Show I 1 ROBBERS ROOST by zane grey r wiro trl CHAPTER XII continued is 18 the instinct of the horses had bad guided them to halt behind the only safe spot on thi the unsafe bank jim removed their packs leaving the saddles saddies on without hesitation he poured out all of the grain about two quarts for each horse lastly he jammed the packs under the edge of the boulders and left the horses free to take ante care of themselves tie ile dreaded the coming hours the night the he knew not what jim removed his slicker and folded it into a long pad As he crept closer the girl stirred again and spoke lie ile thought she asked if lie he was there ne he placed the slicker in the best available place and covered that with the drier of the alie two saddle blankets lie ile pulled the saddle closer then he lifted the girl over his lap and covered her with the dry blan blanket blancet Let ne he leaned back against the stone with her head on his shoulder and his arm supporting her it was not only that he wanted to keep her dry and warm he had to have her in his bis arms while he waited for the nameless terror lie he anticipated this was the climax of the storm that had been gathering for days out upon the level desert it would have hare been serious for travelers liere bere in this gorge it was a maelstrom jim did not expect to live to hear it pass away yet ret he did and then began the aftermath of a flood let loose upon such unstable earth the waterfall gradually rose to a thundering continuous crash it dominated for a while until the thousand streams from above poured over the rims to deaden all to completely deafen jim A sheet of water sliding over the rock hid the opaque blackness from jims eyes any moment now a flood would rise over the bank and when it did jim meant to climb higher iab with the girl to front the hurtling rocks I 1 and slipping sides and fight till the bitter end but many changes as the hours brought that flood did not rise above the bank jim saw the sheet of water fall and the black space of gorge again ue he heard the avalanches and the groat great single boulders bowl ders come down and the furious backlash of the torrent below and the lessening roar of the waterfall the time came to jim as it if he dreamed when all sounds changed lessened faded away except the peculiar thra thrashing AhIng of the stream below and he got to listening for that sound which occurred only occasionally for a while the sliding rush of heavy water swept on suddenly to change into a furious splashing at length jim calculated it was a strong current laden with sand which at times caused billows billois to rise and lash their twisting tips back upon themselves long he heard these slowly diminishing gradually separating sounds the streams str cims ceased flowing he slides ceased slipping the rocks ceased rolling and the waterfall failed from a thundering to a hollow roar and from that to a softening splash jim imagined he be saw dim stars out in a vold void that seemed to change from black to gray was war dawn at hand had they been spared the gurgle of the stream below merged into the distant low rumble of the dirty devil jim rested there staring out at the spectral forms on the opposite wall thinking thoughts never before inhabitants of his confused brain but the sky v was as graying the gorne gorge taking shape in the gloom anil and this place which chich had heard a dlo dla of alde ous sounds was silent as a grave at last jim had to accept a marvelous phenomenon dawn was at hand gently lie ie slipped helen into the hollow of the saddle she was still asleep ills cramped limbs buckled under him and excruciating pains shot through his bones and muscles in the gray light objects were discernible nible lie he could not soe see to the head of the gorge where the waterfall had plunged out from the wall put but silence meant that it had bad been surface water a product of the storm and it was vans gone beneath the bank ran a channel of fine finc ribbed sand where not even a puddle showed on the bank the horses stood patiently except day bay and he was nosing around for a blade of grass ass that did not exist on the sodden earth the great slope appeared the same and yet not the same A mute acceptance of ultimate de destruction hovered over it sunrise found jim wall topping a rise of rocky ground miles beyond the scene of his night vigil again he followed his sure footed lead pack horse alie le sky was as blue the sun bright and warm and at the moment it crowned with gold the top of the pur pie ph butte jim had seen twice before it appeared appe aref close now rearing a cor peik peak alove yellow and brown ellla jm was v as carrying helen in front of t him conscious but too spent to speak or move she lay back on his arm and watched him there had been a trail along here once as ag was proved by a depressed line on the gravelly earth when jim surmounted this barren divide he suddenly was confronted by an amazing and marvelous spectacle blue val valley leyl 1 he be ejaculated blue bine helen were out ont of the brakes I 1 sate safe I 1 men live here hem she heard him for the she smiled up into ills his face glad for his sake but in her exhaustion beyond caring for her own there was no sign of habitation nor any smoke moke but jim knew this WAS blue valley it was long perhaps fifteen miles and probably the farms were located at the head where irrl irrigation had been possible now how could even pioneers s utilize that ferocious river jim followed the lead pack horse down into gumbo mud the floor of the valley supported a mass of foliage besides the stately cottonwoods cotton woods atil and at every step it a horses hoot hoof sank deep to come forth with a huge cake 0 of I 1 mud at midday jim passed deserted cabins some on one side of the river some on the other they did not appear so old yet they were not new had blue valley been abandoned jim was convinced it could not be so but when he be espied a deserted church v with ith vacant eye eyelike like ilke windows then his heart sank helen must have rest care food ile he was at the end of his bis resources an hour later inter he be tolled past a shack built of logs log and stones and adjoining a dugout set into the hill people had lived there once but long ago jims latt last hope fled ile he was still far from the head of the valley but ley jim hurried on to the porch and laid helen on the bed apparently he had left the zone of habitation behind the afternoon waned the horses plodded on slower and slower wearing to exhaustion helen was a dead weight despair had seized upon him when he turned a yellow corner between the slope and the cottonwoods cotton woods to be confronted by a wide pasture at the end