THE MAKE OF THE DESERT 



43 



stand above the waste ! One can almost fancy 

 that behind each dome and rampart there are 

 eloud-like Genii — spirits of the desert — keeping 

 guard over this kingdom of the snn. And what 

 a far-reaching kingdom they watch ! Plain npon 

 plain leads up and out to the horizon — ^far as the 

 eye can see — in undulations of gray and gold ; 

 ridge upon ridge melts into the blue of the 

 distant sky in lines of lilac and purple ; fold 

 upon fold over the mesas the hot air drops its 

 veilings of opal and topaz. Yes ; it is the 

 kingdom of sun-fire. For every color in the 

 scale is attuned to the key of flame, every air- 

 wave comes with the. breath of flame, every 

 sunbeam falls as a shaft of flame. There is 

 no questioning who is sovereign in these do- 

 minions. 



Seen from 

 the peaks. 



Sun-fire 

 kingdom 



