strength　left　to　make　an　effort　to　get　out　of　the　desert。　　But　that　same　inscrutable　something　which　had　ordered　his　strange　involuntary　promise　to　Warren　held　him　beside　his　fallen　comrade。　　He　watched　the　white　sun　turn　to　gold；　and　then　to　red　and　sink　behind　mountains　in　the　west。　　Twilight　stole　into　the　arroyo。　　It　lingered；　slowly　turning　to　gloom。　The　vault　of　blue　black　lightened　to　the　blinking　of　stars。　Then　fell　the　serene；　silent；　luminous　desert　night。
  Cameron　kept　his　vigil。　　As　the　long　hours　wore　on　he　felt　creep　over　him　the　comforting　sense　that　he　need　not　forever　fight　sleep。　A　wan　glow　flared　behind　the　dark；　uneven　horizon；　and　a　melancholy　misshapen　moon　rose　to　make　the　white　night　one　of　shadows。　　Absolute　silence　claimed　the　desert。　　It　was　mute。　　Then　that　inscrutable　something　breathed　to　him；　telling　him　when　he　was　along。　　He　need　not　have　looked　at　the　dark；　still　face　beside　him。
  Another　face　haunted　Cameron'sa　woman's　face。　　It　was　there　in　the　white　moonlit　shadows；　it　drifted　in　the　darkness　beyond；　it　softened；　changed　to　that　of　a　young　girl；　sweet；　with　the　same　dark；　haunting　eyes　of　her　mother。　　Cameron　prayed　to　that　nameless　thing　within　him；　the　spirit　of　something　deep　and　mystical　as　life。　　He　prayed　to　that　nameless　thing　outside；　of　which　the　rocks　and　the　sand；　the　spiked　cactus　and　the　ragged　lava；　the　endless　waste；　with　its　vast　star…fired　mantle；　were　but　atoms。　　He　prayed　for　mercy　to　a　womanfor　happiness　to　her　child。　　Both　mother　and　daughter　were　close　to　him　then。　　Time　and　distance　were　annihilated。　He　had　faithhe　saw　into　the　future。　　The　fateful　threads　of　the　past；　so　inextricably　woven　with　his　error；　wound　out　their　tragic　length　here　in　this　forlorn　desert。
  CAMERON　then　took　a　little　tin　box　from　his　pocket；　and；　opening　it；　removed　a　folded　certificate。　　He　had　kept　a　pen；　and　now　he　wrote　something　upon　the　paper；　and　in　lieu　of　ink　he　wrote　with　blood。　　The　moon　afforded　him　enough　light　to　see；　and；　having　replaced　the　paper；　he　laid　the　little　box　upon　a　shelf　of　rock。　It　would　remain　there　unaffected　by　dust；　moisture；　heat；　time。　How　long　had　those　painted　images　been　there　clear　and　sharp　on　the　dry　stone　walls？　　There　were　no　trails　in　that　desert；　and　always　there　were　incalculable　changes。　　Cameron　saw　this　mutable　mood　of　naturethe　sands　would　fly　and　seep　and　carve　and　bury；　the　floods　would　dig　and　cut；　the　ledges　would　weather　in　the　heat　and　rain；　the　avalanches　would　slide；　the　cactus　seeds　would　roll　in　the　wind　to　catch　in　a　niche　and　split　the　soil　with　thirsty　roots。　　Years　would　pass。　　Cameron　seemed　to　see　them；　too；　and　likewise　destiny　leading　a　child　down　into　this　forlorn　waste；　where　she　would　find　love　and　fortune；　and　the　grave　of　her　father。
  Cameron　covered　the　dark；　still　face　of　his　comrade　from　the　light　of　the　waning　moon。
