第1章

WherethegreathighwayoftheSierrasnearsthesummit，andthepinesbegintoshowsterilereachesofrockandwasteintheirdrawn-upfiles，therearesignsofoccasionaldeparturesfromthemainroad，asifthewearytravellerhadattimessuccumbedtothelongascent，andturnedasideforrestandbreathagain。Thetiredeyesofmanyadustypassengerontheoldoverlandcoachhavegazedwistfullyonthosesylvanopenings，andimaginedrecessesofprimevalshadeandvirginwildernessintheirdimperspectives。

Hadhedescended，however，andfollowedoneofthesedivergingpaths，hewouldhavecomeuponsomerudewagontrack，or"logslide，"

leadingfromaclearingontheslope，ortheominoussaw-mill，halfhiddenintheforestitwasslowlydecimating。Thewoodlandhushmighthavebeenbrokenbythesoundofwaterpassingoversomeunseendaminthehollow，orthehissofescapingsteamandthrobofaninvisibleengineinthecovert。

Such，atleast，wastheexperienceofayoungfellowoffive-and-

twenty，who，knapsackonbackandstickinhand，hadturnedasidefromthehighwayandenteredthewoodsonepleasantafternooninJuly。Buthewasevidentlyadeliberatepedestrian，andnotarecentdepositoftheproceedingstage-coach；andalthoughhisstoutwalking-shoeswerecoveredwithdust，hehadneitherthehabitualslouchandslovenlinessofthetramp，northehurriedfatigueandgrowingnegligenceofaninvoluntarywayfarer。Hisclothes，whichwerestrongandserviceable，werebetterfittedfortheirpresentusagethantheordinarygarmentsoftheCaliforniantravellers，whichweretooapttobeeitheraboveorbelowtheirrequirements。Butperhapsthestranger"sgreatestclaimtooriginalitywas

theabsenceofanyweaponinhisequipment。Hecarriedneitherriflenorguninhishand，andhisnarrowleathernbeltwasemptyofeitherknifeorrevolver。

Ahalf-milefromthemainroad，whichseemedtohimtohavedroppedoutofsightthemomenthehadleftit，hecameuponahalf-clearedarea，wherethehastily-cutstumpsofpines，ofirregularheight，boreanoddresemblancetothebrokencolumnsofsomevastandruinedtemple。Afewfallenshafts，denudedoftheirbarkandtessellatedbranches，sawnintosymmetricalcylinders，laybesidethestumps，andlentthemselvestotheillusion。Butthefreshly-

cutchips，sodampthattheystillclunginlayerstoeachotherastheyhadfallenfromtheaxe，andthestumpsthemselves，stillwetandviscousfromtheirdrainedlife-blood，wereredolentofanodorofyouthandfreshness。

Theyoungmanseatedhimselfononeofthelogsanddeeplyinhaledthesharpbalsamicfragrance——albeitwithaslightcoughandalaterhurriedrespiration。This，andacertaindrawnlookabouthisupperlip，seemedtoindicate，inspiteofhisstrengthandcolor，somepulmonaryweakness。He，however，roseafteramoment"srestwithundiminishedenergyandcheerfulness，readjustedhisknapsack，andbegantolightlypickhiswayacrossthefallentimber。Afewpaceson，themuffledwhirofmachinerybecamemoreaudible，withthelazy，monotonouscommandof"Geethar，"fromsomeunseenox-driver。Presently，theslow，deliberately-swayingheadsofateamofoxenemergedfromthebushes，followedbytheclankingchainofthe"skids"ofsawnplanks，whichtheywereponderouslydraggingwiththatostentatioussubmissivenesspeculiartotheirspecies。Theyhadnearlypassedhimwhentherewasasuddenhitchintheprocession。Fromwherehestoodhecouldseethataprojectingplankhadstruckapileofchipsandbecomepartlyimbeddedinit。Toruntotheobstructionand，withafewdexterousstrokesandtheleverageofhisstoutstick，dislodgetheplankwastheworknotonlyofthemomentbutofanevidentlyenergetichand。Theteamsterlookedbackandmerelynoddedhisappreciation，andwitha"Geeup!Outofthat，now!"theskidsmovedon。

"Muchobliged，there!"saidaheartyvoice，asifsupplementingtheteamster"simperfectacknowledgment。

Thestrangerlookedup。Thevoicecamefromtheopen，sashless，shutterlesswindowofarudebuilding——amereshellofboardsandbeamshalfhiddeninthestillleafycovertbeforehim。Hehadcompletelyoverlookeditinhisapproach，evenashehadignoredthenearerthrobbingofthemachinery，whichwassoviolentastoimpartadecidedtremortotheslightedifice，andtoshakethespeakersostronglythathewasobligedwhilespeakingtosteadyhimselfbythesashlessframeofthewindowatwhichhestood。Hehadafaceofgood-naturedandalertintelligence，amaster"sindependenceandauthorityofmanner，inspiteofhisbluejeanoverallsandflannelshirt。

"Don"tmentionit，"saidthestranger，smilingwithequalbutmoredeliberategood-humor。Then，seeingthathisinterlocutorstilllingeredahospitablemomentinspiteofhisquickeyesandthejarringimpatienceofthemachinery，headdedhesitatingly，"I

fancyI"vewanderedoffthetrackabit。DoyouknowaMr。

Bradley——somewherehere？"

Thestranger"shesitationseemedtobemorefromsomehabitualconscientiousnessofstatementthanawkwardness。Themaninthewindowreplied，"I"mBradley。”

