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The Lone Star Ranger, a romance of the border by Zane Grey
page 39 of 400 (09%)


CHAPTER IV

Two days later, about the middle of the forenoon, Duane dragged
the two horses up the last ascent of an exceedingly rough trail
and found himself on top of the Rim Rock, with a beautiful
green valley at his feet, the yellow, sluggish Rio Grande
shining in the sun, and the great, wild, mountainous barren of
Mexico stretching to the south.

Duane had not fallen in with any travelers. He had taken the
likeliest-looking trail he had come across. Where it had led
him he had not the slightest idea, except that here was the
river, and probably the inclosed valley was the retreat of some
famous outlaw.

No wonder outlaws were safe in that wild refuge! Duane had
spent the last two days climbing the roughest and most
difficult trail he had ever seen. From the looks of the descent
he imagined the worst part of his travel was yet to come. Not
improbably it was two thousand feet down to the river. The
wedge-shaped valley, green with alfalfa and cottonwood, and
nestling down amid the bare walls of yellow rock, was a delight
and a relief to his tired eyes. Eager to get down to a level
and to find a place to rest, Duane began the descent.

The trail proved to be the kind that could not be descended
slowly. He kept dodging rocks which his horses loosed behind
him. And in a short time he reached the valley, entering at the
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