第10章

“Bones，maybe，ortheruinsoftheirtown，orpottery，orsomeoftheiridols。Theremightbe’mostanythingupthere。Anyhow，Iwanttosee。“

“Surenobodyelsehasbeenupthere，Tip？“Arthurasked。

“Deadsure。Hardlyanybodyevergoesdownthere。Somehunterstriedtocutstepsintherockonce，buttheydidn’tgethigherthanamancanreach。TheBluff’sallredgranite，andUncleBillthinksit’sabouldertheglaciersleft。It’saqueerplace，anyhow。Nothingbutcactusanddesertforhundredsofmiles，andyetrightundertheBluffthere’sgoodwaterandplentyofgrass。

That’swhythebisonusedtogodownthere。“

Suddenlyweheardascreamaboveourfire，andjumpeduptoseeadark，slimbirdfloatingsouthwardfaraboveus——awhoopingcrane，weknewbyhercryandherlongneck。Werantotheedgeoftheisland，hopingwemightseeheralight，butshewaveredsouthwardalongtherivercourseuntilwelosther。TheHasslerboysdeclaredthatbythelookoftheheavensitmustbeaftermidnight，sowethrewmorewoodonourfire，putonourjackets，andcurleddowninthewarmsand。Severalofuspretendedtodoze，butIfancywewerereallythinkingaboutTip’sBluffandtheextinctpeople。Overinthewoodtheringdoveswerecallingmournfullytooneanother，andonceweheardadogbark，faraway。

“SomebodygettingintooldTommy’smelonpatch，“Fritzmurmuredsleepily，butnobodyansweredhim。ByandbyPercyspokeoutoftheshadows。

“Say，Tip，whenyougodowntherewillyoutakemewithyou？“

“Maybe。“

“Supposeoneofusbeatsyoudownthere，Tip？“

“WhoevergetstotheBlufffirsthasgottopromisetotelltherestofusexactlywhathefinds，“remarkedoneoftheHasslerboys，andtothisweallreadilyassented。

Somewhatreassured，Idroppedofftosleep。ImusthavedreamedaboutaracefortheBluff，forIawokeinakindoffearthatotherpeopleweregettingaheadofmeandthatIwaslosingmychance。Isatupinmydampclothesandlookedattheotherboys，wholaytumbledinuneasyattitudesaboutthedeadfire。Itwasstilldark，buttheskywasbluewiththelastwonderfulazureofnight。Thestarsglistenedlikecrystalglobes，andtrembledasiftheyshonethroughadepthofclearwater。EvenasIwatched，theybegantopaleandtheskybrightened。Daycamesuddenly，almostinstantaneously。Iturnedforanotherlookatthebluenight，anditwasgone。Everywherethebirdsbegantocall，andallmanneroflittleinsectsbegantochirpandhopaboutinthewillows。Abreezesprangupfromthewestandbroughttheheavysmellofripenedcorn。Theboysrolledoverandshookthemselves。

Westrippedandplungedintotheriverjustasthesuncameupoverthewindybluffs。

WhenIcamehometoSandtownatChristmastime，weskatedouttoourislandandtalkedoverthewholeprojectoftheEnchantedBluff，renewingourresolutiontofindit。

Althoughthatwastwentyyearsago，noneofushaveeverclimbedtheEnchantedBluff。PercyPoundisastockbrokerinKansasCityandwillgonowherethathisredtouringcarcannotcarryhim。OttoHasslerwentontherailroadandlosthisfootbraking；afterwhichheandFritzsucceededtheirfatherasthetowntailors。

Arthursataboutthesleepylittletownallhislife——hediedbeforehewastwenty-five。ThelasttimeIsawhim，whenIwashomeononeofmycollegevacations，hewassittinginasteamerchairunderacottonwoodtreeinthelittleyardbehindoneofthetwoSandtownsaloons。Hewasveryuntidyandhishandwasnotsteady，butwhenherose，unabashed，togreetme，hiseyeswereasclearandwarmasever。WhenIhadtalkedwithhimforanhourandheardhimlaughagain，IwonderedhowitwasthatwhenNaturehadtakensuchpainswithaman，fromhishandstothearchofhislongfoot，shehadeverlosthiminSandtown。HejokedaboutTipSmith’sBluff，anddeclaredhewasgoingdowntherejustassoonastheweathergotcooler；hethoughttheGrandCanyonmightbeworthwhile，too。

IwasperfectlysurewhenIlefthimthathewouldnevergetbeyondthehighplankfenceandthecomfortableshadeofthecottonwood。And，indeed，itwasunderthatverytreethathediedonesummermorning。

TipSmithstilltalksaboutgoingtoNewMexico。Hemarriedaslatternly，unthriftycountrygirl，hasbeenmuchtiedtoaperambulator，andhasgrownstoopedandgreyfromirregularmealsandbrokensleep。Buttheworstofhisdifficultiesarenowover，andhehas，ashesays，comeintoeasywater。WhenIwaslastinSandtownIwalkedhomewithhimlateonemoonlightnight，afterhehadbalancedhiscashandshutuphisstore。Wetookthelongwayaroundandsatdownontheschoolhousesteps，andbetweenuswequiterevivedtheromanceoftheloneredrockandtheextinctpeople。Tipinsiststhathestillmeanstogodownthere，buthethinksnowhewillwaituntilhisboyBertisoldenoughtogowithhim。Berthasbeenletintothestory，andthinksofnothingbuttheEnchantedBluff。

