At any rate, the adventure which he had craved seemed to be at hand. Where it would lead him he had no idea.
The fire gradually burned low. The girl slept on. Ross removed the pipe from his mouth. His head nodded. In half an hour the campfire had wasted to an ember.
The man’s head had sunk forward onto his breast; his body had relaxed comfortably against its support. He, too, was asleep.
Hours crept by....
With a start, Ross awoke. The first faint glow of dawn was creeping down into the little canon. It was morning.
Sheepishly, Ross rubbed his eyes, aware that he had allowed the healthy fatigue of a day in the desert to conquer his senses and bring sleep when he had intended to watch throughout the night.
Gradually the events of the evening before came back to him, and he looked across to where he had wrapped the girl in his blankets. The bed was empty!
The girl was gone!
CHAPTER THREE
ADVENTURE WITH A VENGEANCE
In an instant Ross was on his feet, the sleep fog automatically cleared from his brain.