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y i s thursday february 27th 1941 the acton free press fage three wk hen the horse made a quirk f f frightened jurrip almost ms throwing clevo meldon hl little pack mule gav a snort and lurched into the bushe nt the side of the trail he hcnnnod the sandy ground for a buzzing hldcwlnvier it was too early in the year for the raplilgito btout nevertheless he searched the rocks nnd brush thic kets hut wiw horflovln crea tim quit cnnyoh seemed utterl lifeless and abandoned meldon reentted n remark the hind kent hud uule iwck at san utburnintf coaln vtytfl a sudden shill nnrdlno you mn need n few desert indinns to help you ejet t thnt squa- ter from our bum hut thev 1 nil fled tnwqulta scared nun b some strange terror he dismiss d the matte vilth nbmtle nmv nn found himself wondering if the scare might 1 more thnn indlnn supersti- tlon he dismounted nnd tied his animals to a greasovvood walking over nenr the ennyon stream he bent to examine n peculiar mark on the snnd it was a smooth nnd quite deeply made trnll uhlch took n wind ing course toward a thicket of pritk- ly pear a burro dragging n pack could hnve mnde thequeer mark ne thought jyetitputiled htnt he was ret limine o h- horse when hrought to n listening halt by n tremulous musical note thnt wnfled down the ennyon for n full mlnut or longer he stood listonlng to the echoing melody he rould stnrct lv believe his ear a girl was singing of course he felt certnln why would n girt l singing in this isolnrnrt desert cam on more dccplv mvsit- lled he remounted his saddle pon and lending his mule rode on a short distance up the enny or both animals mnde another nhrup halt rlim cinnrt nnrl nnre nntr remain with us over night and to take supper fn our tent im find to know you uta the gaunt featured hrothcr in n hollow tone and likewise please to hear you nre to stay with us it unt often t hat a vlslor horn t he outnlde reaches this forsaken spot now and than ttomoioid- donor t rat uandorc in or nnntiuli7tri nhlely -overt- thcjw have kept aw ay from tnwquit as he made the inst declaration he turned on meldon his when he discovered n section of twisted steel rails nnd tluee ivovtnrs lyin half hurled in the blistering sands of ntntrroyn many milet from flu railroad bruce wnllls had a lighted lantern and was sitting on a camp col in th rwimy tent when clevo- eam id bur dened with blanket roll ami pack he also brought his rlthv strohtihtunv the invalids glowing eyes were hell ton the gun a grim smile overspread his sallow face hi own weapon lav on a folding trible within cortwmleiit reach im glad you have your rifle he remarked von may need it before morning clove kike him a quizzical look hut bald nothing lie immediately begnn making his own lelin an opposite corner spreading his ulnhkets on tie ground im sorry i hnvent nnothei i he flickering glow revcnlmf the hnhlu smooth fleeply ind filled crook- ed mark cleve had seen on hv sand the day before miul feel him brute yelled again rubbing his hoid over tho dead mules rainsnaked flank every tlh is hiokeu hes crushed into 11 pulp meldon touched his shaking hand to the lifeless hod v shuddering when he found it soft nnd limp what could hnve don if ho almost son- iwd rising up iv was the terrible creuture that took our burros bruce repeated it is here- i tell you its hiding in the thicket mo would imve rashly dungeil into wi stormtorn jungle jind rtot cleve sel7ed and pi11tnl blm to tlte tent we cant do nnythlng now he said despairingly we must waft till i dont know as it matters miuh as neither of us may sleep er sound tlnv light for the rest of the night eamp cot he heard bruce wiy several times bruce attempted la run out but cleve drew him bark tlii you mui tlw tloniv vjluuui nwakf nntwenml cir nnsu the storm wont bothelnie it bat other thing im won led about its getting on my nerves brute slow leepmi eyeii vvhiilt glove llki wondered if he were dreaming ii mv- n bareheaded barelaoteduul- stnnding inih d mtttftulaln n r pnn she wns so enejossid with her work thnt she did not look up until the rider nnd his outfit enme nenrei isvcept for ji mild start and a slglh flushing of her hinlthil tanned fea tores she showed little surprise hei dntk eyes were held on cleve fin nll she