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Joel Creech。 She felt his eyes upon her； but instantly he averted them。 He had
grown more haggard and sullen than ever before。
The Creeches did not loiter over the camp tasks。 Lucy was left to herself。 The
place appeared to be a kind of depression from which the desert rolled away to
a bulge against the rosy east； and the rocks behind rose broken and yellow；
fringed with cedars。
〃Git the hosses in； if you want to；〃 Creech called to her； and then as Lucy
started off to where the mustangs grazed she heard him curse his son。 〃Come
back hyar！ Leave the girl alone or I'll rap you one！〃
Lucy drove three of the mustangs into camp； where Creech began to saddle them。
The remaining one； the pack animal； Lucy found among the scrub cedars at the
base of the low cliffs。 When she drove him in Creech was talking hard to Joel；
who had mounted。
〃When you come back； work up this canyon till you git up。 It heads on the pine
plateau。 I can't miss seein' you； or any one； long before you git up on top。
An' you needn't come without Bostil's hosses。 You know what to tell Bostil if
he threatens you； or refuses to send his hosses； or turns his riders on my
trail。 Thet's all。 Now git！〃
Joel Creech rode away toward the rise in the rolling； barren desert。
〃An' now we'll go on；〃 said Creech to Lucy。
When he had gotten all in readiness he ordered Lucy to follow closely in his
tracks。 He entered a narrow cleft in the low cliffs which wound in and out；
and was thick with sage and cedars。 Lucy； riding close to the cedars；
conceived the idea of plucking the little green berries and dropping them on
parts of the trail where their tracks would not show。 Warily she filled the
pockets of her jacket。
Creech led the way without looking back； and did not seem to care where the
horses stepped。 The time had not yet come； Lucy concluded； when he was ready
to hide his trail。 Presently the narrow cleft opened into a low…walled canyon；
full of debris from the rotting cliffs； and this in turn opened into a main
canyon with mounting yellow crags。 It appeared to lead north。 Far in the
distance above rims and crags rose in a long； black line like a horizon of
dark cloud。
Creech crossed this wide canyon and entered one of the many breaks in the
wall。 This one was full of splintered rock and weathered shale the hardest
kind of travel for both man and beast。 Lucy was nothing if not considerate of
a horse； and here she began to help her animal in all the ways a good rider
knows。 Much as this taxed her attention； she remembered to drop some of the
cedar berries upon hard ground or rocks。 And she knew she was leaving a trail
for Slone's keen eyes。
That day was the swiftest and the most strenuous in all Lucy Bostil's
experience in the open。 At sunset； when Creech halted in a niche in a gorge
between lowering cliffs； Lucy fell off her horse and lay still and spent on
the grass。
Creech had a glance of sympathy and admiration for her； but he did not say
anything about the long day's ride。 Lucy never in her life before appreciated
rest nor the softness of grass nor the relief at the end of a ride。 She lay
still with a throbbing； burning ache in all her body。 Creech； after he had
turned the horses loose； brought her a drink of cold water from the brook she
heard somewhere near by。
〃Howfardidwecome？〃 she whispered。
〃By the way round I reckon nigh on to sixty miles；〃 he replied。 〃But we ain't
half thet far from where we camped last night。〃
Then he set to work at camp tasks。 Lucy shook her head when he brought her
food； but he insisted； and she had to force it down。 Creech appeared rough but
kind。 After she had become used to the hard； gaunt； black face she saw sadness
and thought in it。 One thing Lucy had noticed was that Creech never failed to
spare a horse； if it was possible。 He would climb on foot over bad places。
Night soon mantled the gorge in blackness thick as pitch。 Lucy could not tell
whether her eyes were open or shut； so far as what she saw was concerned。 Her
eyes seemed filled； however； with a thousand pictures of the wild and tortuous
canyons and gorges through which she had ridden that day。 The ache in her
limbs and the fever in her blood would not let her sleep。 It seemed that these
were forever to be a part of her。 For twelve hours she had ridden and walked
with scarce a thought of the nature of the wild country； yet once she lay down
to rest her mind was an endless hurrying procession of pictures narrow red
clefts choked with green growthsyellow gorges and weathered slidesdusty；
