第6章

Directlybeforeit，however，tohisconsternation，werethemassive，buttimeworn，irongatesofapark，whichDickdidnotdoubtwastheoneinwhichhehadspentthepreviousnight。Butitwasimpossibletogofurtherinhispresentplight，andheboldlyapproachedtherestaurant。Ashewaspreparingtomakehisusualexplanatorysigns，tohisgreatdelighthewasaddressedinaquaint，brokenEnglish，mixedwithforgottenAmericanslang，bythewhite—trousered，black—alpacacoatedproprietor。Morethanthat——

hewasaSocialDemocratandanenthusiasticloverofAmerica——hadhenotbeento"Bos—town"andNewYork，andpenetratedasfarwestas"Booflo，"andhadmuchpleasureinthatbeautifulandfreecountry？Yes！itwasa"go—a—’ed"country——you"bet—your—lif’。"

Onehadreasontosayso：therewasyourelectricity——yourstreetcars——your"steambots"——ah！suchsteambots——andyour"r—rail—r—

roads。"Ah！observe！compareyourr—rail—r—roadsandthebuffetofthePullmanwiththelinefromParis，forexample——andwhereisone？Nowhere！Actually，positively，withoutdoubt，nowhere！

Later，atanappetizingbreakfast——atwhich，toDick’sgreatsatisfaction，thegoodmanhadpermittedandcongratulatedhimselftositattablewithafree—bornAmerican——hewasevenmoreloquacious。Forwhatthen，hewouldask，wasthisincompetence，thisimbecility，ofFrance？Hewouldtell。ItwasthevilecorruptionofParis，thegraspingofcapitalandcompanies，thefatalinfluenceofthestillclingingnoblesse，andtheinsidiousJesuiticalpowerofthepriests。Asforexample，Monsieur"theBooflo—bil"haddoubtlessnoticedthegreatgatesoftheparkbeforethecafe？Itwasthepreserve，——thehunting—parkofoneoftheoldgrandseigneurs，stillkeptupbyhisdescendants，theComtesdeFontonelles——hundredsofacresthathadneverbeentilled，andkeptaswildwastewilderness，——keptforaday’spleasureinayear！And，lookyou！thepeasantsstarvingarounditswallsintheirsmallgardenpatchesandpinchedfarms！AndthepresentComtedeFontonellescascadinggoldonhismistressesinParis；andtheComtesse，hismother，andherdaughterlivingtheretofeedandfattenandpensionabroodofplotting，black—cowledpriests。Ah，bah！wherewasyourRepublicanFrance，then？Butatimewouldcome。The"Booflo—bil"had，withoutdoubt，noticed，ashecamealongtheroad，thebreachesinthewallofthepark？

Dick，withaslightdryreserve，"reckonedthathehad。"

"TheyweremadebythescythesandpitchforksofthepeasantsintheRevolutionof’93，whenthecountwasemigre，asonesayswithreason’skedadelle，’toEngland。Letthemlookthenexttimethattheyburnnotthechateau，——’betyourlif’！’"

"Thechateau，"saidDick，withaffectedcarelessness。"Wot’stheblamedthinglike？"

Itwasanoldaffair，——witharmorandapicture—gallery，——andbricabrac。Hehadneverseenit。Notevenasaboy，——itwaskeptverysecludedthen。Asaman——youunderstand——hecouldnotaskthefavor。TheComtesdeFontonellesandhimselfwerenotfriends。

Thefamilydidnotlikeacafeneartheirsacredgates，——wherehadstoodonlythehutsoftheirretainers。TheAmericanwouldobservethathehadnotcalledit"CafedeChateau，"nor"CafedeFontonelles，"——thegoldofCaliforniawouldnotinducehim。Whydidheremainthere？Naturally，togoadthem！Itwasaprinciple，oneunderstood。ToGOADthemandholdthemincheck！Onekeptacafe，——whynot？Onehadone’sprinciples，——one’sconviction，——thatwasanotherthing！Thatwasthekindof"’air—pin"——wasitnot？——

thatHE，GustavRibaud，waslike！

Yetforallhistruculentsocialism，hewasquick，obliging，andcharminglyattentivetoDickandhisneeds。AstoDick’shorse，heshouldhavethebestveterinarysurgeon——therewasanincomparableoneinthepersonoftheblacksmith——seetohim，andifitwereanaffairofdays，andDickmustgo，hehimselfwouldbegladtopurchasethebeast，hissaddle，andaccoutrements。Itwasanaffairofbusiness，——anadvertisementforthecafe！Hewouldridethehorsehimselfbeforethegatesofthepark。Itwouldpleasehiscustomers。Ha！hehadlearnedatrickortwoinfreeAmerica。

Dick’sfirstacthadbeentoshaveoffhischaracteristicbeardandmustache，andeventosubmithislongcurlstothevillagebarber’sshears，whileastrawhat，whichheboughttotaketheplaceofhisslouchedsombrero，completedhistransformation。Hishostsawinthechangeonlythenaturalpreparationofavoyager，butDickhadreallymadethesacrifice，notfromfearofdetection，forhehadrecoveredhisoldswaggeringaudacity，butfromaquickdistastehehadtakentohisresemblancetotheportrait。HewastoogenuineaWesterner，andtoovainaman，tofeelflatteredathisresemblancetoanaristocraticbully，ashebelievedtheancestralDeFontonellestobe。EvenhismomentarysensationashefacedtheCureinthepicture—gallerywasmorefromavaguesensethatlibertieshadbeentakenwithhis，Dick’s，personality，thanthathehadborrowedanythingfromtheportrait。

Buthewasnotsoclearabouttheyounggirl。Hertender，appealingvoice，althoughheknewithadbeenaddressedonlytoavision，stillthrilledhisfancy。Thepluckthathadmadeherwithstandherfearsolong——untilhehadutteredthatdreadfulword——stillexcitedhisadmiration。Hiscuriositytoknowwhatmistakehehadmade——forheknewitmusthavebeensomefrightfulblunder——wasallthemorekeen，ashehadnochancetorectifyit。

Whatabruteshemusthavethoughthim——orDIDshereallythinkhimabruteeventhen？——forherlookwasonemoreofdespairandpity！

Yetshewouldrememberhimonlybythatlastword，andneverknowthathehadriskedinsultandejectionfromherfriendstocarryhertoherplaceofsafety。Hecouldnotbeartogoacrosstheseascarryingthepale，unsatisfiedfaceofthatgentlegirleverbeforehiseyes！Asenseofdelicacy——newtoDick，butalwaystheaccompanimentofdeepfeeling——kepthimfromevenhintinghisstorytohishost，thoughheknew——perhapsBECAUSEheknew——thatitwouldgratifyhisenmitytothefamily。AsuddenthoughtstruckDick。

