Adventure Magazine Cover — page 123: what you’re looking at

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Pards where the mighty predecessor of the two lakes once washed the rock. They stumbled on. Ellis often glanced back. At last Goss pointed ahead to the first of several patches of fair-sized pine, strung together with a scrub growth. “Good cover. If we had grub we could stand off the whole Ute nation in there.” His assurance was born of optimism, for in their own rugged country the Ute tribes were a match for the bravest of the Plains Indians. They covered ten miles and finally camped where the valley twisted toward the southwest, with the trail sloping sharply upward to Red Mountain Pass. “We'll starve,” prophesied Ellis. “We'll sleep first,” declared Goss. “Do you suppose the Rabbit can find us?” asked Ellis. Goss drew his hat over his face, although the sun could not find him in the thick cov- ert, and drowsily answered— “Fool to spend his time trying if he plans en letting his own people shoot him next June.” CHAPTER IV THE SENTENCE OF THE PIPE Hak in the morning the two men were up and wondering whence would come their breakfast. Goss was moody and grumbled at their plight. He insisted they should have remained at the lake and stood off the Utes if attacked. Ellis replied: “You’d be mighty glad you’re here and not down there if you’d seen that string of faces staring up out of the water, painted like so many——and as sly as panthers. They must be the band the Rabbit said had been stealing horses down the valley; they wouldn’t hesitate to kill. Dll take my rifle and follow this little creek south and see if I can shoot some game.” “We've lost the Rabbit. We'll be losing ourselves yet,” said Goss. “T can’t get lost so long as I stick to this creek from the south.” “And I can’t lose myself if I stick to the main stream coming down from the moun- tains,” added-Goss. “But it seems we’re in a devil of a mess. I'll go up this trail and get a look at the country. Maybe I can pot some game with.a hand-gun. But don’t go far. Be back here in an hour.” The gambler had the worst of the travel- ing as the upward trail was rough and zig- zagged much in order to surmount an eight hundred foot rise in less than twenty-five hundred feet. Much water came out at the foot of the mountain and in places the ground was boggy. He saw no game, and so arduous was the task of keeping to the I2t trail that he had scant time to play the ~ hunter. When he halted, disgusted with his errand and inclined to blame Ellis for their plight; he had an extended view of Lake Creek valley. It contained nothing to uplift his moody spirits. He pronounced it somber and dreary. The timber was poor and scat- tering. Scrub willows grew thickly. The occasional patches of grass were thin, and appeared to be dead. While not versed in woodcraft he knew it was no spot the Utes would select for a camp. The trail, however, indicated they traveled up and down the narrow valley. In fleeing, he and Ellis had not got out of their path. Be- set with the fear of being overtaken by the Utes he hurried down the trail, intending to follow the small creek south and find Ellis and inform him they must continue traveling away from Lake Creek. He had no love for wild scenery. While his vocation made him a silent, reserved man, he was naturally gregarious in dis- position. He liked lights and crowds and the risks of the gaming tables. The descent to the mouth of the small tributary was fully as tiresome as had been the upward path. His boots were filthy with mud and his temper heated to a vicious pitch. His exasperation brought him to the point where he would have welcomed a fight with the Utes, and he almost believed he would relish a quarrel with Ellis. His mood greatly improved as he came to a halt and beheld his companion riding toward him on a decrepit pony and leading another. “The Pilgrim has the luck!” he muttered. “Walks away on a blind chance and brings back two ponies.” Ellis waved his hand and tried to urge his sorry mount into a gallop. “T found a beautiful little spot!’ he cried. ““Meadowland enclosed by mountains. Rich — grass. Ground as level as a floor. I found these ponies there. And there’s signs of beaver. I’m told they’re good to eat. And I saw grouse but didn’t dare shoot.” “Is there a way out of the opening except this stream?” Eomicbooks.com |