gnize Nack-yal. But
he's broken-hearted."

The trader laughed, and Joe said, "You can't tell what these durn
mustangs will do." Shefford felt sorry for Nack-yal, and when it came
time to saddle him again found him easier to handle than ever before.
Nack-yal stood with head down, broken-spirited.

Shefford was the first to ride up out of the draw, and once upon the
top of the ridge he halted to gaze, wide-eyed and entranced. A rolling,
endless plain sloped down beneath him, and led him on to a distant
round-topped mountain. To the right a red canyon opened its jagged jaws,
and away to the north rose a whorled and strange sea of curved ridges,
crags, and domes.

Nas Ta Bega rode up then, leading the pack-train.

"Bi Nai, that is Na-tsis-an," he said, pointing to the mountain. "Navajo
Mountain. And there in the north are the canyon."

Shefford followed the Indian down the trail and soon lost sight of that
wide green-and-red wilderness. Nas Ta Bega turned at an intersecting
trail, rode down into the canyon, and climbed out on the other side.
Shefford got a glimpse now and then of the black dome of the mountain,
but for the most part the distant points of the country were hidden.
They crossed many trails, and went up and down the sides of many shallow
canyon. Troops of wild mustangs whistled at them, stood on ridge-tops to
watch, and then dashed away with manes and tails flying.

Withers rode forward presently and halted the pack-train. He had some
conversation with Nas Ta Bega, whereupon the Indian turned his horse and
trotted back, to disappear in the cedars.

"I'm some worried," explained Withers. "Joe thinks he saw a bunch of
horsemen trailing us. My eyes are bad and I can't see far. The Indian
will find out. I took a roundabout way to reach the village because I'm
always dodging Shadd."

This communication lent an added zest to the journey. Shefford could
hardly believe the truth that his eyes and his ears brought to his
consciousness. He turned in behind Withers and rode down the rough
trail, helping the mustang all in his power. It occurred to him that
Nack-yal had been entirely different since that meeting with his mother
in the draw. He turned no more off the trail; he answered readily to the
rein; he did not look afar from every ridge. Shefford conceived a liking
for the mustang.

Withers turned sidewise in his saddle and let his mustang pick the way.

"Another time we'll go up round the base of the mou