She had been hungry back there before she came upon the dead man; but now

the hunger had gone from her, and in its place was only faintness. Still,

she dared not stop long to eat. She must make as much time as possible

here in this open space, and now she was where she could be seen more

easily if any one were in pursuit.

But the horse had decided that it was time for breakfast. He had had one

or two drinks of water on the mountain, but there had been no time for him

to eat. He was decidedly hungry, and the plain offered nothing in the

shape of breakfast. He halted, lingered, and came to a neighing stop,

looking around at his mistress. She roused from her lethargy of trouble,

and realized that his wants--if not her own--must be attended to.

She must sacrifice some of her own store of eatables, for by and by they

would come to a good grazing-place perhaps, but now there was nothing.

The corn-meal seemed the best for the horse. She had more of it than of

anything else. She poured a scanty portion out on a paper, and the beast

smacked his lips appreciatively over it, carefully licking every grain

from the paper, as the girl guarded it lest his breath should blow any

away. He snuffed hungrily at the empty paper, and she gave him a little

more meal, while she ate some of the cold beans, and scanned the horizon

anxiously. There was nothing but sage-brush in sight ahead of her, and

more hills farther on where dim outlines of trees could be seen. If she

could but get up higher where she could see farther, and perhaps reach a

bench where there would be grass and some shelter.

It was only a brief rest she allowed; and then, hastily packing up her

stores, and retaining some dry corn bread and a few beans in her pocket,

she mounted and rode on.

The morning grew hot, and the way was long. As the ground rose again, it

was stony and overgrown with cactus. A great desolation took possession of

the girl. She felt as if she were in an endless flight from an unseen

pursuer, who would never give up until he had her.

It was high noon by the glaring sun when she suddenly saw another human

being. At first she was not quite sure whether he were human. It was only

a distant view of a moving speck; but it was coming toward her, though

separated by a wide valley that had stretched already for miles. He was

moving along against the sky-line on a high bench on one side of the

valley, and she mounting as fast as her weary beast would go to the top of

another, hoping to find a grassy stretch and a chance to rest.




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