smiled 7 luck lie i usually incjuired npt milt it i ret just enough gold to grubstake brute and nn vee lwmn on theelnlm for the past three mnmhs hnrri sork- bnt linillh he turned to the gloomshrouded jungle hevontl the plam trees the girl scurried on to the while tent while bruce directed the visitor to the greensward near the iretk vour nnlmals will have good crop ping here he remnrkorf we hail two burros but lost them both re cently wnnderedavoi loiked mcltlun burros nre that ort you nev r can trust the ilttlo brutes our didn t wnnder off they dis- nppenred mysteriously but i have let ellen think they merely quit our tamp nnd boat it hack to the desert something gobbled jhem-jkhlily- one nt a time nyid about two week- npnrl m h on a dark night again he bored cleve with bi burning orbs a strange pote of fear w as in his low voice the starj seemed vo utterlv incredible thai meldon began to doubt his samtv or his seriousness he had reasons to be both suspicious and doubtful bruce wnllii- might 1m playing i icier ruse perpetrating n score for the purpose of keeping indians and miners out of the canyon so thnt he could hold the rich elnim thnt he was in ill health could not be questioned he was out here np ried cleve only fni ruiuia ndl i lime a roaring black torrent w bus tumbling nters were nt lengtli vaguely revealed by the first gray si renins of dawn promise to he with hei brot i through the night he would i ue pref ei red thi scant sheltei of his own little lent wlvn bruce pioposed leaving the lantern inirning lie visi- or oft red no objections when he lay down he mnde ertain his ri e w ts close to his hand for somen w he could not shake off i grow m sens o unensijess cleves pounding heart skippeo u bent when bruce suddenly inscd to a sitting posture and renihed fot nis rifle didnt y ou hear it ne honrsely muttered no i heard nothing but tin- viind the storm will ioon hreiw lie down nnd get some steep i cant sleep ini el tain 1 heard something bruce got up from the tot earning his rille nnd strode i i the tent door opening the flap 1 i peer out list then n blinding light ning flash snioti tlu- tnkv dai kn tr be quuklv follow ed bv n iletonauig thunder tap he jerked baik nn returned to he bunk iitttngon its edge ngmn with his gun across hi- knees an aw fill night in mini blei and i know that thing i- nround i heard it creeping put down your gun biihhnnd get some sleep cleve slinr new dnv hnd dawned cteve t inrtit7ttnsel mmetriw jtrurn whose expression now was cliangi d to a look of grim thtei mined pill pose thv heard the snddle pony whinnv from the uppei shelf cleve was thankful hi horse had been spni ed with his rille lendy for instan use he strode toward the thh ket bruce sw ung iow n nearer the tor rent brink swnn he began yelling vchtln pmntptj ovrrt helliunu errmr flood look look i there omes the thing cleve kfeldon gasped when he snw it an uprooted palm tree rolh d and tossed on the flood as it swept jlownstrenrn n big jnttc ncdhead up- reared from the hint k trunk swiytng from side to side on an arched mot tied neik coiled around the palm trunk was n long glenmmg hod of vcllow and black cleve and unite rained and leveled theil rljles together at the same lr stattt hnlli w4npoitk llred the ujjlv bead lioimd hio the muddy water ko ends the mysterious terror of inwqilllj spoke cleve mcddon after a tiiiselleiue he looked into brures grnlefully glowing nyjs mid smiled he put his hand on the others shoulder you were right bruce there has been h dreadful thing around here a great python it did get nwiiy with your burros and must have been cnisblng llio tlfe out of my poor mule when a teitllle lightning hnsh caused it tp let go nnd dither nwny it wrapped itself around n toppling palm and was swept nwny on the hood now we know what made the strange mnrk ground how did the thing get here there are no such moivstern in this countrv froni n wrei ked train that broke through a railroad trestle during nil other flood severnl months ngo an- itwetedleve j 1 elnemlwm enilklr about it and vesfeidny i sn three of the tnrj- imir burled in the sand dow n onthe heserl xl h timj was gone brine ivns smiling now in he and chve turned flieir gaetti vvad the while tent on the lit nt h ellen was waving to themand tailing bienkfiist