The Mesa Trail

set out upon the way to Magdalena, after dispos

ide by a venerable ancient having one very blue eye and a long white beard. This worthy pr

a road partnership, stating that he liked Shea's looks. Thady Shea wanted to sleep

from the road and well hidden in a clump of trees. Before sleeping, he explored his pockets a

oney upon the ancient. "Take it, and add it to thy sc

rkin', I says, when they's no need. I figger on gettin' a job to Magdalena when I got to work. I had a job there

existence surrounded by linotype machines, Shea stretched out and fell asleep. The ancient droned alon

ion's mind for future plans, and found only a vague emptiness; the ancient liked to spend each night in a different spot, t

ble craftiness of an old man. His one eye winked, and the ancient was transformed. He became an emblem of doddering truancy, a l

'count of a hawg bein' missed from a pen. Anyhow, these nights i

a goshly-gorful old ranger like me, and it's all right; I'm a sinful man, an' proud of it. But you, now-you'd ought to be aimin' for

re. He did not take the hint to retai

burned into Shea's brain. Purpose, indeed! What purpose now lay ahead, except the vague desire to rehabilitate himself? To become a vagrant with this tramp printer-why, t

drifting existence, forcing him back into vagrancy? His eyes widened under the thought. The thought staggered him. T

s borne down by his inward anger, was borne down by the impotent feeling that he wa

" he mentally vowed. "I'll look

feeling that this purpose could not be sought, but must seek him out, must come to him of itself. Ye

es of the old flat-bed presses, and the goshly-gorfulness of machine p

ty white beard, transfixing Thady Shea with his one

proud of it; mebbe ye think I'm old, but I can show you young fellers a thing or two, he, he! Grow whiskers, Thady.

though he had touched some slimy, crawling thing in the darkness. He came to his feet with an impellent desire to crush this unholy man like a toad, to flee into the night, to lie under the stars and seek clearan

id Thady Shea, crispl

aware that something was wrong with him in the body, but he felt no definite pain. It was an

rldly wise lore of the roads-to walk with straight feet, to carry his body uphill on bended knees, to take the hi

a refused to share them; he slept in his clothes. When he wakened at sunrise his head was heavy with fever. A mile distant the ancient descried a creek, and they moved over to i

. "Middle one's quinine; right's physic; left's phys

said Thady, who felt mi

querulous. After a time he forced Thady Shea to continue their progress; the trail, said he, must lead them to a r

ne; a hard, rough man, kindly at heart, redly wrinkled of face, and keenly alert of eye, he shot beaver and turkey when the forest rangers were not arou

ach of a tattered old man who moved in trembling haste. Having no liking for

pped. "Who in

friend o' mine is down the ca?on a ways, plumb petered out. He was took sick last night-I reckon he'

ly. "I ain't got no room for sick men in my she

altered Dad Griffith, backing awa

amps around here, savvy? I got trouble of my own. Let's have a look at t

es later they came to the gaunt figure of Thady Shea lying beneath some scrub oaks a

y, "I'll take care o' this feller,

querulous anger. "I'm goin' to Magdalena to get me a job; you t

staggered erect, the delirious man still muttering. He turned and walked toward his shack, striding he

You be good to him, hear me? Mind my words, if ye ain't g

h shook his fist in senile rage, then slowly, and with a

room affair with a lean-to kitchen. Grunting beneath his load, Ros

ver-flushed features. He scratched his head, as though

time can I do? The car's broke down and there's no doctor closer'n Magdalena anyhow. Well, I never knowed whisk

hand. Upon the chair beside the bed he put a big crockery cup, thick and heavy. He poured whiskey into it; he filled it

r," murmured Ross.

s went out to stable and bed down his te

own the gaunt man's throat; the man drank it like water, avidly, without visible effect. He seeme

at last, awed despite hims

standing of the watching Ross. He used strange names-names like Ophelia or Rosalind or Desdemona; at times passion shook his voice, a fury of resonant passion; at times his

mber. Thady Shea lay motionless except for his deeply heaving chest. His hands, face, and body were glistening wet, were wet with perspiration that

out the fever and sleep off the whiskey, and wak

ne. He got breakfast and departed to his work, leaving the coffee ready to hand. From time to time he came in f

sensation; he was bewildered and frightened by it. He had felt that uncomfortable sens

ourse. He had no remembrance of drinking. Indeed, he had a fierce remembrance of having meant never to drink again. Where was he and how ha

ey. His body cried out for more whiskey, his soul writhed within him for more whiskey. His haggard gaze fell upon a cup, on a chair at his b

fierceness for whiskey, an awful tormenting passion for whiskey such as he had never before known. That was because of the flood that had seeped and soaked through his whole being. The raw red liquor like thin blood had permeated all

y. His nostrils quivered to the smell of coffee. He began to take in his surroundings, to realize the

k blotch against the brightness outside, stood Fred Ross, staring at the man who sat

s lips, and continued thickly. "

ped into

began, roughly. H

heavy, that left the hand of Thady Shea like a bullet. It was the thick, heavy

ght at the table and seemed to swing himself forward, half around. He fell, and lay wi

ands. They were big, strong hands; they clutched into his hair and skin until their knuckles stood out white. Shea

nt Ross moved, then sat up with a lithe, agile motion; but Thady Shea di

n weak, how have I failed? Yet I have f

e by Ross in rising erect, in stepping to the wall. He did not see Ross at all, nor the hand of Ross that pl

was not my fault; I knew nothing about it. God, are You trying to turn me back into the old shiftless life, into the ol

grip of terrible emotion. At him stood and stared Ross. Inch by inch the revolver lowered. The keen, alert, battling eyes of the

aving for it, forgotten about it. And now-now! Why is it that even this one pu

s head came up. His blazing black eyes stared into the gaze of Ros

pushed home the revol

casually, "let's h

t over the kindling embers. He set two thick crockery cups upon the boards of the table. He got out spoons

e, very unstea