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The long, stratified faces of rock escarpments caught the glow of the sliding sun and became battlemented towers of ancient story. The riders climbed steadily now, no longer engulfed in the ground swell of land waves. They breathed an air like wine, strong, pure, bracing. Presently their way led them into a hill pocket, which ran into a gorge of piñons stretching toward Gunsight Pass.
Bob shook his head. "Not you, Blister. You're too fat. We're liable to have to travel fast." Nobody else offered himself as a sacrifice. There were men present who would have taken a chance for a friend, but they would not do it for Houck. Dud went with Bob to the piñons. While Dillon saddled one horse, Hollister put the bridle on a second. "What's that for?" Bob asked.
The soil, as so often happens in the West, was fertile to the very edge of the Frying-pan and young pinons and bushes had taken root there and managed to keep themselves alive with the snow-moisture of winter, in spite of the scanty rainfall the rest of the year.
This slope, near the summit, is overgrown with firs, aspens and pines, which give way as the descent is made, to piñons, cedar and scrubby oak trees and a more or less abundant growth of chaparral. Small streams and springs are found in the larger canyons on this slope, while far below, at an altitude of about 5,000 feet, lies Blue River.
Now we go little ride more to my house high up in the pinons then we be so happy like two birds in nes'. Firs' we rest ourselves, querida mia. This good place for res', my sweetheart that comes so far to be with Ramon. To-morrow we go to my house to nes' of my loved one. Thees cabin, she's very good little nes' ontil tomorrow yoh theenk so?"
A brisk gallop brought them to the Dead Line at dawn, and the search was at once begun. Hardly any snow had fallen there, and in the piñons there was none, so that in several places the ground was stained red, showing that the fire from the coach had not been useless if not fatal.
"A bird calls, an' he's got to quit work to find out what it wants. Kinda nice kid, too, if he is queer." Among the piñons at the rock rim above Bob found June. He had not seen her since the day when she had saved him from a thrashing. The boy was not very proud of the way he had behaved. If he had not shown the white feather, he had come dangerously close to it. "How are cases, June?"
You'll find him well worth while, after you've broken through his shell." The merry jest on the Red Butte Western ran its course for another week after the three-train wreck in the Piñons for a week and a day. Then Lidgerwood began the drawing of the net. Promptly the horse-laugh died away and the trouble storm was evoked.
By noon they were among the piñons, following a dim bridle trail that Cheyenne's horses seemed to know. "In a couple of days, I aim to spring a surprise on you," said Cheyenne as they turned in that night. "I figure to show you somethin' you been wantin' to see." "Bring on your bears," said Bartley, laughing. Cheyenne's moodiness had vanished. Frequently he hummed his old trail song as they rode.
Two hours out from Stockchute he awoke and vociferously demanded nourishment. Promptly the party was brought to a halt. They were among the piñons on one of the hillsides. While the baby took his dinner, Isobel laid out the lunch and the men burned incense in the guise of a pair of Havana cigars produced by Blake.
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