Heknewherhouse，andhername。Hewouldwriteheranote。

Somebodywouldbesuretotranslateitforher。

Heborrowedpen，ink，andpaper，andinthecleansolitudeofhisfreshchintzbedroom，inditedthefollowingletter：——

DEARMISSFONTONELLES，——Pleaseexcusemeforhavingskeertyou。I

hadn’tanycalltodoit，Ineverreckonedtodoit——itwasalljestmydernedluck；IonlyreckonedtotellyouIwaslost——inthemblamedwoods——don’tyouremember？——"lost"——PERDOO！——andthenyouupandfainted！Iwouldn’thavecomeintoyourgarden，only，yousee，I’djustskeeredbyaccidenttwoofyourhelps，reg’larsofties，andIwantedtoexplain。IreckontheyallowedIwasthatmanthatthatpictureinthehallwaspaintedafter。IreckontheytookMEforhim——see？Butheain’tMYstyle，nohow，andIneversawthepictureatalluntilafterI’dtotedyou，whenyoufainted，uptoyourhouse，orI’dhavemademykalkilationsandactedaccording。I’dhavelaidlowinthewoods，andgotawaywithoutskeerin’you。YouseewhatImean？Itwasmightymeanofme，I

suppose，tohavetetchedyouatall，withoutsaying，"Excuseme，miss，"andtotedyououtofthegardenandupthestepsintoyourownparlorwithoutaskingyourleave。Butthewholethingtumbledsosuddent。Anditdidn’tseemthesquarethingformetoliteoutandleaveyoulyingthereonthegrass。That’swhy！I’msorryI

skeertthatoldpreacher，buthecameuponmeinthepicturehallsosuddent，thatitwasamightyclosecall，Itellyou，togetoffwithoutashindy。Pleaseforgiveme，MissFontonelles。Whenyougetthis，IshallbegoingbackhometoAmerica，butyoumightwritetomeatDenverCity，sayingyou’reallright。Ilikedyourstyle；Ilikedyourgritinstandinguptomeinthegardenuntilyouhadyoursay，whenyouthoughtIwastheLordknowswhat——

thoughIneverunderstoodawordyougotoff——notknowingFrench。

Butit’sallthesamenow。Say！I’vegotyourrose！

Yoursveryrespectfully，RICHARDFOUNTAINS。

Dickfoldedtheepistleandputitinhispocket。Hewouldpostithimselfonthemorningbeforeheleft。Whenhecamedownstairshefoundhisindefatigablehostawaitinghim，withthereportoftheveterinaryblacksmith。Therewasnothingseriouslywrongwiththemustang，butitwouldbeunfittotravelforseveraldays。Thelandlordrepeatedhisformeroffer。Dick，whosemoneywasprettywellexhausted，wasfaintoaccept，reflectingthatSHEhadneverseenthemustangandwouldnotrecognizeit。Buthedrewthelineatthesombrero，towhichhishosthadtakenagreatfancy。HehadwornitbeforeHER！

LaterintheeveningDickwassittingonthelowverandaofthecafe，overlookingthewhiteroad。Aroundwhitetablewasbesidehim，hisfeetwereontherailing，buthiseyeswererestingbeyondonthehigh，mouldyirongatesofthemysteriouspark。Whathewasthinkingofdidnotmatter，buthewasalittleimpatientatthesuddenappearanceofhishost——whomhehadevadedduringtheafternoon——athisside。Theman’smannerwasfullofburstingloquacityandmysteriouslevity。

Truly，itwasagoodhourwhenDickhadarrivedatFontonelles，——

"justintime。"HecouldseenowwhataworldofimbecileswasFrance。Whatstupidignoranceruled，whatlowcunningandlowtactcouldachieve，——ineffect，whatjugglersandmountebanks，hypocriticalpriestsandlicentiousandlyingnoblessewenttomakeupexistingsociety。Ah，therehadbeenafineexcitement，aregularcoupd’theatreatFontonelles，——thechateauyonder；hereatthevillage，wherethenewswasbroughtbyfrightenedgroomsandsillywomen！Hehadbeeninthethickofitalltheafternoon！Hehadexaminedit，——interrogatedthemlikeajuged’instruction，——

winnowedit，siftedit。Andwhatwasitall？Anattemptbythesewretchedpriestsandnoblessetoreviveinthenineteenthcentury——

theageofelectricityandPullmancars——amiserablemediaevallegendofanapparition，amiracle！Yes；oneisaskedtobelievethatatthechateauyonderwasseenlastnightthreetimestheapparitionofArmanddeFontonelles！

Dickstarted。"ArmanddeFontonelles！"Herememberedthatshehadrepeatedthatname。

"Who’she？"hedemandedabruptly。

"ThefirstComtedeFontonelles！Whenmonsieurknowsthatthefirstcomtehasbeendeadthreehundredyears，hewillseetheimbecilityoftheaffair！"

"Wotdidhecomebackfor？"growledDick。

"Ah！itwasalegend。Consideritsartfulness！TheComteArmandhadbeenahardliver，adissipatedscoundrel，arecklessbeast，butamightyhunterofthestag。ItwassaidthatononeoftheseoccasionshehadbeenwarnedbytheapparitionofSt。Hubert；buthehadlaughed，——for，observe，HEalwaysjeeredattheprieststoo；

hencethisstory！——andhaddeclaredthattheflamingcrossseenbetweenthehornsofthesacredstagwasonlythetorchofapoacher，andhewouldshootit！Good！thebodyofthecomte，dead，butwithoutawound，wasfoundinthewoodthenextday，withhisdischargedarquebusinhishand。TheArchbishopofRouenrefusedhisbodytheritesoftheChurchuntilanumberofmassesweresaideveryyearand——paidfor！Oneunderstands！oneseestheir’littlegame；’thecountnowappears，——heisinpurgatory！Moremasses，——

moremoney！Thereyouare。Bah！Oneunderstands，too，thattheaffairtakesplace，notinacafelikethis，——notinapublicplace，——butatachateauofthenoblesse，andisseenby"——theproprietorcheckedthecharactersonhisfingers——TWOretainers；

oneyoungdemoiselleofthenoblesse，daughterofthechatelaineherself；and，myfaith，itgoeswithoutsaying，byafatpriest，theCure！Ineffect，twointerestedones！Andthepriest，——hislieismagnificent！Superb！Forhesawthecomteinthepicture—

gallery，——ineffect，steppingintohisframe！"

"Oh，comeofftheroof，"saidDickimpatiently；"theymusthaveseenSOMETHING，youknow。Theyoungladywouldn’tlie！"

