular breathing attested to the deep slumbers of her tent coni comrades rados she observed presently that florence was missing from tle the number and peeped out between the flaps an exquisitely beautiful scene surprised and enthralled her gaze eager to get out where she could enjoy an unrestricted view she searched for her pack found it la in a corner and then hurriedly and quietly dressed her favorite stag hounds russ huss and tartar were asleep before the door where they had bad been chained she awakened ned them and loosened t them thinking the while that it roust must have been stewart who had chained them near her close at hand also was a cowboys bed rolled up lip in a tarpaulin th the cool air fragrant with pine and spruce and some subtle nameless tong tang sweet and tonic made madeline stand erect and breathe slowly and deeply it was like Or drinking Inking of a magic draught she felt it in her blood that it quickened KB its flow turning to look in the other direction beyond the tent she saw the remnants ot of last nights temporary camp and farther on a grove of beautiful pines from which came the sharp ring of the ax wider gaze took in a wonderful park not only surrounded by lofty crags but full of crags of lesser height many lifting their heads from dark green groves of trees the morning sun not yet above the eastern elevations sent its rosy and golden shafts in between the towering rocks to tip the pines madeline with the hounds beside her walked through the nearest grove the ground was soft and springy an and brown with pine needles florence espied her under the trees and came running she was like a young girt girl with life and color and joy she wore a flannel blouse corduroy skirt and moccasins and her hair was fastened under a band like an indians Castle tons gone with a gun for hours it seems said Pl florence orence gene just went to hunt him up the other oilier gentlemen Jent lemen are still asleep I 1 imagine they sure will sleep up heah in this air then businesslike business like ilke florence fell to questioning madeline about details of camp arrangement which stewart and florence herself could hardly we see to without Vilt hout suggestion As the day advanced the charm of the place grew upon madeline even been at noon with the sun beating down there was comfortable warmth rather than heat it was the kind of warmth that madeline liked to 16 feel in the spring presently a chorus of mey merry calls attracted her attention and she turned to see helen limping along with dorothy and mrs deck beek and edith supporting each other they were all rested but lame find and delighted with the place and as hungry as bears from a winters sleep then they had dinner sitting on onyce ahe ground titter after the manner 0 of f 11 n dil and it was a dinner that clot lac tacked ke d in only because everybody was too busily appeasing appetite for a few days dais the prevailing features of carup camp life for guests were more sleep and rest the men were ft ere moro more visibly affected by the mountain air than tile the ft odien this languorous spell disappeared presently anil then the jays days were full of life and action necessarily of course madeline and ker guests were now flow thrown much in hi company with tile the cowboys and the party grew to be like one wg big family madeline found tile the situation one of keen and double interest for her ber if before she lind had cared to study her cowboys particularly Stef tart now flow with the con contrasts afforded by tier guests she felt by turns she was amused and mystified ni stifled and perplexed and saddened and then again subtly pleased from tile the thought of and the watchfulness growing out of it she discovered more about him lie ile was not happy he often paced up and down the grove at night lie he absented himself from camp sometimes during the afternoon when ft hen nels and nick and monty there lie he was always watching the its as if lo lie 10 expected to sec bee some one come riding up tip lie ile alone of the cowboys did not indulge in the fun full and talk around the campfire lie ile remained preoccupied and sad and was always alwais looking away into distance madeline had a strange sense of ills guardianship over her and remembering mem bering don carlos sho she imagined ho he worried a good deal over oer his charge and indeed over 0 er the safety of all the party A favorite lounging spot of was ft as a shaded niche under the lee of crags facing the east cast here in the shada shads of afternoon she and edith would |