  That　action　was　the　severing　of　his　hold　on　realities。　　They　fell　away　from　him　in　final　separation。　　Vaguely；　dreamily　he　seemed　to　behold　his　soul。　　Night　merged　into　gray　day；　and　night　came　again；　weird　and　dark。　　Then　up　out　of　the　vast　void　of　the　desert；　from　the　silence　and　illimitableness；　trooped　his　phantoms　of　peace。　Majestically　they　formed　around　him；　marshalling　and　mustering　in　ceremonious　state；　and　moved　to　lay　upon　him　their　passionless　serenity。
  Chapter　I
  Old　Friends
  Richard　Gale　reflected　that　his　sojourn　in　the　West　had　been　what　his　disgusted　father　had　predictedidling　here　and　there；　with　no　objective　point　or　purpose。
  It　was　reflection　such　as　this；　only　more　serious　and　perhaps　somewhat　desperate；　that　had　brought　Gale　down　to　the　border。　For　some　time　the　newspapers　had　been　printing　news　of　Mexican　revolution；　guerrilla　warfare；　United　States　cavalry　patrolling　the　international　line；　American　cowboys　fighting　with　the　rebels；　and　wild　stories　of　bold　raiders　and　bandits。　　But　as　opportunity；　and　adventure；　too；　had　apparently　given　him　a　wide　berth　in　Montana；　Wyoming；　Colorado；　he　had　struck　southwest　for　the　Arizona　border；　where　he　hoped　to　see　some　stirring　life。　　He　did　not　care　very　much　what　happened。　　Months　of　futile　wandering　in　the　hope　of　finding　a　place　where　he　fitted　had　inclined　Richard　to　his　father's　opinion。
  It　was　after　dark　one　evening　in　early　October　when　Richard　arrived　in　Casita。　　He　was　surprised　to　find　that　it　was　evidently　a　town　of　importance。　　There　was　a　jostling；　jabbering；　sombreroed　crowd　of　Mexicans　around　the　railroad　station。　　He　felt　as　if　he　were　in　a　foreign　country。　　After　a　while　he　saw　several　men　of　his　nationality；　one　of　whom　he　engaged　to　carry　his　luggage　to　a　hotel。　　They　walked　up　a　wide；　well…lighted　street　lined　with　buildings　in　which　were　bright　windows。　　Of　the　many　people　encountered　by　Gale　most　were　Mexicans。　　His　guide　explained　that　the　smaller　half　of　Casita　lay　in　Arizona；　the　other　half　in　Mexico；　and　of　several　thousand　inhabitants　the　majority　belonged　on　the　southern　side　of　the　street；　which　was　the　boundary　line。　　He　also　said　that　rebels　had　entered　the　town　that　day；　causing　a　good　deal　of　excitement。
  Gale　was　almost　at　the　end　of　his　financial　resources；　which　fact　occasioned　him　to　turn　away　from　a　pretentious　hotel　and　to　ask　his　guide　for　a　cheaper　lodging…house。　　When　this　was　found；　a　sight　of　the　loungers　in　the　office；　and　also　a　desire　for　comfort；　persuaded　Gale　to　change　his　traveling…clothes　for　rough　outing　garb　and　boots。
  〃Well；　I'm　almost　broke；〃　he　soliloquized；　thoughtfully。　　〃The　governor　said　I　wouldn't　make　any　money。　　He's　rightso　far。　And　he　said　I'd　be　coming　home　beaten。　　There　he's　wrong。　　I've　got　a　hunch　that　something　'll　happen　to　me　in　this　Greaser　town。〃