MonsieurRibaudleanedover，withamysterious，cynicalsmile，andloweringhisvoicesaid：——

"Youhavereasontosayso。Youhavehitit，myfriend。ThereWAS

asomething！Andifweregardtheyounglady，youshallhear。ThestoryofMademoiselledeFontonellesisthatshehaswalkedbyherselfaloneinthegarden，——youobserve，ALONE——inthemoonlight，neartheedgeofthewood。Youcomprehend？ThemotherandtheCureareinthehouse，——forthetimeeffaced！Hereattheedgeofthewood——thoughwhyshecontinues，ayoungdemoiselle，totheedgeofthewooddoesnotmakeitselfclear——shebeholdsherancestor，asonapedestal，young，pale，butveryhandsomeandexalte，——

pardon！"

"Nothing，"saidDickhurriedly；"goon！"

"Shebeseecheshimwhy！Hesaysheislost！Shefaintsaway，ontheinstant，there——regardme！——ONTHEEDGEOFTHEWOOD，shesays。

ButhermotherandMonsieurleCurefindherpale，agitated，distressed，ONTHESOFAINTHESALON。Oneisaskedtobelievethatsheistransportedthroughtheair——likeanangel——bythespiritofArmanddeFontonelles。Incredible！"

"Well，wotdoYOUthink？"saidDicksharply。

Thecafeproprietorlookedaroundhimcarefully，andthenloweredhisvoicesignificantly：——

"Alover！"

"Awhat？"saidDick，withagasp。

"Alover！"repeatedRibaud。"Youcomprehend！Mademoisellehasnodot，——thepropertyisnothing，——thebrotherhaseverything。A

MademoiselledeFontonellescannotmarryoutofherclass，andthenoblesseareallpoor。Mademoiselleisyoung，——pretty，theysay，ofherkind。Itisanintolerablelifeattheoldchateau；

mademoiselleconsolesherself！"

MonsieurRibaudneverknewhownearhewastothewhiteroadbelowtherailingatthatparticularmoment。Luckily，Dickcontrolledhimself，andwisely，asMonsieurRibaud’snextsentenceshowedhim。

"Aromance，——aninnocent，foolishliaison，ifyoulike，——but，allthesame，ifknownofaMademoiselledeFontonelles，acompromising，afatalentanglement。Thereyouare。Look！forthis，then，allthisstoryofcockandbullsandspirits！Mademoisellehasbeendiscoveredwithherloverbysomeone。Thisprettystoryshallstoptheirmouths！"

"Butwot，"saidDickbrusquely，"wotifthegirlwasreallyskeertatsomethingshe’dseen，andfainteddeadaway，asshesaidshedid，——and——and"——hehesitated——"somestrangercamealongandpickedherup？"

MonsieurRibaudlookedathimpityingly。

"AMademoiselledeFontonelleispickedupbyherservants，byherfamily，butnotbytheyoungmaninthewoods，alone。Itisevenmorecompromising！"

"Doyoumeantosay，"saidDickfuriously，"thattheragpickersandsneaksthatwadearoundintheslumgallionofthiscountrywoulddaretospatterthatyounggal？"

"Imeantosay，yes，——assuredly，positivelyyes！"saidRibaud，rubbinghishandswithacertainsatisfactionatDick’sfury。"ForyoucomprehendnotthepositionoflajeunefilleinallFrance！

Ah！inAmericatheyoungladyshegoeverywherealone；Ihaveseenher——pretty，charming，fascinating——alonewiththeyoungman。Buthere，no，never！Regardme，myfriend。TheFrenchmother，shesaytoherdaughter’sfiance，’Look！thereismydaughter。Shehasneverbeenalonewithayoungmanforfiveminutes，——notevenwithyou。Takeherforyourwife！’Itismonstrous！itisimpossible！

itisso！"

Therewasasilenceofafewminutes，andDicklookedblanklyattheirongatesoftheparkofFontonelles。Thenhesaid："Givemeacigar。"

MonsieurRibaudinstantlyproducedhiscigarcase。Dicktookacigar，butwavedasidetheprofferedmatch，andenteringthecafe，tookfromhispocketthelettertoMademoiselledeFontonelles，twisteditinaspiral，lighteditatacandle，lithiscigarwithit，andreturningtotheverandahelditinhishanduntilthelastashesdroppedonthefloor。Thenhesaid，gravely，toRibaud：——

"You’vetreatedmelikeawhiteman，Frenchy，andIain’tgoin’

backonyer——thoughyourwaysain’tmyways——nohow；butIreckoninthisyermatterattheshottoyou’realittletooprevious！ForthoughIdon’tasagin’ralthingtakestockinghosts，IBELIEVE

EVERYWORDTHATTHEMFOLKSAIDUPTHAR。And，"headded，leaninghishandsomewhatheavilyonRibaud’sshoulder，"ifyou’rethemanItakeyoufor，you’llbelieveittoo！Andifthatchap，ArmanddeFontonelles，hadn’thevpickedupthatgalatthatmoment，hewouldhevdeservedtoroastinhellanotherthreehundredyears！That’swhyIbelieveherstory。Soyou’lllettheseyerFontonelleskeeptheirghostsforallthey’reworth；andwhenyounextfeelinclinedtotalkaboutthatgirl’sLOVER，you’llthinkofme，andshutyourhead！Youhearme，Frenchy，I’mshoutin’！Anddon’tyouforgetit！"

Nevertheless，earlythenextmorning，MonsieurRibaudaccompaniedhisguesttotherailwaystation，andpartedfromhimwithgreateffusion。Onhiswaybackanold—fashionedcarriagewithapostilionpassedhim。Atasignfromitsoccupant，thepostilionpulledup，andMonsieurRibaud，bowingtothedust，approachedthewindow，andthepale，sternfaceofadignified，white—hairedwomanofsixtythatlookedfromit。

"Hashegone？"saidthelady。

"Assuredly，madame；Iwaswithhimatthestation。"

"Andyouthinknoonesawhim？"

"Noone，madame，butmyself。"

"And——whatkindofamanwashe？"

MonsieurRibaudliftedhisshoulders，threwouthishandsdespairingly，yetwithaworldofsignificance，andsaid：——

"AnAmerican。"

"Ah！"

Thecarriagedroveonandenteredthegatesofthechateau。AndMonsieurRibaud，cafeproprietorandSocialDemocrat，straightenedhimselfinthedustandshookhisfistafterit。

