en…league boots。 After being hunted a few times and shot at； the sheep became exceedingly difficult to approach。 Gale learned to know that their fame as the keenest…eyed of all animals was well founded。 If he worked directly toward a flock； crawling over the sharp lava； always a sentinel ram espied him before he got within range。 The only method of attack that he found successful was to locate sheep with his glass； work round to windward of them； and then； getting behind a ridge or buttress； crawl like a lizard to a vantage point。 He failed often。 The stalk called forth all that was in him of endurance； cunning； speed。 As the days grew hotter he hunted in the early morning hours and a while before the sun went down。 More than one night he lay out on the lava； with the great stars close overhead and the immense void all beneath him。 This pursuit he learned to love。 Upon those scarred and blasted slopes the wild spirit that was in him had free rein。 And like a shadow the faithful Yaqui tried ever to keep at his heels。
One morning the rising sun greeted him as he surmounted the higher cone of the volcano。 He saw the vastness of the east algow with a glazed rosy whiteness； like the changing hue of an ember。 At this height there was a sweeping wind； still cool。 The western slopes of lava lay dark； and all that world of sand and gulf and mountain barrier beyond was shrouded in the mystic cloud of distance。 Gale had assimilated much of the loneliness and the sense of ownership and the love of lofty heights that might well belong to the great condor of the peak。 Like this wide…winged bird； he had an unparalleled range of vision。 The very corners whence came the winds seemed pierced by Gale's eyes。
Yaqui spied a flock of sheep far under the curved broken rim of the main crater。 Then began the stalk。 Gale had taught the Yaqui somethingthat speed might win as well as patient cunning。 Keeping out of sight； Gale ran over the spike…crusted lava； leaving the Indian far behind。 His feet were magnets； attracting supporting holds and he passed over them too fast to fall。 The wind； the keen air of the heights； the red lava； the boundless surrounding blue； all seemed to have something to do with his wildness。 Then； hiding； slipping； creeping； crawling； he closed in upon his quarry until the long rifle grew like stone in his grip； and the whipping 〃spang〃 ripped the silence； and the strange echo boomed deep in the crater； and rolled around； as if in hollow mockery at the hopelessness of escape。
Gale's exultant yell was given as much to free himself of some bursting joy of action as it was to call the slower Yaqui。 Then he liked the strange echoes。 It was a maddening whirl of sound that bored deeper and deeper along the whorled and caverned walls of the crater。 It was as if these aged walls resented the violating of their silent sanctity。 Gale felt himself a man； a thing alive； something superior to all this savage； dead； upflung world of iron； a master even of all this grandeur and sublimity because he had a soul。
He waited beside his quarry； and breathed deep； and swept the long slopes with searching eyes of habit。
When Yaqui came up they set about the hardest task of all； to pack the best of that heavy sheep down miles of steep； ragged； choya…covered lava。 But even in this Gale rejoiced。 The heat was nothing； the millions of little pits which could hold and twist a foot were nothing； the blade…edged crusts and the deep fissures and the choked canyons and the tangled； dwarfed mesquites； all these were as nothing but obstacles to be cheerfully overcome。 Only the choya hindered Dick Gale。
When his heavy burden pulled him out of sure…footedness； and he plunged into a choya； or when the strange； deceitful； uncanny； almost invisible frosty thorns caught and pierced him； then there was call for all of fortitude and endurance。 For this cactus had a malignant power of torture。 Its pain was a stinging； blinding； burning； sickening poison in the blood。 If thorns pierced his legs he felt the pain all over his body； if his hands rose from a fall full of the barbed joints； he was helpless and quivering till Yaqui tore them out。
But this one peril； dreaded more than dizzy height of precipice or sunblindness on the glistening peak； did not daunt Gale。 His teacher was the Yaqui； and always before him was an example that made him despair of a white man's equality。 Color； race； blood； breedingwhat were these in the wilderness？ Verily； Dick Gale had come to learn the use of his hands。
So in a descent of hours he toiled down the lava slope； to stalk into the arroyo like a burdened giant； wringing wet； panting； clear…eyed and dark…faced； his ragged clothes and boots white with choya thorns。
The gaunt Ladd rose from his shaded seat； and removed his pipe from smiling lips； and turned to nod at Jim； and then looked back again。
The torrid summer heat came imperceptibly； or it could never have been borne by white men。 It changed the lives of the fugitives； making them partly nocturnal in habit。 The nights had the balmly coolness of spring； and would have been delightful for sleep； but that would have made the blazing days unendurable。
