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Show 302 THE MORMON LION and fatigue out there in the desert, in your arms, dear than to fall into his hands!" " You shall not! God is good! " I said, wheeling my horse around to the south-west. "Follow me, dearest. We must travel as fast as possible." My horse started to wind in and out among the cedars, up the side slope of the draw. The pony followed, breaking into a jog-trot whenever my longlimbed, quick-stepping thoroughbred gamed a few yards on him. The dense growth of the cedars prevented a faster gait. Even as it was, we frequently had to lie flat on the necks of our horses to save ourselves from the branches. I guided my horse with my k~ees and r~de with my rifle ready and my eyes shtftmg about m every direction. Sheltered by the trees, we topped a low ridge and started across a level stretch of htgh ground. Suddenly an Indian j'umped up from a bush alm~st alongside me. For al my alertnes,s, I dtd not see htm until he was standing wtthm arms reach. " No shoot. Me Ankotash," he grunted as I swung my rifle around. Lucy stifled the scream that was on her lips. The Indian had rubbed off Jus pamt, and she recogmzed the face of her uncle's " boy." For the time, she failed to associate him with the hideous devtl who had slain the Fancher girl at her side. " Ankotash I " I exclaimed. " How did you find us? Where is the grub? " He pointed to one side, a little way back, and then towards the water hole. " Me come water hole heap high up. See'um go. Make straight trail. Catch-urn." "Good. Fetch the grub-hurry! We must get into the road ahead of those hellhounds. If they should come back and find Waller--!" . " Oh, David! " cried Lucy. " His clothes I I dtd not think! You must have-- Oh, no, no, you did not-you could not have killed him I " THE MORMON LION 303 " Hush.';, I said. " I only knocked him senseless. I only- - Suddenly I realized that the intended he was the truth. " Good Heaven! it 's true! The cut on Ius forehead had not stopped bleeding- he was not dead! If he revives and gets back to the Meadows!-- Listen, Ankotash! You must put us on the road to the Muddy ahead of all the others I'll give you more gold." · "Ugh," he grunted, and he pointed to the distant peaks of the Beaver Dam Mountains in the southsouth- west. " What you call-urn? -- Beeline " He turned and glided into the brush. · "Oh, David!" exclaimed Lucy. "He has deserted us!" .. "No, only gone for the food," I reassured her. Courage, my boy, courage! We now have a guide who'll start us safe on our way. He must know the country perfectly, and he meant that he would take us in a beeline. Was it manly of you to cry out that way, Brother Lucien ? " She smiled at my raillery, with a quick return of her trustful reltance ,on me. I continued to talk encourag: u~gly, but kept a sharp lookout. There was a posst btli ty that other bands of murderers than the one led by Chtlcott had crossed to our side of the spnng creek. I was secretly not a little relieved when Ankotash came back to us. .. He was riding a skittish young pony and leading an old mare. Lucy could not have ridden the former and the mare was so nearly broken down that she could have lasted only a few miles. She undoubtedly had belonged to the Arkansans. But with her the Indtan was also leading a big pack mule, laden with th~ food and camp outfit of one of the more prosperous Samts. '.'Steal him-me," he boasted, indicating all three ammals. " Turn the mare loose. Waller's horse is far better," I said. Counting out ten double-eagles, I |