ANIGHTONTHEDIVIDE

Withthelullingofthewindtowardseveningitcameontosnow——

heavily，instraight，quicklysucceedingflakes，droppinglikewhitelancesfromthesky。ThiswasfollowedbytheusualSierranphenomenon。Thedeepgorge，which，asthesunwentdown，hadlapsedintodarkness，presentlybegantoreappear；atfirstthevanishedtrailcamebackasavividlywhiteningstreakbeforethem；

thenthelarchesandpinesthatascendedfromitlikebuttressesagainstthehillsidesglimmeredinghostlydistinctness，untilatlastthetwoslopescurvedoutofthedarknessasifhewninmarble。Forthesuddenstorm，whichextendedscarcelytwomiles，hadleftnotraceuponthesteepgranitefaceofthehighcliffsabove；thesnow，slippingsilentlyfromthem，leftthemstillhiddenintheobscurityofnight。Inthevanishedlandscapethegorgealonestoodout，setinachaosofcloudandstormthroughwhichthemoonbeamsstruggledineffectually。

Itwasthisunexpectedsightwhichburstupontheoccupantsofalargecovered"stationwagon"whohadchanceduponthelowerendofthegorge。Comingfromastillloweraltitude，theyhadknownnothingofthestorm，whichhadmomentarilyceased，buthadleftarecordofitsintensityinnearlytwofeetofsnow。Forsomemomentsthehorsesflounderedandstruggledon，inwhatthetravelersbelievedtobesomeoldforgottendriftoravalanche，untiltheextentandfreshnessofthefallbecameapparent。Toaddtotheirdifficulties，thestormrecommenced，andnotcomprehendingitsrealcharacterandlimit，theydidnotdaretoattempttoreturnthewaytheycame。Togoon，however，wasimpossible。Inthisquandarytheylookedabouttheminvainforsomeotherexitfromthegorge。Thesidesofthatgiganticwhitefurrowterminatedindarkness。Hemmedinfromtheworldinalldirections，itmighthavebeentheirtomb。

ButalthoughTHEYcouldseenothingbeyondtheirprisonwalls，theythemselveswereperfectlyvisiblefromtheheightsabovethem。AndJackTenbrook，quartzminer，whowassinkingatunnelintherockyledgeofshelfabovethegorge，steppingoutfromhiscabinatteno’clocktotakealookattheweatherbeforeturningin，couldobservequitedistinctlytheoutlineoftheblackwagon，theflounderinghorses，andthecrouchingfiguresbytheirside，scarcelylargerthanpygmiesonthewhitesurfaceofthesnow，sixhundredfeetbelowhim。Jackhadcourageandstrength，andthegoodhumorthataccompaniesthem，buthecontentedhimselfforafewmomentswithlazilyobservingthetravelers’discomfiture。Hehadtakeninthesituationwithaglance；hewouldhavehelpedabrotherminerormountaineer，althoughheknewthatitcouldonlyhavebeendrinkorbravadothatbroughtHIMintothegorgeinasnowstorm，butitwasveryevidentthatthesewere"greenhorns，"oreasterntourists，anditservedtheirstupidityandarroganceright！Herememberedalsohowhe，havingoncehelpedanEasternvisitorcatchthemustangthathad"bucked"him，hadbeencalled"myman，"andpresentedwithfivedollars；herecalledhowhehadoncespreadthehumbleresourcesofhiscabinbeforesomestrayingmembersoftheSanFranciscopartywhowere"opening"thenewrailroad，andheardtheaudiblewonderofaladythatacivilizedbeingcouldliveso"coarsely"？Withtheserecollectionsinhismind，hemanagedtosurveythedistantstrugglinghorseswithafinesenseofhumor，notunmixedwithself—righteousness。Therewasnorealdangerinthesituation；itmeantattheworstadelayandacampinginthesnowtillmorning，whenhewouldgodowntotheirassistance。Theyhadaspacioustravelingequipage，andwere，nodoubt，wellsuppliedwithfurs，robes，andprovisionsforaseveralhours’journey；hisownporkbarrelwasquiteempty，andhisblanketsworn。Hehalfsmiled，extendedhislongarmsinadecidedyawn，andturnedbackintohiscabintogotobed。Thenhecastafinalglancearoundtheinterior。Everythingwasallright；

hisloadedriflestoodagainstthewall；hehadjustrakedashesovertheembersofhisfiretokeepitintacttillmorning。Onlyonethingslightlytroubledhim；agrizzlybear，two—thirdsgrown，butonlyhalftamed，whichhadbeengiventohimbyayoungladynamed"Miggles，"whenthatcharmingandhistoricgirlhaddecidedtoaccompanyherparalyticlovertotheSanFranciscohospital，wasmissingthatevening。Ithadbeenitsregularhabittocometothedooreverynightforsomesweetbiscuitorsugarbeforegoingtoitslairintheunderbrushbehindthecabin。EverybodyknewitalongthelengthandbreadthofHemlockRidge，aswellasthefactofitsbeingalegacyfromthefairexile。Noriflehadeveryetbeenraisedagainstitslazybulkorthestupid，small—eyedheadandruffofcirclinghairsmademoreerectbyitswell—wornleathercollar。Consolinghimselfwiththethoughtthatthestormhadprobablydelayeditsreturn，Jacktookoffhiscoatandthrewitonhisbunk。Butfromthinkingofthestormhisthoughtsnaturallyreturnedagaintotheimpededtravelersbelowhim，andhehalfmechanicallysteppedoutinhisshirt—sleevesforafinallookatthem。

Butheresomethingoccurredthatchangedhisresolutionentirely。

Hehadpreviouslynoticedonlythethreeforeshortened，crawlingfiguresaroundthenowstationarywagonbulk。Theywerenowapparentlymakingarrangementstocampforthenight。Butanotherfigurehadbeenaddedtothegroup，andasitstoodpercheduponawagonseatlaidonthesnowJackcouldseethatitsoutlinewasnotbifurcatedliketheothers。Buteventhatgeneralsuggestionwasnotneeded！thelittlehead，thesymmetricalcurvesvisibleevenatthatdistance，werequiteenoughtoindicatethatitwasawoman！

TheeasysmilefadedfromJack’sface，andwassucceededbyalookofconcernandthenofresignation。Hehadnochoicenow；heMUST

go！Therewasawomanthere，andthatsettledit。Yethehadarrivedatthisconclusionfromnosenseofgallantry，nor，indeed，ofchivalroustransport，butasamatterofsimpledutytothesex。

Hewasgivinguphissleep，wasgoingdownsixhundredfeetofsteeptrailtoofferhisservicesduringtherestofthenightasmuchasamatterofcourseasanEasternmanwouldhaveofferedhisseatinanomnibustoawoman，andwithaslittleexpectationofreturnforhiscourtesy。

