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Thus ordered, Gale slipped a long blade in between the imbedded thorns, and with a powerful jerk literally tore the choya out of Ladd's quivering flesh. Then, where the ranger's face was not red and raw, it certainly was white. A volley of shots from a different angle was followed by the quick ring of steel bullets striking the lava all around Gale.
Into the silver sweet chiming of her laughter clashed that of Lugur and after a little the nobles took it up, till the whole chamber echoed with their mirth. O'Keefe, lips tightening, moved toward the Handmaiden, and almost imperceptibly, but peremptorily, she waved him back. "Those are great words great words indeed, choya," shrilled Yolara at last; and again Lakla winced beneath the word.
Why else did I creep through the lair of the dragon worm and pass the path of perils but to ask you that? And the choya guards you not well." Again she laughed. "We came to the cavern's end and, there were her Akka. And the Akka can see us as shadows. But it was my desire to surprise you with my coming, Larree," the voice was silken.
A shot from in front, a rip of bullet through the choya, a spat of something hitting Ladd's face, a steel missle hissing onward these inseparably blended sounds were all registered by Gale's sensitive ear. With a curse Ladd tumbled down into the hole. His face showed a great gray blotch, and starting blood. Gale felt a sickening assurance of desperate injury to the ranger.
Moreover, bad as the choya was for man, it was infinitely worse for beast. A jagged stab from this poisoned cactus was the only thing Blanco Sol could not stand. Many times that day, before he carried Mercedes, he had wildly snorted, and then stood trembling while Gale picked broken thorns from the muscular legs. But after Mercedes had been put upon Sol Gale made sure no choya touched him.
Then Jim Lash pushed his Winchester over the rim under a choya, and between shots Gale could hear him singing: "Turn the lady, turn turn the lady, turn!... Alaman left!... Swing your pardners!... Forward an' back!... Turn the lady, turn!"
Jim's a fool, an' young Gale has been punctured by choya thorns. He's got the desert poison in his blood. But you now you've no call to stick you can find that trail out. It's easy to follow, made by so many shod hosses. Take your wife an' go.... Shore you'll go, Thorne?" Deliberately and without an instant's hesitation the cavalryman replied "No." Ladd then directed his appeal to Mercedes.
It was utterly impossible always to be on the lookout for these, and when Gale stepped on one, often as not the steel-like thorns pierced leather and flesh. Gale came almost to believe what he had heard claimed by desert travelers that the choya was alive and leaped at man or beast.
According to Ladd it was as good a place as any, perhaps not so hidden as others, but freer from the dreaded choya. Here the men laid down rifles and guns, and, removing their heavy cartridge belts, settled down to wait. Their location was close to the rim wall and probably five hundred yards from the opposite rim, which was now seen to be considerably below them.
These saguaros were thinning out, growing stunted, and most of them were single columns. Gradually other cactus forms showed a harder struggle for existence, and the spaces of sand between were wider. But now the dreaded, glistening choya began to show pale and gray and white upon the rising slope.
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