she mublnt knw nn thing about this mild the hi other not n vvotil cleve wllllllgk agreed and one thing more bruie this hum will keep light on being vwrs piovuled you let me innip here well divide gruhstnkes from tton7unrw7rktrmtoget her iiu1e native arm caim town icp pointing out ihittnreitr negro biown or yel low subjects for everv white in be british i nipite n south afrit an ol gnnlaiion is pronntling idea of a huge ai mv tfnntives foi usr in 111 war briuttn controls its apple prices vhd minwr fixe maximum for lutd jrndeh of ilpplntf ioudon 1ebiuaiv 5th cli lndi r a food ministry tontrol order huivi- iniini prlte for the ivest grnd- of homegrown apples in englnnd nnd wiles luiu wen et at om shilling jj entsi a pnlmd in scot itmd tho price is a halfpenny a ixuihd greater apples ln hided in tin best giade nr coss o rang j pippin iindolhei llrst- lass liherrvftrlet les prices befor the emit to ortler was issued wtjrt istui im rent m to is mi lkl nis pound for grade one v 1 til t foi u i to it 1 our ink g i a ouple f r is m pldm- parently to gnin the henfing tmnelii minded of desert sun and nir i know what i heard i te heard t1ietuplnkpart77to cleve w qsjitnwfnre sewrm imit intore e apparent ignorance of the henrd i lt tin nighl it tuuie off with mysterious terror plense dont mentidn a word of this to my sister the invalid beg ged ns they proceeded toward the j lighted tent of course not the visitor assurod i it was very kind of hr to ask me to supper llen is imre gold declared bruce always t heerfu land happy sings like a lark perhaps you henrd her tonight as you came up the innvon its n shame to keep her out our last hurro and heird it again today its around here i tell you im not crazy and i might as well tell you more- he got to his fee antl slood directly over cleves be i know who you are and whv vou are here youve come to throw me off the tlnim ellen doesn t know thnt the property belongs to the nephew of a deceased world wat veteran and thnt vou nre tie nepluw i havent told her hem us didnt believe you would gft out her 4n 141 lu g lul itw i by that timoihop pledged hr err man in uiiitnrin then niiisi he a battalion of war oiktiund war i-avrr- at home onr iainik tnir wliolr iamilv old and vounji w ill want lo tnioll in lhi home arinv lcl to work and ar anl ij to proidr thr war- fuiuu m iuiii nroilrd yes anil evciting at times cleve meldon in no wav betrnvet his inward agttntlon he had pi pit red himself to combat a htiskv an i founidnhlr stiuatln quid hkt u bruie wboevil he was woull prove to in just siiih an ndvtnai tuit this piettv girl who tould tw 1 n gold pan like an oldtimet and h id tht volts ol t ntghlingalt pln d hint ii n tlileinmii which h i nn vnu headed j she asked him while she mad a tutu r hispcetion ot his hiinutu oh juti up tin tanvon a i in h attxwund ill s imiiuivc i hat i was making t amp foi th night vyouh amp with us siu sni t quickly lousing be remaining vnttt from the un nntl mi aping the i low rsitlutt fine stuff into a vv id lilhked bolt i meldon noli d lb hth colots on the luttont ol th lion vcshtl ami knew that gold viij in this fotgottcn anynn i lami gold mlluh in tlghtk owned and hail made this long haul nek atioss tn denert tti ijcquiii 1 1 musl tt u in and wuihius h told himsi if t ti gut s invitation sm med geiuiiii i sim n mv luoth i biiu will i- 1 i 1 bavi vou st i i vtul sin hili urn- e hi wn who n v i ik in svid m nam is t l v m i and i h til horn i os am u s nd ian 1 lb s ihd on finn 1 ivih n m mies doing it for me ii broke off suddenlv nnd poipttsl to lite rag ged skvhne nlmtve the tanvon run look i here n thunderstoi m bnwmg my guevs is there 11 be i i loiidhurst before morning and tin- tinkling gorge stream will hetom i rou ing tatarnct you better sleep jnside mv teiit tonight brute proposed it s wntirproof and roiuv ako its a sate distant e from th uiihui i1km clrve attipd the offer he t ar il ti tonlv a small shelter tent bnrely 4tt-g- enough to spreadhthlankets htiienth ho felt too that he should keep near brute ns long as he was tin the claim he wunted to lw alone with bun when he set tied the matter of ownership i- lien allls prepaietl an eietcnt imal over a tiny tamp stove nnt si ved it untlei tin pahuhnt lii d lertnto a lantt rn suspended from tiuvs pou