Havingresumedhiscoat，withabottleofwhiskeythrustintoitspocket，heputonapairofindia—rubberbootsreachingtohisthighs，and，catchingtheblanketfromhisbunk，startedwithanaxeandshovelonhisshoulderonhisdownwardjourney。Whenthedistancewashalfcompletedheshoutedtothetravelersbelow；thecrywasjoyouslyansweredbythethreemen；hesawthefourthfigure，nowunmistakablythatofaslenderyouthfulwoman，inacloak，helpedbackintothewagon，asifdeliverancewasnowsureandimmediate。ButJackonarrivingspeedilydissipatedthatillusivehope；theycouldonlygetthroughthegorgebytakingoffthewheelsofthewagon，placingtheaxleonrudesledge—runnersofsplitsaplings，which，withtheirassistance，hewouldfashioninacoupleofhoursathiscabinandbringdowntothegorge。Theonlyotheralternativewouldbeforthemtocometohiscabinandremaintherewhilehewentforassistancetotheneareststation，butthatwouldtakeseveralhoursandnecessitateadoublejourneyforthesledgeifhewasluckyenoughtofindone。ThepartyquicklyacquiescedinJack’sfirstsuggestion。

"Verywell，"saidJack，"thenthere’snotimetobelost；unhitchyourhorsesandwe’lldigaholeinthatbankforthemtostandinoutofthesnow。"Thiswasspeedilydone。"Now，"continuedJack，"you’lljustfollowmeuptomycabin；it’saprettytoughclimb，butI’llwantyourhelptobringdowntherunners。"

Herethemanwhoseemedtobetheheadoftheparty——ofmiddleageandasuperior，professionaltype——forthefirsttimehesitated。

"Iforgottosaythatthereisaladywithus，——mydaughter，"hebegan，glancingtowardsthewagon。

"Ireckonedasmuch，"interruptedJacksimply，"andIallowedtocarryherupmyselftheroughestpartoftheway。Shekinmakeherselfwarmandcomf’bleinthecabinuntilwe’vegottherunnersready。"

"Youhearwhatourfriendsays，Amy？"suggestedthegentleman，appealingly，totheclosedleathercurtainsofthewagon。

Therewasapause。Thecurtainwassuddenlydrawnaside，andacharminglittleheadandshoulders，furredtothethroatandtoppedwithabewitchingvelvetcap，werethrustout。Intheobscuritylittlecouldbeseenofthegirl’sfeatures，buttherewasacertainwillfulnessandimpatienceinherattitude。Beingintheshadow，shehadtheadvantageoftheothers，particularlyofJack，ashisfigurewasfullyrevealedinthemoonlightagainstthesnowbank。Hereyesrestedforamomentonhishighboots，hisheavymustache，solongastominglewiththeunkemptlockswhichfelloverhisbroadshoulders，onhishugeredhandsstreakedwithblackgreasefromthewagonwheels，andsomeblood，stanchedwithsnow，drawnfrombruisesincuttingoutbramblesinthebrush；on——

moreawfulthanall——amonstrous，shiny"specimen"goldringencirclingoneofhisfingers，——onthewhiskeybottlethatshamelesslybulgedfromhissidepocket，andthen——slowlydroppedherdissatisfiedeyelids。

"Whycan’tIstayHERE？"shesaidlanguidly。"It’squiteniceandcomfortable。"

"Becausewecan’tleaveyoualone，andwemustgowiththisgentlemantohelphim。"

MissAmyletthetailofhereyeagaincreepshudderinglyoverthisimpossibleJack。"Ithoughtthe——thegentlemanwasgoingtohelpUS，"shesaiddryly。

"Nonsense，Amy，youdon’tunderstand，"saidherfatherimpatiently。

"Thisgentlemaniskindenoughtooffertomakesomesledge—runnersforusathiscabin，andwemusthelphim。"

"ButIcanstayherewhileyougo。I’mnotafraid。"

"Yes，butyou’reALONEhere，andsomethingmighthappen。"

"Nothingcouldhappen，"interruptedJack，quicklyandcheerfully。

Hehadflushedatfirst，buthewasnowconsideringthatthecarryingofaladyasexpensivelyattiredandapparentlyasdelicateandparticularasthisonemightbesomewhatdifficult。

"There’snothin’thatwouldhurtyehere，"hecontinued，addressingthevelvetcapandfurredthroatinthedarkness，"andiftherewasitcouldn’tgetatye，bein’，sotospeak，inthesamesorto’fixasyou。Soyou’reallright，"headdedpositively。

Inconsistentlyenough，theyoungladydidnotacceptthisasgratefullyasmighthavebeenimagined，butJackdidnotseetheslightflashofhereyeas，ignoringhim，sherepliedmarkedlytoherfather，"I’dmuchratherstophere，papa。"

"And，"continuedJack，turningalsotoherfather，"youcankeepthewagonandthewholegorgeinsightfromthetrailallthewayup。Soyoucanseethateverything’sallright。Why，IsawYOU

fromthefirst。"Hestoppedawkwardly，andadded，"Comealong；thesoonerwe’reoffthequickerthejob’sover。"

"Praydon’tdelaythegentlemanand——thejob，"saidMissAmysweetly。

ReassuredbyJack’slastsuggestion，herfatherfollowedhimwiththedriverandthesecondmanoftheparty，ayoungishandsomewhatundistinctiveindividual，buttowhosegallantanxietiesMissAmyrespondedeffusively。Nevertheless，theyoungladyhadespeciallynotedJack’sconfessionthathehadseenthemwhentheyfirstenteredthegorge。"AndIsuppose，"sheaddedtoherselfmentally，"thathesattherewithhisboozingcompanions，laughingandjeeringatourstruggles。"

Butwhenthesoundofhercompanions’voicesdiedaway，andtheirfigureswereswallowedupinthedarknessbehindthesnow，sheforgotallthis，andmuchelsethatwasmundaneandfrivolous，intheimpressiveandmajesticsolitudewhichseemedtodescenduponherfromtheobscurityabove。

Atfirstitwasaccompaniedwithaslightthrillofvaguefear，butthispassedpresentlyintothatprofoundpeacewhichthemountainsalonecangivetheirlonelyorperturbedchildren。ItseemedtoherthatNaturewasneverthesame，onthegreatplainswheremenandcitiesalwaysloomedintosuchridiculousproportions，aswhentheGreatMotherraisedherselftocomfortthemwithsmilinghillsides，orencompassedthemanddrewthemcloserinthelovingarmsofhermountains。Thelongwhitecanadastretchedbeforeherinapuritythatdidnotseemoftheearth；thevaguebulkofthemountainsroseoneithersideofherinamysterythatwasnotofthislife。Yetitwasnotoppressive；neitherwasitsrestfulnessandquietsuggestiveofobliviousnessandslumber；onthecontrary，thehighlyrarefiedairseemedtogiveadditionalkeennesstohersenses；herhearinghadbecomesingularlyacute；hereyesightpiercedtheuttermostextremityofthegorge，litbythefullmoonthatoccasionallyshonethroughslowlydriftingclouds。Hernervesthrilledwithadelicioussenseoffreedomandastrangedesiretorunorclimb。Itseemedtoher，inherexaltedfancy，thatthesesolitudesshouldbepeopledonlybyakinglyrace，andnotbysuchgrossandmaterialchurlsasthismountaineerwhohelpedthem。

