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CHAPTERI
THEmysteryandinsurmountablenatureofWild
HorseMesahadusurpedmanyathoughtfulhour
ofChaneWeymer’slonelydesertlifeinUtah.Every
wanderingriderhadastrangestorytotellaboutthis
vasttableland.ButChanehadneverbeforeseen
itfromsoloftyandcommandingaheightasthis
towhichToddyNokin,thePiute,hadledhim;norhad
thereeverbeforebeensoimpellingafascination
asthatengenderedbytheIndian.
ForthePiuteclaimedthatitwasthelastrefuge
ofthegreatwildstallion,Panquitch,andhisband.
Panquitch!HehadbeenchasedoutofNevada
bywild-horsewranglers,ofwhomChanewasnotthe
last;MormonshaddriventhestallionacrossUtah,
whereinthecanyonedfastnessessouthoftheHenry
Mountainshehaddisappeared.
Chane’sgazeleftthemesatofallupontheswarthy
lineamentsofhiscompanion.Couldheplacecredence
inToddyNokin?ThePiuteslovedfinehorsesandwere
notgiventoconfidinginwhitehunters.Itoccurred
toChane,however,thathehadbefriendedthisIndian.
“Toddy–yousurePanquitch–onWildHorseMesa?”
queriedChane,inhislaboredmixtureofPiuteand
Navajo.
TheIndianhadthesolemnlookofonewhose
confidencehadnotbeenwellreceived.
“Howyouknow?”wentonChane,eagerly.
ToddyNokinmadeaslow,sweepinggesturetoward
thefarnorthernendofWildHorseMesa,almostlost
indimpurpledistance.Themotionofarmandhand
hadasingularcharacter,neverseeningesturesave
thatofanIndian.Itsuggesteddeviationsoftrail,deep
canyonstocross,longdistancetocover.ThenToddy
Nokinspokeinhisowntongue,withthesimplicity
ofachiefwhosewordwasbeyonddoubt.Chane’s
interpretationmightnothavebeenwhollycorrect,but
itmadetheblooddanceinhisveins.Panquitchhad