of which a log cabla cabin nestled among cottonwoods cotton woods A column of line blue smoke rose lazily against the foliage the horses labored out of the mud to higher ground jim rode up to the cabin never in all his life had lie been so glad to smell smoke to see a garden to hear bear a dog bark ills his ever quick eye caught sight of a man who had evidently been watching for he stepped out on the porch rifle in hand band jim kept on to the barred gate there were flowers in the yard and vines on the cabin proof of feminine hands and lie he saw a bed on the porch I hello lello he shouted as he got oft off carefully needing both hands to handle helen I lullo yourself called the man who was apparently curious but not unfriendly then as jim let down a bar of the gate with his foot this resident of blue valley leaned his rifle ride against the tha wall and called to some one within CHAPTER XIII jim hurried on to the porch and laid helen on the bed she was so exhausted that slie she could not speak but site she smiled at jim ifer her plight was eta evident then jim straightened up to look at the man ills his swift gaze never so penetrating fell upon a sturdy individual of middle age a typical pioneer still faced and bearded the instant jim looked into the blue eyes mildly curious lie he knew that whoever the man was lie he had not heard of the abduction of herricks sister I howdy lowdy stranger my names wall said jim in reply slowly seeking for words mines tasker whar you from durango my my wife and I 1 got lost she strong she gave out im afraid in bad shape she shore looks bad but the lord Is good its only sties tuckered out 11 what place Is this blue valley ive stuck it out but ill be givin up soon no use bryin to fight thet dirty devil river five years ago there was eighty people liv 11 vin ayar blue valley has a story friend arlend M one id be glad to hear interrupted jim will you help me I 1 have money and can pay you stay an welcome friend an keep your jour money sie ne an my women folks ask bothin not liln fer good will toward those thosa la in need thank you jim re replied pIled huskily will you call them to look after my my wife helen was staring up at jim with wondering troubled eyes Is ig everything every thine nil all right she asked faintly yes if to land find friends ane an alcare care Is that replied the rancher kindly then he stepped to the door to call within mary this rider was wag not alone it was his wife ho be was wa car they got lost la in the brakes ant an she gave out we must take then them in that night might after the good ranchers assured jini jim that helen was lust just worn out jim went to sleep under the cot ton woods and never moved ford for seventeen hours helen sat up op the second day white and shaky indeed but recovering with a promise that augured well her eyes hung upon jim with a mute observance next keit morning while the women bomeli were at work in the fields and tasker was away somewhere jim approached helen on the porch her hair once again under care shone like burnished gold well you look wonderful this morning he said we must begin to think of getting away oh im able to start we overdo it it tomorrow perhaps and then it if were lucky in three daa das a be back at star ranch aid I 1 ills evident depression as he broke off checked her vivid gladness you will never go back to to your old lifer she questioned quickly no so help me god I 1 this I 1 owe to you alone helen it will be possible now tor for me even to be happy but enough of myself I 1 have traded two of the horses for baskers Ta light wagon I 1 aill vi III take you to the stage line and soon you will be at grand junction jim ceased tier her hands slipped from her eyes to expose them wide filmed with tears through which shone that which made him flee walt wait please wait she called after him as he made with giant strides for the gate but he did not go back in a moonlit hour that night late when the good baskers had gone to well earned rest jim heard his namo annn called ile he ran with swift noiseless feet to helens bedside you did not come back she whispered 1 I cannot sleep there Is if something I 1 want to say he sat down upon the bedside and clasped her hand in ills his Is your year real name jim wall slit sir asked with more composure no I 1 will tell it it if you fishr wish are you a free man free what do you mean yes res free of coursel course 1 you called me your your wife to these kind people 1 I thought that best they would be loss less curious 1 I was not offended and I 1 understood I 1 want you to go back to star ranch with me you ask me thail be exclaimed incredulously yes I 1 do but you will be perfectly anfe some one will drive you from grand J unction junction perhaps only ill never feel safe again unless you are near ive had t too oo 00 great a shock jim I 1 suppose one of your western girls could have stood blood this adventure but this was my first rough experience it was a aa a little too much 1 I can never go back to star ranch he be replied gravely why not because you are you were a member of a robber gana gang I 1 had an ancestor who was a robber robber baron not the reason he be said bald what Is it then it if I 1 leave you now soon as ive placed you in good hands bands I 1 can ride off in pence peace go to arizona or somewhere and be a cowboy and be happy in the memory of having served you and loved you and through that having baying turned my back on the old life but if I 1 went back to star ranch to see you every day to to to ride with me the she interfered softly yes to ride with you he be went on hoarsely be like what you called your rough exper experience fence a little too much it would be terribly too much im only human faint heart never won fair lady she whispered averting her face and withdrawing her hand jim I 1 believe if I 1 were you id risk it IL jim gazed down at the clear cut profile at the shadowed eyes hair silvered in the moonlight then stricken and mute he rushed away before dawn jim had beaten his fill vain and exalted consciousness into a conviction that the heaven helen hinted at for him was the generosity of a womans comans heart she could not yet be wholly herself lie he must not take advantage of that but to reassure her he decided lie he would conduct her to star ranch careful never to reopen that delicate and impossible subject and after she was safely there and all was well he would ride away la in the night letting his silence speak hla his farewell at sunrise jim acquainted with ills desire to leave for torrey at breakfast and in the bustle of departure he was sure helen felt something aloof and strange in him and he dared not meet her thoughtful eyes TO BE CONTINUED |