And，Igrievetosay，——writingofanidealistthatWAS，andaheroinethatIStobe，——shewasgettingoutrageouslyhungry。

Therewereafewbiscuitsinhertraveling—bag，andsherememberedthatshehadbeenpresentedwithasmalljarofCaliforniahoneyatSanJose。Thisshetookoutandopenedontheseatbeforeher，andspreadingthehoneyonthebiscuits，atethemwithakeenschoolgirlrelishandapleasantsuggestionofasylvanpicnicinspiteofthecold。Itwasallverystrange；quiteanexperienceforhertospeakofafterwards。Peoplewouldhardlybelievethatshehadspentanhourortwo，allalone，inadesertedwagoninamountainsnowpass。

Itwasanadventuresuchasonereadsofinthemagazines。Onlysomethingwaslackingwhichthemagazinesalwayssupplied，——somethingheroic，somethingdonebysomebody。Ifthatawful—lookingmountaineer——thatmanwiththelonghairandmustache，andthathorriblegoldring，——whysucharing？——wasonlydifferent！ButhewasprobablygorgingbeefsteakorvenisonwithherfatherandMr。

Waterhouse，——menwerealwayssuchselfishcreatures！——andhadquiteforgottenallabouther。Itwouldhavebeenonlydecentforthemtohavebroughtherdownsomethinghot；biscuitsandhoneywerecertainlycloying，andsomehowdidn’tagreewiththetemperature。

Shewasreallyhalfstarved！Andmuchtheycared！ItwouldjustservethemrightifsomethingDIDhappentoher，——orSEEMtohappentoher，——ifonlytofrightenthem。Andtheprettyfacethatwasturnedupinthemoonlightworeacharmingbutdecidedpout。

Goodgracious，whatwasthat？Thehorseswereeitherstrugglingorfightingintheirsnowshelters。Thenonewithafrightenedneighbrokefromitshalteranddashedintotheroad，onlytobeplungedsnortingandhelplessintothedrifts。Thentheotherfollowed。

Howsilly！Somethinghadfrightenedthem。Perhapsonlyarabbitoramole；horsesweresuchabsurdlynervouscreatures！However，itisjustaswell；somebodywouldseethemorhearthem，——thatneighwasquitehumanandawful，——andtheywouldhurrydowntoseewhatwasthematter。SHEcouldn’tbeexpectedtogetoutandlookafterthehorsesinthesnow。Anyhow，sheWOULDN’T！Shewasagooddealsaferwhereshewas；itmighthavebeenratsormiceaboutthatfrightenedthem！Goodness！

Shewasstillwatchingwithcuriouswonderthecontinuedfrightoftheanimals，whensuddenlyshefeltthewagonhalfbumped，halfliftedfrombehind。Itwassuchalazy，deliberatemovementthatforamomentshethoughtitcamefromtheparty，whohadreturnednoiselesslywiththerunners。Shescrambledovertothebackseat，unbuttonedtheleathercurtain，liftedit，butnothingwastobeseen。Consequently，withfemininequickness，shesaid，"Iseeyouperfectly，Mr。Waterhouse——don’tbesilly！"Butatthismomenttherewasanothershocktothewagon，andfrombeneathitarosewhatatfirstseemedtohertobeanupliftingofthedriftitself，but，asthesnowwasshakenawayfromitsheavybulk，provedtobetheenormousheadandshouldersofabear！

YeteventhenshewasnotWHOLLYfrightened，forthesnoutthatconfrontedherhadafeebleinoffensiveness；thesmalleyeswerebrightwithaneager，almostchildishcuriosityratherthanasavageardor，andthewholeattitudeofthecreaturelifteduponitshindlegswascircus—likeandludicrousratherthanaggressive。

Shewasenabledtosaywithsomedignity，"Goaway！Shoo！"andtowaveherluncheonbasketatitwithexemplaryfirmness。Butherethecreaturelaidonepawonthebackseatasiftosteadyitself，withthesingulareffectofcollapsingthewholesideofthewagon，andthenopeneditsmouthasifinsomesortofinarticulatereply。

Buttherevelationofitsredtongue，itsglisteningteeth，and，aboveall，thehot，suggestivefumeofitsbreath，broughtthefirstscreamfromthelipsofMissAmy。Itwasrealandconvincing；thehorsesjoinedinit；thethreescreamedtogether！

Thebearhesitatedforaninstant，then，catchingsightofthehoney—potonthefrontseat，whichtheshrinking—backoftheyounggirlhaddisclosed，heslowlyreachedforwardhisotherpawandattemptedtograspit。Thisexceedinglysimplemovement，however，atoncedoubledupthefrontseat，sentthehoney—potadozenfeetintotheair，anddroppedMissAmyuponherkneesinthebedofthewagon。Thecombinedmentalandphysicalshockwastoomuchforher；sheinstantlyandsincerelyfainted；thelastthinginherearsamidstthiswreckofmatterbeingthe"wheep"ofabulletandthesharpcrackofarifle……

Sherecoveredherconsciousnessintheflickeringlightofafireofbark，thatplayedupontheraftersofaroofthatchedwithbarkanduponafloorofstrewnandshreddedbark。Sheevensuspectedshewaslyinguponamattressofbarkunderneaththeheavybearskinshecouldfeelandtouch。Shehadadelicioussenseofwarmth，and，mingledwiththisstrangespicingofwoodlandfreedom，evenasenseofhomeprotection。Andsurelyenough，lookingaround，shesawherfatheratherside。

Hebrieflyexplainedthesituation。Theyhadbeenatfirstattractedbythecryofthefrightenedhorsesandtheirplunging，whichtheycouldseedistinctly，althoughtheysawnothingelse。

"But，Mr。Tenbrook"——

"Mr。Who？"saidAmy，staringattherafters。

"Theownerofthiscabin——themanwhohelpedus——caughtuphisgun，and，callingustofollow，ranlikelightningdownthetrail。Atfirstwefollowedblindly，andunknowingly，forwecouldonlyseethestrugglinghorses，who，however，seemedtobeALONE，andthewagonfromwhichyoudidnotseemtohavestirred。Then，forthefirsttime，mydearchild，wesuddenlysawyourdanger。Imaginehowwefeltasthathideousbruteroseupintheroadandbeganattackingthewagon。WecalledonTenbrooktofire，butforsomeinconceivablereasonhedidnot，althoughhestillkeptrunningatthetopofhisspeed。Thenweheardyoushriek——"

