Arizona -- Fiction; Frontier and pioneer life -- Fiction; Western stories
“Except to Indians, it seems to be a secret so far,” replied the trader,
earnestly. “But it can't be kept secret. I've said that time after time
over in Stonebridge. With Mormons it's 'sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof.'”
“What'll happen when outsiders do learn and ride in here?”
“There'll be trouble--maybe bloodshed. Mormon women are absolutely good,
but they're human, and want and need a little life. And, strange to say,
Mormon men are pig-headedly jealous.... Why, if some of the cowboys I
knew in Durango would ride over here there'd simply be hell. But that's
a long way, and probably this village will be deserted before news of it
ever reaches Colorado. There's more danger of Shadd and his gang coming
in. Shadd's half Piute. He must know of this place. And he's got some
white outlaws in his gang.... Come on. Grub's ready, and I'm too hungry
to talk.”
Later, when shadows began to gather in the valley and the lofty peaks
above were gold in the sunset glow, Withers left camp to look after the
straying mustangs, and Shefford strolled to and fro under the cedars.
The lights and shades in the Sagi that first night had moved him to
enthusiastic watchfulness, but here they were so weird and beautiful
that he was enraptured. He actually saw great shafts of gold and shadows
of purple streaming from the peaks down into the valley. It was day on
the heights and twilight in the valley. The swiftly changing colors were
like rainbows.
While he strolled up and down several women came to the spring and
filled their buckets. They wore shawls or hoods and their garments were
somber, but, nevertheless, they appeared to have youth and comeliness.
They saw him, looked at him curiously, and then, without speaking,
went back on the well-trodden path. Presently down the path appeared a
woman--a girl in lighter garb. It was almost white. She was shapely and
walked with free, graceful step, reminding him of the Indian girl,
Glen Naspa. This one wore a hood shaped like a huge sunbonnet and it
concealed her face. She carried a bucket. When she reached the spring
and went down the few stone steps Shefford saw that she did not have on
shoes. As she braced herself to lift the bucket her bare foot clung to
the mossy stone. It was a strong, sinewy, beautiful foot, instinct with
youth. He was curious enough, he thought, but the awakening artist in
him made him more so. She dragged at the full bucket and had difficulty
in lifting it out of the hole. Shefford strode forward and took the
bucket-handle from her.
“Won't you let me help you?” he said, lifting the bucket. “Indeed--it's
very heavy.”
“Oh--thank you,” she said, without raising her head. Her voice seemed
singularly young and sweet. He had not heard a voice like it. She moved
down the path and he walked beside her. He felt embarrassed, yet more
curious than ever; he wanted to say something, to turn and look at her,
but he kept on for a dozen paces without making up his mind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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