Art was highly agreeable. He wiped the neck with a filthy hand and
said, "Thank you, Ceec. You're mighty good to a poor helpless blind
man."
Bates let him take a fairly long one, then retrieved the bottle. "And
you say you can show me the exact spot where this guy's cave is?"
"Sure can. Only--"
"Only what?" Bates scowled and pulled the bottle back as though to keep
from wasting any more good liquor.
"Only that it might be kind of rough on you. I'd have to walk it.
Wouldn't know where we was going if we drove. And a blind man taps
along pretty slow."
"Never mind that," Bates said grimly. "I'll tap right along with you.
I'd crawl across the Gila Desert to get that guy. I truly would, Art."
"All right then. Let's get started."
Cecil Bates grinned. He'd show old Sam Taber what the score was; who
was sheriff around here and who wasn't; who could go out and bring in a
criminal while everybody else talked about it....
* * * * *
Davey Taber had special foot controls built into his jeep. This gave
him a great deal of freedom--access to all the roads roundabout and to
any part of the desert on which a jeep could travel.
Davey was a handsome youth with none of his father's characteristics of
leadership. He had a rather long sensitive face with eyes made dark and
beautiful from suffering. His hands were the slim delicate hands of an
artist.
He had driven off the Circle-7 toward Sage Bend but when he came within
a few miles of the town, he turned away from the road and into the
flat desert. There was a strange restless stirring inside him, a hope
that was almost akin to pain because he had heard the story of the
mysterious man in the ridges and of what had happened to Biddy Parker.
If he could only find the man--if the story were only true--if--There
were a dozen ifs bouncing through his mind as he wound aimlessly over
the hot expanses. If he could only--
He pushed down on the brake and came to a stop as he saw a spot across
the waste, his sharp eyes telling him what it was. A small flop-eared
burro and a little girl leading it.
Biddy Parker! Davey screamed the jeep into motion and headed in that
direction. As the intervening distance lessened; Biddy stopped and
waved a welcome.
The jeep came to a halt and Biddy ran toward it. "Look Davey! I can
walk! I can run!"
"I heard. Somebody came to the ranch this morning with the story. Dad
went into town."
"I saw him and he talked to me."