"Ididn’tshriek，papa；itwasthehorses。"

"Mychild，Iknewyourvoice。"

"Well，itwasonlyaVERYLITTLEscream——becauseIhadtumbled。"

Thecolorwascomingbackrapidlytoherpinkcheeks。

"And，then，atyourscream，Tenbrookfired！——itwasawonderfulshotforthedistance，soeverybodysays——andkilledthebear，thoughTenbrooksaysitoughtn’tto。Ibelievehewantedtocapturethecreaturealive。They’vequeernotions，thosehunters。

Andthen，asyouwereunconscious，hebroughtyouuphere。"

"WHObroughtme？"

"Tenbrook；he’sasstrongasahorse。Slungyouuponhisshoulderslikeafeatherpillow。"

"Oh！"

"Andthen，asthewagonrequiredsomerepairingfromthebrute’sattack，weconcludedtotakeitleisurely，andletyouresthereforawhile。"

"Andwhereis——whereareTHEY？"

"Atworkonthewagon。Ideterminedtostaywithyou，thoughyouareperfectlysafehere。"

"IsupposeIought——tothank——thisman，papa？"

"Mostcertainly，thoughofcourse，Ihavealreadydoneso。Buthewasrathercurtinreply。Thesehalf—savagemenhavesuchsingularideas。Hesaidthebeastwouldneverhaveattackedyouexceptforthehoney—potwhichitscented。That’sabsurd。"

"Thenit’sallmyfault？"

"Nonsense！HowcouldYOUknow？"

"AndI’vemadeallthistrouble。Andfrightenedthehorses。Andspoiltthewagon。Andmadethemanrundownandbringmeupherewhenhedidn’twantto！"

"Mydearchild！Don’tbeidiotic！Amy！Well，really！"

Fortheidioticonewasreallywipingtwolargetearsfromherlovelyblueeyes。Shesubsidedintoanominoussilence，brokenbyasinglesniffle。"Trytogotosleep，dear；you’vehadquiteashocktoyournerves，addedherfathersoothingly。Shecontinuedsilent，butnotsleeping。

"Ismellcoffee。"

"Yes，dear。"

"You’vebeenhavingcoffee，papa？"

"WeDIDhavesome，Ithink，"saidthewretchedmanapologetically，thoughwhyhecouldnotdetermine。

"BeforeIcameup？whilethebearwastryingtoeatme？"

"No，after。"

"I’veahorridtasteinmymouth。It’sthehoney。I’llnevereathoneyagain。Never！"

"Perhapsit’sthewhiskey。"

"What？"

"Thewhiskey。Youwerequitefaintandchilled，youknow。Wegaveyousome。"

"Outof——that——black——bottle？"

"Yes。"

Anothersilence。

"I’dlikesomecoffee。Idon’tthinkhe’dbegrudgemethat，ifhedidsavemylife。"

"Idaresaythere’ssomeleft。"Herfatheratoncebestirredhimselfandpresentlybroughthersomecoffeeinatincup。ItwaspartofMissAmy’srapidconvalescence，orequallyofherdebilitatedcondition，thatshemadenocommentonthevessel。Shelayforsomemomentslookingcuriouslyaroundthecabin；shehadnodoubtithadaworselookinthedaylight，butsomehowthefirelightbroughtoutawondrousluxuryofcolorinthebarkfloorandthatching。Besides，itwasnot"smelly，"asshefeareditwouldbe；onthecontrarythespicyaromaofthewoodswasalwaysdominant。Sherememberedthatitwasthisthatalwaysmadeagreasy，oilypicnictolerable。Sheraisedherselfonherelbow，seeingwhichherfathercontinuedconfidently，"Perhaps，dear，ifyousatupforafewmomentsyoumightbestrongenoughpresentlytowalkdownwithmetothewagon。Itwouldsavetime。"

Amyinstantlylaydownagain。"Idon’tknowwhatyoucanbethinkingof，papa。AfterthisshockreallyIdon’tfeelasifI

couldSTANDalone，muchlessWALK。But，ofcourse，"withpatheticresignation，"ifyouandMr。Waterhousesupportedme，perhapsI

mightcrawlafewstepsatatime。"

"Nonsense，Amy。Ofcourse，thismanTenbrookwillcarryyoudownashebroughtyouup。OnlyIthought，——buttherearesteps，they’recomingnow。No！——onlyHE。"

Thesoundofcracklingintheunderbrushwasfollowedbyamomentarydarkeningoftheopendoorofthecabin。Itwasthetallfigureofthemountaineer。Buthedidnotevenmakethepretenseofentering；standingatthedoorhedeliveredhisnewstotheinteriorgenerally。Itwastotheeffectthateverythingwasready，andthetwoothermenwereeventhenharnessingthehorses。

Thenhedrewbackintothedarkness。

"Papa，"saidAmy，inasuddenfrightenedvoice，"I’velostmybracelet。"

"Haven’tyoudroppeditsomewherethereinthebunk？"askedherfather。

"No。It’sonthefloorofthewagon。IremembernowitfelloffwhenItumbled！Anditwillbetroddenuponandcrushed！Couldn’tyourundown，aheadofme，andwarnthem，papa，dear？Mr。Tenbrookwillhavetogososlowlywithme。"Shetumbledoutofthebunkwithsingularalacrity，shookherselfandherskirtsintoinstantaneousgracefulness，andfittedthevelvetcaponherstrayinghair。Thenshesaidhurriedly，"Runquick，papadear，andasyougo，callhiminandsayIamquiteready。"

Thusadjured，theobedientparentdisappearedinthedarkness。

WithhimalsodisappearedMissAmy’ssingularalacrity。Sittingdowncarefullyagainontheedgeofthebunk，sheleanedagainstthepostwithacertainindefinablelanguorthatwasastouchingasitwasgraceful。Ineednottellanyfemininereadersthattherewasnodissimulationinallthis，——nocoquetry，noostentation，——

andthattheyounggirlwasperfectlysincere！Butthemasculinereadermightliketoknowthatthesimplefactwasthat，sinceshehadregainedconsciousness，shehadbeenfilledwithremorseforhercapriciousandungenerousrejectionofTenbrook’sprofferedservice。Morethanthat，shefeltshehadperiledherlifeinthatmomentoffolly，andthatthisman——thishero——hadsavedher。Forherohewas，evenifhedidnotfulfillherideal，——itwasonlySHE

thatwasnotaheroine。Perhapsifhehadbeenmorelikewhatshewishedshewouldhavefeltthislesskeenly；loveleaveslittleroomfortheexerciseofmoralethics。SoMissAmyForester，beingagoodgirlatbottom，andnotexactlylovingthisman，felttowardshimafrankandtenderconsiderationwhichamoreromanticpassionwouldhaveshrunkfromshowing。Consequently，whenTenbrookenteredamomentlater，hefoundAmypalerandmorethoughtful，but，ashefancied，muchprettierthanbefore，lookingupathimwitheyesofthesincerestsolicitude。

