riders of the purple sage-第10章

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he　change　in　his　mind。　As　a　rider　guarding　the　herd　he　had　never　thought　of　the　night's　wildness　and　loneliness；　as　an　outcast；　now　when　the　full　silence　set　in；　and　the　deep　darkness；　and　trains　of　radiant　stars　shone　cold　and　calm；　he　lay　with　an　ache　in　his　heart。　For　a　year　he　had　lived　as　a　black　fox；　driven　from　his　kind。　He　longed　for　the　sound　of　a　voice；　the　touch　of　a　hand。　In　the　daytime　there　was　riding　from　place　to　place；　and　the　gun　practice　to　which　something　drove　him；　and　other　tasks　that　at　least　necessitated　action；　at　night；　before　he　won　sleep；　there　was　strife　in　his　soul。　He　yearned　to　leave　the　endless　sage　slopes；　the　wilderness　of　canyons；　and　it　was　in　the　lonely　night　that　this　yearning　grew　unbearable。　It　was　then　that　he　reached　forth　to　feel　Ring　or　Whitie；　immeasurably　grateful　for　the　love　and　companionship　of　two　dogs。

On　this　night　the　same　old　loneliness　beset　Venters；　the　old　habit　of　sad　thought　and　burning　unquiet　had　its　way。　But　from　it　evolved　a　conviction　that　his　useless　life　had　undergone　a　subtle　change。　He　had　sensed　it　first　when　Wrangle　swung　him　up　to　the　high　saddle；　he　knew　it　now　when　he　lay　in　the　gateway　of　Deception　Pass。　He　had　no　thrill　of　adventure；　rather　a　gloomy　perception　of　great　hazard；　perhaps　death。　He　meant　to　find　Oldring's　retreat。　The　rustlers　had　fast　horses；　but　none　that　could　catch　Wrangle。　Venters　knew　no　rustler　could　creep　upon　him　at　night　when　Ring　and　Whitie　guarded　his　hiding…place。　For　the　rest；　he　had　eyes　and　ears；　and　a　long　rifle　and　an　unerring　aim；　which　he　meant　to　use。　Strangely　his　foreshadowing　of　change　did　not　hold　a　thought　of　the　killing　of　Tull。　It　related　only　to　what　was　to　happen　to　him　in　Deception　Pass；　and　he　could　no　more　lift　the　veil　of　that　mystery　than　tell　where　the　trails　led　to　in　that　unexplored　canyon。　Moreover；　he　did　not　care。　And　at　length；　tired　out　by　stress　of　thought；　he　fell　asleep。

When　his　eyes　unclosed；　day　had　come　again；　and　he　saw　the　rim　of　the　opposite　wall　tipped　with　the　gold　of　sunrise。　A　few　moments　sufficed　for　the　morning's　simple　camp　duties。　Near　at　hand　he　found　Wrangle；　and　to　his　surprise　the　horse　came　to　him。　Wrangle　was　one　of　the　horses　that　left　his　viciousness　in　the　home　corral。　What　he　wanted　was　to　be　free　of　mules　and　burros　and　steers；　to　roll　in　dust…patches；　and　then　to　run　down　the　wide；　open；　windy　sage…plains；　and　at　night　browse　and　sleep　in　the　cool　wet　grass　of　a　springhole。　Jerd　knew　the　sorrel　when　he　said　of　him；　〃Wait　till　he　smells　the　sage！〃

Venters　saddled　and　led　him　out　of　the　oak　thicket；　and；　leaping　astride；　rode　up　the　canyon；　with　Ring　and　Whitie　trotting　behind。　An　old　grass…grown　trail　followed　the　course　of　a　shallow　wash　where　flowed　a　thin　stream　of　water。　The　canyon　was　a　hundred　rods　wide；　its　yellow　walls　were　perpendicular；　it　had　abundant　sage　and　a　scant　growth　of　oak　and　pinon。　For　five　miles　it　held　to　a　comparatively　straight　bearing；　and　then　began　a　heightening　of　rugged　walls　and　a　deepening　of　the　floor。　Beyond　this　point　of　sudden　change　in　the　character　of　the　canyon　Venters　had　never　explored；　and　here　was　the　real　door　to　the　intricacies　of　Deception　Pass。

He　reined　Wrangle　to　a　walk；　halted　now　and　then　to　listen；　and　then　proceeded　cautiously　with　shifting　and　alert　gaze。　The　canyon　assumed　proportions　that　dwarfed　those　of　its　first　ten　miles。　Venters　rode　on　and　on；　not　losing　in　the　interest　of　his　wide　surroundings　any　of　his　caution　or　keen　search　for　tracks　or　sight　of　living　thing。　If　there　ever　had　been　a　trail　here；　he　could　not　find　it。　He　rode　through　sage　and　clumps　of　pinon　trees　and　grassy　plots　where　long…petaled　purple　lilies　bloomed。　He　rode　through　a　dark　constriction　of　the　pass　no　wider　than　the　lane　in　the　grove　at　Cottonwoods。　And　he　came　out　into　a　great　amphitheater　into　which　jutted　huge　towering　corners　of　a　confluences　of　intersecting　canyons。

