The nights had the balmly
coolness of spring, and would have been delightful for sleep, but
that would have made the blazing days unendurable.
The sun rose in a vast white flame. With it came the blasting,
withering wind from the gulf. A red haze, like that of earlier
sunsets, seemed to come sweeping on the wind, and it roared up
the arroyo, and went bellowing into the crater, and rushed on
in fury to lash the peaks.
During these hot, windy hours the desert-bound party slept in
deep recesses in the lava; and if necessity brought them forth
they could not remain out long. the sand burned through boots,
and a touch of bare hand on lava raised a blister.
A short while before sundown the Yaqui went forth to build a
campfire, and soon the others came out, heat-dazed, half
blinded, with parching throats to allay and hunger that was
never satisfied. A little action and a cooling of the air
revived them, and when night set in they were comfortable
round the campfire.
As Ladd had said, one of their greatest problems was the
passing of time. The nights were interminably long, but
they had to be passed in work or play or dream--anything
except sleep. That was Ladd's most inflexible command. He gave
no reason. But not improbably the ranger thought that the terrific
heat of the day spend in slumber lessened a wear and strain, if
not a real danger of madness.
Accordingly, at first the occupations of this little group were
many and various.
Pages:
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349