gavi light tor the tabl a tadio i nt net i on a los ng les stit ion pi ovidml inuu w bile the nt t lv piefi tud to in ar in i suik at ins urging sht did sing afler th v v 1 1 thiough eating t tin tin luion ol th nt i i tin nt nt t i v t t d w it ti iti u i v ud t tl i til i ttf i 1 il w u ii u in u i n ii u i l iv i h th nt i d i 1 1 v i ti iu wit in lot i i i v ed to regain mv health alkali watei has poisoned me sunshine and n st pure wntei and ellens protecting tare would get me going aigain bu i miit test or sle p tinl 1 i ml till her the huth a uhniling hash and repented thunder peal mule hjm i ei i tinsieaib 1 ill vi jumpi il up and took his arm steadv ing him to tin tot u iui old ni im and be unlet he id nmnished when h attempti 1 u tako the rifle brute i hitched it in a id rt e grip ami iefuel to give it ti i le did lie dim n hut kepi an unit lentingholdon hm weapon cleve watthetl him tonstantlv fro i his twn blankets his pm wis inus- ed matnlv on flli n uttount ht kept thjnking of h a t in r brave ttceeilul spit ii o dollhl she ttihed ht hiothet was sulleiiug in mind as well as m hottv lie imp d s 5 dd not knovv the whole tlltn that bruce wan seriously ill and should h taken iuiv uoni 1 wiuiw tanvon 1 tontlittoti and tdu this siiaig mental ahh i it ton pu levi m kloii in i nil ni n i it m ndo but st ot tin h in nt lunid ins thoughts ni i in w direc tion kain ind iknn t ann iu i t 1 w in i 1 ii w ill t him 1 i ml tin i i in- mt ow i hi 1 tl i nn tin i t i i i 1 ni- in t tl i loll i 1 f 1 i a ti in e rtr i d bio th lniu is t i v nds ni s of t tin ii n j uml- hio l i i u i nt i i 11 t tin ills n l i li m out lo h i l n m i i i i i lol l dud i itv i ol ting i at u ti i- 1 n i m s linr hit tv ihntt soni- t hin i tiou-tliii- ltwu i uv talking is sn alk d i i ik slippy willfu sin ie bills u gi sts1 havnl aten yet iii g t it leadv w hile vou un i k ml tn k t oui murals ii n vs i 1 in emilgid liom i 1 nsi uijj of i invoif gi ow i ii upon in oven h t ing at- whtit upp i botilet htsl t niaji sin paints t lean w h l ni with an aw mug m fnmt anl if palm that hd lnll to on one side stood in the darkening shatlow some du innee lvelow mid natei th s i- k was antthei lent of hrown canvas a taluvoung man in a slimvelesj ooitm rlnrt nml fadtsl overalls that were tut off tit the knees stootl waiting this ii in brother urmv vvallij the girl introducrtl miht cleve meldon bruce ln invited him lo lii i ii t i in d f i- i i null k t h w in d an i t s i i llout 11 i 11 u uiv il ih i 1 is i id i 1 1 i t ii it t v silt i s il u tils mlt ll is t k ovi jt sw qui tl b kte 1 i nu ml i li ind ni v i v s n 111 i- r th tst timtrintirirvrtte htiidert iff i un k i in kr vis ind notm 1 1 i v em un ot in i sii ton i in s had to ilmom iop i j u w iv tow n n ross i he learning it use i th jjtmm not i si i t v isihl on i n si ip o skv th ll lit abuvi lilt vanyun1 towtnug vu the sh i bluffs of tin t luvili vv ij i hut vagvi hi it k ship soi th d blaikinss f il mht 10 fore gotl to the i ni clv pn k lid his hois ami the nude high r uplhr shel making the hilt t under the pilm nntl lii ar the tint ket lie knew hot pan klv a i loudburs on th uppe gorge tould swell the creek to a might avalanche of minldv wnttr on his way to tawqulu canyon h was given a grim reminder of the power and might of a deurt flood in torn s i vs t 1 u is t ih i vv s tlk 1 ll ii is in t ind iiivil i u i i mi us ihout ti is ii u ii i in i i i it s i 11 l i lis ll 1 i lit i i 11 nt is i t nn g mi ut i v 11 i to his t tiltt i ing a i nr s i w h s nuti iij i sh d tin u t tin im i t the s mn i o nt hi i oi s s is n i to gv i t t l siuut uii i pelting si nam t am- fn m tl mul i i v 1111 v 1 ishd f- i n i i t nt log t i i ih 1 itt r ii i v in t 1 rt i ii into t hi n 1 ng tan 1 tin tdumtling uuoiikh i glooi i t tin ihu ki t m t ttn s inund tin mul is iiii iu lit uni li d h i tl id t leve h nt ovet t h plosli ite fot m i ighininu did it h v nu d t a i linking v on v so il wain t the lightning shout tl bruce look nt this tl n k iv seen it before made hv tin sam thing that took our burros me held the lantern near the sodden ground o kverv laiiadiiin liould enrol lo end fifxhtinj dollar inlivonr deliie line buy war savings certificates regularly this space donated by the acton free press a