treacherous divides connecting canyons jumbles of ruined cliffs and piles of
shalemiles and miles and endless winding miles yellow； low； beetling walls。
And through it all she had left a trail。
Next day Creech climbed out of that low…walled canyon； and Lucy saw a wild；
rocky country cut by gorges； green and bare； or yellow and cedared。 The long；
black…fringed line she had noticed the day before loomed closer； overhanging
this crisscrossed region of canyons。 Every half…hour Creech would lead them
downward and presently climb out again。 There were sand and hard ground and
thick turf and acres and acres of bare rock where even a shod horse would not
leave a track。
But the going was not so hardthere was not so much travel on foot for
Lucyand she finished that day in better condition than the first one。
Next day Creech proceeded with care and caution。 Many times he left the direct
route； bidding Lucy wait for him； and he would ride to the rims of canyons or
the tops of ridges of cedar forests； and from these vantage…points he would
survey the country。 Lucy gathered after a while that he was apprehensive of
what might be encountered； and particularly so of what might be feared in
pursuit。 Lucy thought this strange； because it was out of the question for any
one to be so soon on Creech's trail。
These peculiar actions of Creech were more noticeable on the third day； and
Lucy grew apprehensive herself。 She could not divine why。 But when Creech
halted on a high crest that gave a sweeping vision of the broken table…land
they had traversed Lucy made out for herself faint moving specks miles behind。
〃I reckon you see thet；〃 said Creech
〃Horses；〃 replied Lucy。
He nodded his head gloomily； and seemed pondering a serious question。
〃Is some one trailing us？〃 asked Lucy； and she could not keep the tremor out
of her voice。
〃Wal； I should smile！ Fer two days…an' it sure beats me。 They've never had a
sight of us。 But they keep comin'。〃
〃They！ Who？〃 she asked； swiftly。
〃I hate to tell you； but I reckon I ought。 Thet's Cordts an' two of his gang。〃
〃Ohdon't tell me so！〃 cried Lucy； suddenly terrified。 Mention of Cordts had
not always had power to frighten her； but this time she had a return of that
shaking fear which had overcome her in the grove the night she was captured。
〃Cordts all right；〃 replied Creech。 〃I knowed thet before I seen him。 Fer two
mornin's back I seen his hoss grazin in thet wide canyon。 But I thought I'd
slipped by。 Some one seen us。 Or they seen our trail。 Anyway； he's after us。
What beats me is how he sticks to thet trail。 Cordts never was no tracker。 An'
since Dick Sears is dead there ain't a tracker in Cordts's outfit。 An' I
always could hide my tracks。 。 。 。 Beats me！〃
〃Creech； I've been leaving a trail；〃 confessed Lucy。
〃What！〃
Then she told him how she had been dropping cedar berries and bits of cedar
leaves along the bare and stony course they had traversed。
〃Wal； I'm〃 Creech stifled an oath。 Then he laughed； but gruffly。 〃You air a
cute one。 But I reckon you didn't promise not to do thet。 。 。 。 An' now if
Cordts gits you there'll be only yourself to blame。〃
〃Oh！〃 cried Lucy； frantically looking back。 The moving specks were plainly in
sight。 〃How can he know he's trailing me？〃
〃Thet I can't say。 Mebbe he doesn't know。 His hosses air fresh； though； an' if
I can't shake him he'll find out soon enough who he's trailin'。〃
〃Go on！ We must shake him。 I'll never do THAT again！ 。 。 。 For God's sake；
Creech； don't let him get me！〃
And Creech led down off the high open land into canyons again。
The day ended； and the night seemed a black blank to Lucy。 Another sunrise
found Creech leading on； sparing neither Lucy nor the horses。 He kept on a
steady walk or trot； and he picked out ground less likely to leave any tracks。
Like an old deer he doubled on his trail。 He traveled down stream…beds where
the water left no trail。 That day the mustangs began to fail。 The others were
wearing out。
The canyons ran like the ribs of a wash…board。 And they grew deep and verdant；
with looming； towered walls。 That night Lucy felt lost in an abyss。 The
dreaming silence kept her awake many moments while sleep had already seized
upon her eyelids。 And then she dreamed of Cordts capturing her； of carrying
her miles deeper into these wild and purple cliffs； of Slone in pursuit on the
stallion Wildfire； and of a savage fight。 And she awoke terrified and cold in
the blackness of the night。
On the next day Creech traveled west。 This seemed to Lucy to be far to the
left of the direction taken before。 And Lucy； in spite of her utter wea