4
The Runner Continues
As Jason awakened in his perch in the middle of a large salt cedar tree, on the fifth day of his freedom from the prison, he heard voices on the river. He ducked down into the foliage, watching carefully to make sure he didn't arouse any rattlesnakes. A boat appeared on the river headed north. Its small steam engine was puffing hard to gain against the strong current of the river. Jason watched as it went by and listened to make sure it kept on going. Satisfied the boat was not stopping, and after he slaked his morning thirst in the river, he made his way out of the trees toward the hard pan of the breaks coming from the surrounding hills.
Each hill brought a set of breaks in the soil, some deep, some wider than others, all caused by the rains which fell infreque
