Then she went
to Mercedes's room. But Nell was not there, either.
"She's in one of her tantrums lately," said Belding. "Wouldn't
speak to me this morning. Let her alone, mother. She's spoiled
enough, without running after her. She's always hungry. She'll
be on hand presently, don't mistake me."
Notwithstanding Belding's conviction, which Gale shared, Nell did
not appear at all during the hour. When Belding and the rangers
went outside, Yaqui was eating his meal on the bench where he
always sat.
"Yaqui--Lluvia d' oro, si?" asked Belding, waving his hand toward
the corrals. The Indian's beautiful name for Nell meant "shower
of gold," and Belding used it in asking Yaqui if he had seen her.
He received a negative reply.
Perhaps half an hour afterward, as Gale was leaving his room, he
saw the Yaqui running up the path from the fields. It was markedly
out of the ordinary to see the Indian run. Gale wondered what was
the matter. Yaqui ran straight to Belding, who was at work at his
bench under the wagon shed. In less than a moment Belding was
bellowing for his rangers. Gale got to him first, but Ladd and Lash
were not far behind.
"Blanco Sol gone!" yelled Belding, in a rage.
"Gone? In broad daylight, with the Indian a-watch-in?" queried
Ladd.
"It happened while Yaqui was at breakfast. That's sure. He'd
just watered Sol."
"Raiders!" exclaimed Jim Lash.
"Lord only knows. Yaqui says it wasn't raiders."
"Mebbe Sol's just walked off somewheres.
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