The Heart of the Desert (Kut-Le of the Desert)Morrow, Honoré
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The Heart of the Desert (Kut-Le of the Desert)
Morrow, Honoré
Indians of North America -- West (U.S.) -- Fiction; Love stories; Western stories
"He's mine when we do find him, remember that," John DeWitt always said
through his teeth at this point in the discussion.
It was on the twelfth day of the hunt that the sheep-herder found them.
They were cinching up the packs after the noon rest when he rode up on
a burro. He was dust-coated and both he and the burro were panting.
"I've seen her! I've seen the senorita!" he shouted as he clambered
stiffly from the burro.
The three Americans stood rigid.
"Where? How? When?" came from three heat-cracked mouths.
The Mexican started to answer, but his throat was raw with alkali dust
and his voice was scarcely audible. DeWitt impatiently thrust a
canteen into the little fellow's hands.
"Hurry, for heaven's sake!" he urged.
The Mexican took a deep draught.
"The night after you left I moved up into the peaks, intending to cross
the range to lower pastures next day. A big storm came up and I made
camp. Then an Indian in a blanket rode up to me and asked me if I was
alone. I _sabed_ him at once. 'But yes, senor,'" I answered, "'except
for the sheep!'"
"But Miss Tuttle! The senorita!" shouted DeWitt.
The Mexican glanced at the tired blue eyes, the strained face,
pityingly.
"She was well," he answered. "Be patient, senor. Then there rode up
another Indian, two squaws and what looked to be a young boy. The
Indian lifted the boy from the saddle so tenderly, senors. And it was
your senorita! She did not look strong, yet I think the Indian is
taking good care of her. They sat by the fire till the storm was over.
The senorita ignored Kut-le as if he had been a dog."
Porter clinched his teeth at this, while Jack murmured with a gleam of
savage satisfaction in his eyes, "Old Rhoda!" But DeWitt only gnawed
his lip, with his blue eyes on the Mexican.
"The Indian said I was to say nothing, but the senorita made him let me
tell about you after I said I had seen you. She--she cried with
happiness. They rode away in a little while but I followed as long as
I dared to leave my sheep. They were going north. I think they were
in the railroad range the night you were with me, then doubled back. I
left my sheep the next day with the salt-boy who came up. I tramped
twenty miles to the rancho and got a burro and left word about the
senorita. Then I started on your trail. Everyone I met I told. I
thought that my news was not worth much except that the senor there
would be glad to know that the Indian is tender to his senorita."
DeWitt turned to Porter and Newman.
"Friends, perhaps she is being taken care of!" he said. "Perhaps that
devil is trying to keep her health, at least. God! If nothing worse
has befallen her!"
He stopped and drew his wrist across his forehead. Something like
tears shone in Jack's eyes, and Porter coughed. John turned to the
Mexican and grasped the little fellow's hand.
"My boy," he said, "you'll never regret this day's work. If you have a
senorita you know what you have done for me!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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