TheslopethatStewartentereduponwasamagnificentmonumenttotheruinedcragsabove。Itwasasoutherlyslope，andthereforesemi-arid，coveredwithcercocarpusandyuccaandsomeshrubthatMadelinebelievedwasmanzanita。EveryfootofthetrailseemedtoslideunderMajesty。Whathardgroundtherewascouldnotbetraveledupon，owingtothespinycoveringormassesofshatteredrocks。Gullieslinedtheslope。
Thentheskygrewblacker；theslow-gatheringcloudsappearedtobesuddenlyagitated；theypiledandrolledandmushroomedandobscuredthecrags。Theairmovedheavilyandseemedtobeladenwithsulphuroussmoke，andsharplightningflashesbegantoplay。
Adistantroarofwindcouldbeheardbetweenthepealsofthunder。
StewartwaitedforMadelineundertheleeofashelvingcliff，wherethecowboyshadhaltedthepack-train。Majestywassensitivetotheflashesoflightning。Madelinepattedhisneckandsoftlycalledtohim。Thewearyburrosnodded；theMexicanwomencoveredtheirheadswiththeirmantles。StewartuntiedtheslickeratthebackofMadeline\'ssaddleandhelpedheronwithit。Thenheputonhisown。Theothercowboysfollowedsuit。
PresentlyMadelinesawMontyandDorothyroundingthecliff，andhopedtheotherswouldcomesoon。