‘Water. They probably come from out on the mesa. Not very much water for ’em out there. Hard trip, I reckon. I never been in the cañon. Probably a way in, if yuh know where to look.’
‘Probably.’
They rode on toward Mesa City.
CHAPTER XVII: BUZZARDS
That night was years long to Nan and Rex. She slept fitfully, but Rex did not sleep at all. Briggs had not moved. At times he groaned softly, and several times he babbled incoherently. There was plenty of wood, and Rex kept the fire going briskly.
It was fully daylight before Rex moved from the fire. He was stiff and sore in every joint. His left shoulder pained him greatly, and his right hand was badly swollen. Nan followed him out of the mouth of the cave. She limped as badly as he, and together they stood on the sandstone ledge, looking up at the sunlight on the high peaks.
‘It won’t shine down here much before noon,’ she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. ‘This cañon is so deep that the sun doesn’t reach it quickly.’
Rex nodded gloomily. ‘What a night! And what next? I’m so hungry I could almost eat that piece of burned horse meat.’
‘Same here,’ Nan tried to smile. ‘But we’ll have to go without food, I suppose. Which way was that spring?’
‘Down there,’ Rex pointed to the right. ‘I wonder if my old hat will hold water? I believe it will, Nan. You stay here and I’ll bring you some.’