But
at least he might bring the next best news, information that
David Henderson was free at last and his long martyrdom ended.
So all day hurried preparations were being made to receive the
honored guests with a fitting welcome. The Rocking Chair was a
big ranch, and its hospitality was famous all over the Southwest.
It was quite unnecessary to make special efforts to entertain,
but Webb and his wife took that means of relieving the strain on
them till night.
Higher crept the hot sun of baked Arizona. It passed the zenith
and began to descend toward the purple hills in the west, went
behind them with a great rainbow splash of brilliancy peculiar to
that country Dusk came, and died away in the midst of a
love-concert of quails. Velvet night, with its myriad stars,
entranced the land and made magic of its hills and valleys.
For the fiftieth time Webb dragged out his watch and consulted
it.
"I wish that young man had let us know which way he was coming,
so I could go and meet them. If they come by the river they
should be in the Box canyon by this time. But if I was to ride
out, like as not they would come by the mesa," he sputtered.
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