sat down upon
a rock, stricken with a sudden, overpowering weakness. "God in heaven!"
she whispered, appalled. "What a place to get lost in!"

She sat there a while and stared dejectedly down upon that wild orgy of
the earth's upheaval which is the Badlands. She felt as though it was
sheer madness even to think of finding anybody in there. It was worse
than a mountain country, because in the mountains there is a certain
semblance of some system in the canyons and high ridges and peaks. Here
every thing--peaks, gorges, tiny valleys and all--seemed to be just
dumped down together. Peaks rose from the middle of canyons; canyons
were half the time blind pockets that ended abruptly against a cliff.

"Oh!" she cried aloud, jumpin up and gesticulating wildly. "Baby!
Little Claude! Here! Look up this way!" She saw him, down below, on the
opposite side from where she had left her horse.

The Kid was riding slowly up a gorge. Silver was picking his way
carefully over the rocks--they looked tiny, down there! And they were
not going toward home, by any means. They were headed directly away from
home.

The cheeks of Miss Allen were wet while she shouted and called and waved
her hands. He was alive, anyway. Oh, if his mother could only be told
that he was alive! Oh, why weren't there telephones or something where
they were needed! If his poor mother could see him!

Miss Allen called again, and the Kid heard her. She was sure that he
heard her, because he stopped--that pitiful, tiny speck down there on
the horse!--and she thought he looked up at her. Yes, she was sure he
heard her, and that finally he saw her; because he took off his hat and
waved it over his head--just like a man, the poor baby!

Miss Allen considered going straight down to him, and then walking
around to where her horse was tied. She was afraid to leave him while
she went for the horse and rode around to where he was. She was afraid
she might miss him somehow the Badlands had stamped that fear deep into
her soul.

"Wait!" she shouted, her hands cupped around her trembling lips, tears
rolling down her cheeks "Wait baby! I'm coming for you." She hoped that
the Kid heard what she said, but she could not be sure, for she did not
hear him reply. But he did not go on at once, and she thought he would
wait.

Miss Allen picked up her skirts away from her ankles and started running
down the steep slope. The Kid, away down below, stared up at her. She
went down a t