Nevertheless，heremainedstandingnearthedoor，asifindicatingapossibleintrusion，hisfacewearingalookofloweringabstraction。Itstruckherthatthismightbetheeffectofhislonghairandgeneraluncouthness，andthisonlyspurredhertoafullerrecognitionofhisotherqualities。

"Iamafraid，"shebegan，withacharmingembarrassment，"thatinsteadofrestingsatisfiedwithyourkindnessincarryingmeuphere，Iwillhavetoburdenyouagainwithmydreadfulweakness，andaskyoutocarrymedownalso。ButallthisseemssolittleafterwhatyouhavejustdoneandforwhichIcannever，NEVERhopetothankyou！"Sheclaspedhertwolittlehandstogether，holdingherglovesbetween，andbroughtthemdownuponherlapinagestureasprettilyhelplessasitwasunaffected。

"Ihavedonescarcelyanything，"hesaid，glancingawaytowardsthefire，"and——yourfatherhasthankedme。"

"Youhavesavedmylife！"

"No！no！"hesaidquickly。"Notthat！Youwereinnodanger，exceptfrommyrifle，hadImissed。"

"Isee，"shesaideagerly，withalittleposthumousthrillathavingbeenafterallakindofheroine，"anditwasawonderfulshot，foryouweresocarefulnottotouchme。"

"Pleasedon’tsayanymore，"hesaid，withaslightmovementofhalfawkwardness，halfimpatience。"Itwasaroughjob，butit’sovernow。"

Hestoppedandchafedhisredhandsabstractedlytogether。Shecouldseethathehadevidentlyjustwashedthem——andtheglaringringwasmoreinevidencethanever。Butthethoughtgaveheraninspiration。

"You’llatleastletmeshakehandswithyou！"shesaid，extendingbothherownwithchildishfrankness。

"Holdon，MissForester，"hesaid，withsuddendesperation。"Itain’tthesquarething！Lookhere！Ican’tplaythisthingonyou！——Ican’tletyouplayitonmeanylonger！Youweren’tinanydanger，——youNEVERwere！Thatbearwasonlyahalf—wildthingI

helpedtora’rmyself！It’stakensugarfrommyhandnightafternightatthedoorofthiscabinasitmighthavetakenitfromyourshereifitwasalivenow。Itsleptnightafternightinthebrush，notfiftyyardsaway。Themorning’snevercomeyet——tillnow，"hesaidhastily，tocoveranoddbreakinhisvoice，"whenitdidn’tbrushalongthewholesideofthiscabintokinderwakemeupandsay’Solong，’aforeitbrowsedawayintothecanyon。Tharain’tamanalongthewholeDividewhodidn’tknowit；tharain’tamanalongthewholeDividethatwouldhavedrawnabeadorpulledatriggeronittillnow。Itneverhadanenemybutthebees；itneverevenknewwhyhorsesandcattlewerefrightenedofit。Itwasn’tmuchofapet，you’dsay，MissForester；itwasn’tmuchtomeetalady’seye；butweofthewoodsmusttakeourfriendswherewefind’emandofourownkind。Itain’tnofaultofyours，Miss，thatyoudidn’tknowit；itain’tnofaultofyourswhathappened；

butwhenitcomestoyourTHANKINGmeforit，why——it’s——it’sratherrough，yousee——andgetsme。"Hestoppedshortasdesperatelyandasabruptlyashehadbegun，andstaredblanklyatthefire。

Awaveofpityandshamesweptovertheyounggirlandleftitshightideonhercheek。Buteventhenitwascloselyfollowedbythefeminineinstinctofdefenceanddefiance。TheREALhero——theGENTLEMAN——shereasonedbitterly，wouldhavesparedherallthisknowledge。

"Butwhy，"shesaid，withknittedbrows，"why，ifyouknewitwassopreciousandsoharmless——whydidyoufireuponit？"

"Because，"hesaidalmostfiercely，turninguponher，"becauseyouSCREAMED，andTHENIKNEWITHADFRIGHTENEDYOU！"Hestoppedinstantlyasshemomentarilyrecoiledfromhim，buttheverybrusquenessofhisactionhaddislodgedatearfromhisdarkeyesthatfellwarmonthebackofherhand，andseemedtoblotouttheindignity。"Listen，Miss，"hewentonhurriedly，asiftocoveruphismomentaryunmanliness。"Iknewthebearwasmissingto—night，andwhenIheardthehorsesscurryingaboutIreckonedwhatwasup。

Iknewnoharmcouldcometoyou，forthehorseswereunharnessedandawayfromthewagon。Ipelteddownthattrailaheadofthemalllikegrimdeath，calkilatin’togettherebeforethebear；theywouldn’thaveunderstoodme；Iwastoohighuptocalltothecreaturewhenhedidcomeout，andIkinderhopedyouwouldn’tseehim。Evenwhenheturnedtowardsthewagon，Iknewitwasn’tYOU

hewasafter，butsuthin’else，andIkinderhoped，Miss，thatyou，beingdifferentandquicker—mindedthantherest，wouldseeittoo。

Allthewhilethemfolkswereyellin’behindmetofire——asifI

didn’tknowmywork。Iwashalf—waydown——andthenyouscreamed！

AndthenIforgoteverything，——everythingbutstandingclearofhittingyou，——andIfired。IwasthatsavagethatIwantedtobelievethathe’dgonemad，andwouldhavetouchedyou，tillIgotdownthereandfoundthehoney—potlyingalongsideofhim。Butthere，——it’sallovernow！Iwouldn’thaveletonawordtoyouonlyIcouldn’tbeartotakeYOURTHANKSforit，andIcouldn’tbeartohaveyouthinkingmeabrutefordodgin’them。"Hestopped，walkedtothefire，leanedagainstthechimneyundertheshallowpretextofkickingthedullembersintoablaze，which，however，hadonlytheeffectofrevealinghistwoglisteningeyesasheturnedbackagainandcametowardsher。"Well，"hesaid，withanineffectuallaugh，"it’sallovernow，it’sallintheday’swork，Ireckon，——andnow，Miss，ifyou’reready，andwilljustfixyourselfyourownwaysoastorideeasy，I’llcarryyoudown。"Andslightlybendinghisstrongfigure，hedroppedononekneebesideherwithextendedarms。