Venters　sat　his　horse；　and；　with　a　rider's　eye；　studied　this　wild　cross…cut　of　huge　stone　gullies。　Then　he　went　on；　guided　by　the　course　of　running　water。　If　it　had　not　been　for　the　main　stream　of　water　flowing　north　he　would　never　have　been　able　to　tell　which　of　those　many　openings　was　a　continuation　of　the　pass。　In　crossing　this　amphitheater　he　went　by　the　mouths　of　five　canyons；　fording　little　streams　that　flowed　into　the　larger　one。　Gaining　the　outlet　which　he　took　to　be　the　pass；　he　rode　on　again　under　over　hanging　walls。　One　side　was　dark　in　shade；　the　other　light　in　sun。　This　narrow　passageway　turned　and　twisted　and　opened　into　a　valley　that　amazed　Venters。

Here　again　was　a　sweep　of　purple　sage；　richer　than　upon　the　higher　levels。　The　valley　was　miles　long；　several　wide；　and　inclosed　by　unscalable　walls。　But　it　was　the　background　of　this　valley　that　so　forcibly　struck　him。　Across　the　sage…flat　rose　a　strange　up…flinging　of　yellow　rocks。　He　could　not　tell　which　were　close　and　which　were　distant。　Scrawled　mounds　of　stone；　like　mountain　waves；　seemed　to　roll　up　to　steep　bare　slopes　and　towers。

In　this　plain　of　sage　Venters　flushed　birds　and　rabbits；　and　when　he　had　proceeded　about　a　mile　he　caught　sight　of　the　bobbing　white　tails　of　a　herd　of　running　antelope。　He　rode　along　the　edge　of　the　stream　which　wound　toward　the　western　end　of　the　slowly　looming　mounds　of　stone。　The　high　slope　retreated　out　of　sight　behind　the　nearer　protection。　To　Venters　the　valley　appeared　to　have　been　filled　in　by　a　mountain　of　melted　stone　that　had　hardened　in　strange　shapes　of　rounded　outline。　He　followed　the　stream　till　he　lost　it　in　a　deep　cut。　Therefore　Venters　quit　the　dark　slit　which　baffled　further　search　in　that　direction；　and　rode　out　along　the　curved　edge　of　stone　where　it　met　the　sage。　It　was　not　long　before　he　came　to　a　low　place；　and　here　Wrangle　readily　climbed　up。

All　about　him　was　ridgy　roll　of　wind…smoothed；　rain…washed　rock　Not　a　tuft　of　grass　or　a　bunch　of　sage　colored　the　dull　rust…yellow。　He　saw　where；　to　the　right；　this　uneven　flow　of　stone　ended　in　a　blunt　wall。　Leftward；　from　the　hollow　that　lay　at　his　feet；　mounted　a　gradual　slow…swelling　slope　to　a　great　height　topped　by　leaning；　cracked；　and　ruined　crags。　Not　for　some　time　did　he　grasp　the　wonder　of　that　acclivity。　It　was　no　less　than　a　mountain…side；　glistening　in　the　sun　like　polished　granite；　with　cedar…trees　springing　as　if　by　magic　out　of　the　denuded　surface。　Winds　had　swept　it　clear　of　weathered　shale；　and　rains　had　washed　it　free　of　dust。　Far　up　the　curved　slope　its　beautiful　lines　broke　to　meet　the　vertical　rim…wall；　to　lose　its　grace　in　a　different　order　and　color　of　rock；　a　stained　yellow　cliff　of　cracks　and　caves　and　seamed　crags。　And　straight　before　Venters　was　a　scene　less　striking　but　more　significant　to　his　keen　survey。　For　beyond　a　mile　of　the　bare；　hummocky　rock　began　the　valley　of　sage；　and　the　mouths　of　canyons；　one　of　which　surely　was　another　gateway　into　the　pass。

He　got　off　his　horse；　and；　giving　the　bridle　to　Ring　to　hold；　he　commenced　a　search　for　the　cleft　where　the　stream　ran。　He　was　not　successful　and　concluded　the　water　dropped　into　an　underground　passage。　Then　he　returned　to　where　he　had　left　Wrangle；　and　led　him　down　off　the　stone　to　the　sage。　It　was　a　short　ride　to　the　opening　canyons。　There　was　no　reason　for　a　choice　of　which　one　to　enter。　The　one　he　rode　into　was　a　clear；　sharp　shaft　in　yellow　stone　a　thousand　feet　deep；　with　wonderful　wind…worn　caves　low　down　and　high　above　buttressed　and　turreted　ramparts。　Farther　on　Venters　came　into　a　region　where　deep　indentations　marked　the　line　of　canyon　walls。　These　were　huge；　cove…like　blind　pockets　extending　back　to　a　sharp　corner　with　a　dense　growth　of　underbrush　and　trees。

Venters　penetrated　into　one　of　these　offshoots；　and；　as　he　had　hoped；　he　found　abundant　grass。　He　had　to　bend　the　oak　saplings　to　get　his　horse　through。　Deciding　to　make　this　a　hiding…place　if　he　could　find　water；　he　worked　back　to　the　limit　of　the　shelving　walls。　In　a　little　cluster　of　silver　spruces　he　found　a　spring。　This　inclosed　nook　seemed　an　ideal　place　to　leave　his　horse　and　to　camp　at　night；　and　from　which　to　make　stealthy　trips　on　foot。　The　thick　grass　hid　his　trail；　the　dense　growth　of　oaks　in　the　opening　would　serve　as　a　barrie