  He　went　out　into　a　wide；　whitewashed；　high…ceiled　corridor；　and　from　that　into　an　immense　room　which；　but　for　pool　tables；　bar；　benches；　would　have　been　like　a　courtyard。　　The　floor　was　cobblestoned；　the　walls　were　of　adobe；　and　the　large　windows　opened　like　doors。　　A　blue　cloud　of　smoke　filled　the　place。　　Gale　heard　the　click　of　pool　balls　and　the　clink　of　glasses　along　the　crowded　bar。　　Bare…legged；　sandal…footed　Mexicans　in　white　rubbed　shoulders　with　Mexicans　mantled　in　black　and　red。　　There　were　others　in　tight…fitting　blue　uniforms　with　gold　fringe　or　tassels　at　the　shoulders。　　These　men　wore　belts　with　heavy；　bone…handled　guns；　and　evidently　were　the　rurales；　or　native　policemen。　　There　were　black…bearded；　coarse…visaged　Americans；　some　gambling　round　the　little　tables；　others　drinking。　　The　pool　tables　were　the　center　of　a　noisy　crowd　of　younger　men；　several　of　whom　were　unsteady　on　their　feet。　　There　were　khaki…clad　cavalrymen　strutting　in　and　out。
  At　one　end　of　the　room；　somewhat　apart　from　the　general　meelee；　was　a　group　of　six　men　round　a　little　table；　four　of　whom　were　seated；　the　other　two　standing。　　These　last　two　drew　a　second　glance　from　Gale。　　The　sharp…featured；　bronzed　faces　and　piercing　eyes；　the　tall；　slender；　loosely　jointed　bodies；　the　quiet；　easy；　reckless　air　that　seemed　to　be　a　part　of　the　menthese　things　would　plainly　have　stamped　them　as　cowboys　without　the　buckled　sombreros；　the　colored　scarfs；　the　high…topped；　high…heeled　boots　with　great　silver…roweled　spurs。　　Gale　did　not　fail　to　note；　also；　that　these　cowboys　wore　guns；　and　this　fact　was　rather　a　shock　to　his　idea　of　the　modern　West。　　It　caused　him　to　give　some　credence　to　the　rumors　of　fighting　along　the　border；　and　he　felt　a　thrill。
  He　satisfied　his　hunger　in　a　restaurant　adjoining；　and　as　he　stepped　back　into　the　saloon　a　man　wearing　a　military　cape　jostled　him。　　Apologies　from　both　were　instant。　　Gale　was　moving　on　when　the　other　stopped　short　as　if　startled；　and；　leaning　forward；　exclaimed：
  〃Dick　Gale？〃
  〃You've　got　me；〃　replied　Gale；　in　surprise。　　〃But　I　don't　know　you。〃
  He　could　not　see　the　stranger's　face；　because　it　was　wholly　shaded　by　a　wide…brimmed　hat　pulled　well　down。
  〃By　Jove！　　It's　Dick！　　If　this　isn't　great！　　Don't　you　know　me？〃
  〃I've　heard　your　voice　somewhere；〃　replied　Gale。　　〃Maybe　I'll　recognize　you　if　you　come　out　from　under　that　bonnet。〃
  For　answer　the　man；　suddenly　manifesting　thought　of　himself；　hurriedly　drew　Gale　into　the　restaurant；　where　he　thrust　back　his　hat　to　disclose　a　handsome；　sunburned　face。
  〃George　@Thorne！　　So　help　me〃
  〃'S…s…ssh。　　You　needn't　yell；〃　interrupted　the　other；　as　he　met　Gale's　outstretched　hand。　　There　was　a　close；　hard；　straining　grip。　〃I　must　not　be　recognized　here。
  There　are　reasons。　　I'll　explain　in　a　minute。　　Say；　but　it's　fine　to　see　you！　　Five　years；　Dick；　five　years　since　I　saw　you　run　down　University　Field　and　spread…eagle　the　whole　Wisconsin　football　team。〃
  〃Don't　recollect　that；〃　replied　Dick；　laughing。　　〃George；　I'll　bet　you　I'm　gladder　to　see　you　than　you　are　to　see　me。　　It　seems　to　long。　　You　went　into　the　army；　didn't　you？〃
  〃I　did。　　I'm　here　now　with　the　Ninth　Cavalry。　　Butnever　mind　me。　What're　you　doing　way　down　here？　　Say；　I　just　noticed　your　togs。　Dick；　you　can't　be　going　in　for　mining　or　ranching；　not　in　this　God…forsaken　desert？〃
  〃On　the　square；　George；　I　don't　know　any　more　why　I'm　here　thanthan　you　know。〃
  〃Well；　that　beats　me！〃　ejaculated　Thorne；　sitting　back　in　his　chair；　amaze　and　concern　in　his　e