The sun rose in a vast white flame。 With it came the blasting； withering wind from the gulf。 A red haze； like that of earlier sunsets； seemed to come sweeping on the wind； and it roared up the arroyo； and went bellowing into the crater； and rushed on in fury to lash the peaks。
During these hot； windy hours the desert…bound party slept in deep recesses in the lava； and if necessity brought them forth they could not remain out long。 the sand burned through boots； and a touch of bare hand on lava raised a blister。
A short while before sundown the Yaqui went forth to build a campfire； and soon the others came out； heat…dazed； half blinded； with parching throats to allay and hunger that was never satisfied。 A little action and a cooling of the air revived them； and when night set in they were comfortable round the campfire。
As Ladd had said； one of their greatest problems was the passing of time。 The nights were interminably long； but they had to be passed in work or play or dreamanything except sleep。 That was Ladd's most inflexible command。 He gave no reason。 But not improbably the ranger thought that the terrific heat of the day spend in slumber lessened a wear and strain； if not a real danger of madness。
Accordingly； at first the occupations of this little group were many and various。 They worked if they had something to do； or could invent a pretext。 They told and retold stories until all were wearisome。 They sang songs。 Mercedes taught Spanish。 They played every game they knew。 They invented others that were so trivial children would scarcely have been interested； and these they played seriously。 In a word； with intelligence and passion； with all that was civilized and human； they fought the ever…infringing loneliness； the savage solitude of their environment。
But they had only finite minds。 It was not in reason to expect a complete victory against this mighty Nature； this bounding horizon of death and desolation and decay。 Gradually they fell back upon fewer and fewer occupations； until the time came when the silence was hard to break。
Gale believed himself the keenest of the party； the one who thought most； and he watched the effect of the desert upon his companions。 He imagined that he saw Ladd grow old sitting round the campfire。 Certain it was that the ranger's gray hair had turned white。 What had been at times ahrd and cold and grim about him had strangely vanished in sweet temper and a vacant…mindedness that held him longer as the days passed。 For hours； it seemed； Ladd would bend over his checkerboard and never make a move。 It mattered not now whether or not he had a partner。 He was always glad of being spoken to； as if he were called back from vague region of mind。 Jim Lash； the calmest； coolest； most nonchalant； best…humored Westerner Gale had ever met； had by slow degrees lost that cheerful character which would have been of such infinite good to his companions； and always he sat broding； silently brooding。 Jim had no ties； few memories； and the desert was claiming him。
Thorne and Mercedes； however； were living； wonderful proof that spirit； mind； and heart were freefree to soar in scorn of the colossal barrenness and silence and space of that terrible hedging prison of lava。 They were young； they loved； they were together； and the oasis was almost a paradise。 Gale believe he helped himself by watching them。 Imagination had never pictured real happiness to him。 Thorne and Mercedes had forgotten the outside world。 If they had been existing on the burned…out desolate moon they could hardly have been in a harsher； grimmer； lonelier spot than this red…walled arroyo。 But it might have been statelier Eden than that of the primitive day。
Mercedes grew thinner； until she was a slender shadow of her former self。 She became hard； brown as the rangers； lithe and quick as a panther。 She seemed to live on water and the airperhaps； indeed； on love。 For of the scant fare； the best of which was continually urged upon her； she partook but little。 She reminded Gale of a wild brown creature； free as the wind on the lava slopes。 Yet； despite the great change； her beauty remained undiminished。 Her eyes； seeming so much larger now in her small face； were great black； starry gulfs。 She was the life of that camp。 Her smiles； her rapid speech； her low laughter； her quick movements； her playful moods with the rangers； the dark and passionate glance； which rested so often on her lover； the whispers in the dusk as hand in hand they paced the campfire beatthese helped Gale to retain his loosening hold on reality； to resist the lure of a strange beckoning life where a man stood free in the golden open； where emotion was not； nor trouble； nor sickness； nor anything but the savage's rest and sleep and action and dream。
Although the Yaqui was as his shadow； Gale reached a point when he seemed to wander alone at twilight； in the night； at dawn。 Far down the arroyo； in the deepening red twilight； when the heat rolled away on slow…dying wind； Blanco Sol