EndTheBohemianGirlThetranscontinentalexpressswungalongthewindingsoftheSandRiverValley，andintherearseatoftheobservationcarayoungmansatgreatlyathisease，notintheleastdiscomfitedbythefiercesunlightwhichbeatinuponhisbrownfaceandneckandstrongback。Therewasalookofrelaxationandofgreatpassivityabouthisbroadshoulders，whichseemedalmosttooheavyuntilhestoodupandsquaredthem。Heworeapaleflannelshirtandabluesilknecktiewithlooseends。Histrouserswerewideandbeltedatthewaist，andhisshortsackcoathungopen。Hisheavyshoeshadseengoodservice。Hisreddish-brownhair，likehisclothes，hadaforeigncut。Hehaddeep-set，darkblueeyesunderheavyreddisheyebrows。Hisfacewaskeptcleanonlybycloseshaving，andeventhesharpestrazorleftaglintofyellowinthesmoothbrownofhisskin。Histeethandthepalmsofhishandswereverywhite。

Hishead，whichlookedhardandstubborn，layindolentlyinthegreencushionofthewickerchair，andashelookedoutattheripesummercountryateasing，notunkindlysmileplayedoverhislips。

Once，ashebaskedthuscomfortably，aquicklightflashedinhiseves，curiouslydilatingthepupils，andhismouthbecameahard，straightline，graduallyrelaxingintoitsformersmileofratherkindlymockery。Hetoldhimself，apparently，thattherewasnopointingettingexcited；andheseemedamasterhandattakinghiseasewhenhecould。Neitherthesharpwhistleofthelocomotivenorthebrakeman’scalldisturbedhim。Itwasnotuntilafterthetrainhadstoppedthatherose，putonaPanamahat，tookfromtherackasmallvaliseandaflutecase，andsteppeddeliberatelytothestationplatform。Thebaggagewasalreadyunloaded，andthestrangerpresentedacheckforabatteredsole-leathersteamertrunk。

“Canyoukeepithereforadayortwo？“heaskedtheagent。“I

maysendforit，andImaynot。“

“Dependsonwhetheryoulikethecountry，Isuppose？“demandedtheagentinachallengingtone。

“Justso。“

Theagentshruggedhisshoulders，lookedscornfullyatthesmalltrunk，whichwasmarked“N。E。，“andhandedoutaclaimcheckwithoutfurthercomment。Thestrangerwatchedhimashecaughtoneendofthetrunkanddraggeditintotheexpressroom。Theagent’smannerseemedtoremindhimofsomethingamusing。“Doesn’tseemtobeaverybigplace，“heremarked，lookingabout。

“It’sbigenoughforus，“snappedtheagent，ashebangedthetrunkintoacorner。

Thatremark，apparently，waswhatNilsEricsonhadwanted。Hechuckledquietlyashetookaleatherstrapfromhispocketandswunghisvalisearoundhisshoulder。ThenhesettledhisPanamasecurelyonhishead，turneduphistrousers，tuckedtheflutecaseunderhisarm，andstartedoffacrossthefields。Hegavethetown，ashewouldhavesaid，awideberth，andcutthroughagreatfencedpasture，emerging，whenherolledunderthebarbedwireatthefarthercorner，uponawhitedustyroadwhichranstraightupfromtherivervalleytothehighprairies，wheretheripewheatstoodyellowandthetinroofsandweathercocksweretwinklinginthefiercesunlight。BythetimeNilshaddonethreemiles，thesunwassinkingandthefarmwagonsontheirwayhomefromtowncamerattlingby，coveringhimwithdustandmakinghimsneeze。

Whenoneofthefarmerspulledupandofferedtogivehimalift，heclamberedinwillingly。Thedriverwasathin，grizzledoldmanwithalongleanneckandafoolishsortofbeard，likeagoat’s。

“Howfuryegoin’？“heasked，ashecluckedtohishorsesandstartedoff。

“DoyougobytheEricsonplace？“

“WhichEricson？“Theoldmandrewinhisreinsasifheexpectedtostopagain。

“PreacherEricson’s。“

“Oh，theOldLadyEricson’s！“HeturnedandlookedatNils。

“La，me！Ifyou’regoin’outthereyoumighta’ridoutintheautomobile。That’sapity，now。TheOldLadyEricsonwasintownwithherauto。Youmight’a’hearditsnortin’anywhereaboutthepost-officeerthebutchershop。“

“Hassheamotor？“askedthestrangerabsently。

“’Deedan’shehas！Sherunsintotowneverynightaboutthistimeforhermailandmeatforsupper。Somefolkssayshe’safraidherautowon’tgetexerciseenough，butIsaythat’sjealousy。“

“Aren’tthereanyothermotorsabouthere？“

“Oh，yes！wehavefourteeninall。ButnobodyelsegetsaroundliketheOldLadyEricson。She’sout，rainershine，overthewholecounty，chargin’intotownandoutamongstherfarms，an’

uptohersons’places。Sureyouain’tgoin’tothewrongplace？“

HecranedhisneckandlookedatNils’flutecasewitheagercuriosity。“Theoldwomanain’tgotanypianythatIknowson。

Olaf，hehasagrand。Hiswife’smusical:tooklessonsinChicago。“

“I’mgoinguptheretomorrow，“saidNilsimperturbably。Hesawthatthedrivertookhimforapianotuner。

“Oh，Isee！“Theoldmanscreweduphiseyesmysteriously。Hewasalittledashedbythestranger’snoncommunicativeness，buthesoonbrokeoutagain。