"Ah!Thankyou:I"vealetterforyou——somewhere。Hereitis。”Heproducedanotefromhisbreast-pocket。Bradleystoopedtoasittingpostureinthewindow。"Pitchitup。”Itwasthrownandcaughtcleverly。Bradleyopenedit，readithastily，smiledandnodded，glancedbehindhimasiftoimplorefurtherdelayfromtheimpatientmachinery，leanedperilouslyfromthewindow，andsaid，——

"Lookhere!Doyouseethatsilver-firstraightahead？"

"Yes。”

"Alittletotheleftthere"satrail。Followitandskirtalongtheedgeofthecanyonuntilyouseemyhouse。Askformywife——

that"sMrs。Bradley——andgiveheryourletter。Stop!"Hedrewacarpenter"spencilfromhispocket，scrawledtwoorthreewordsacrosstheopensheetandtosseditbacktothestranger。"Seeyouattea!Excuseme——Mr。Mainwaring——we"reshort-handed——and——theengine——"Butherehedisappearedsuddenly。

Withoutglancingatthenoteagain，thestrangerquietlyreplaceditinhispocket，andstruckoutacrossthefallentrunkstowardsthesilver-fir。HequicklyfoundthetrailindicatedbyBradley，althoughitwasfaintandapparentlywornbyasinglepairoffeetasashorterandprivatecutfromsomemoretravelledpath。Itwaswellforthestrangerthathehadakeeneyeorhewouldhavelostit；itwasequallyfortunatethathehadamountaineeringinstinct，forasuddenprofounddeepeningofthebluemistseendimlythroughtheleavesbeforehimcausedhimtoslackenhissteps。Thetrailbentabruptlytotheright；agulffullytwothousandfeetdeepwasathisfeet!ItwastheGreatCanyon。

Atthefirstglanceitseemedsonarrowthatarifle-shotcouldhavecrosseditstranquildepths；butasecondlookatthecomparativesizeofthetreesontheoppositemountainconvincedhimofhiserror。Anearersurveyoftheabyssalsoshowedhimthatinsteadofitswallsbeingperpendiculartheyweremadeofsuccessiveledgesorterracestothevalleybelow。Yettheairwassostill，andtheoutlinessoclearlycut，thattheymighthavebeenonlythereflectionsofthemountainsaroundhimcastupontheplacidmirrorofalake。Thespectaclearrestedhim，asitarrestedallmen，bysomeoccultpowerbeyondthemereattractionofbeautyormagnitude；eventheteamsterneverpasseditwithoutthetributeofastoneorbrokentwigtossedintoitsimmeasurableprofundity。

Reluctantlyleavingthespot，thestrangerturnedwiththetrailthatnowbegantoskirtitsedge。Thiswasnoeasymatter，astheundergrowthwasverythick，andthefoliagedensetotheperilousbrinkoftheprecipice。Hewalkedon，however，wonderingwhyBradleyhadchosensocircuitousanddangerousaroutetohishouse，whichnaturallywouldbesomedistancebackfromthecanyon。

Attheendoftenminutes"strugglingthroughthe"brush，"thetrailbecamevague，and，toallappearances，ended。Hadhearrived？Thethicketwasasdenseasbefore；throughtheintersticesofleafandsprayhecouldseethebluevoidofthecanyonathisside，andheevenfanciedthatthefoliageaheadofhimwasmoresymmetricalandlessirregular，andwastouchedhereandtherewithfaintbitsofcolor。Tocompletehisuttermystification，awoman"svoice，veryfresh，veryyouthful，andbynomeansunmusical，roseapparentlyfromthecircumambientair。Helookedhurriedlytotherightandleft，andevenhopelesslyintothetreesabovehim。

"Yes，"saidthevoice，asifrenewingasuspendedconversation，"itwastoofunnyforanything。TherewerethetwoMissourigirlsfromSkinner"s，withtheirauburnhairringleted，mydear，liketheold"BooksofBeauty"——inwhitefrocksandsashesofanunripegreenishyellow，thatpuckeredupyourmouthlikepersimmons。Oneofthemwasspeechlessfromgoodbehavior，andtheother——well!theotherwassoenergeticshecalledoutthefiguresbeforethefiddlerdid，andshriekedtomyvis-a-vistodanceuptotheentirestranger——

meaningME，ifyouplease。”

Thevoiceappearedtocomefromthefoliagethatoverhungthecanyon，andthestrangerevenfanciedhecoulddetectthroughtheshimmeringleafyveilsomethingthatmovedmonotonouslytoandfro。

Mystifiedandimpatient，hemadeahurriedstrideforward，hisfootstruckawoodenstep，andthenextmomentthemysterywasmadeclear。Hehadalmoststumbledupontheendofalongverandathatprojectedovertheabyssbeforealow，moderndwelling，tilltheninvisible，nestlingonitsverybrink。Thesymmetrically-trimmedfoliagehehadnoticedweretheluxuriantMadeiravinesthathidtherudepillarsoftheveranda；themovingobjectwasarocking-

chair，withitsbacktowardstheintruder，thatdisclosedonlythebrownhairabove，andthewhiteskirtsandsmallslipperedfeetbelow，ofaseatedfemalefigure。Inthemeantime，asecondvoicefromtheinteriorofthehousehadrepliedtothefigureinthechair，whowasevidentlythefirstspeaker:——

"Itmusthavebeenveryfunny；butaslongasJimisalwaysbringingsomebodyoverfromthemill，Idon"tseehowIcangotothoseplaces。Youwerelucky，mydear，toescapefromthenewDivisionSuperintendentlastnight；hewasinsufferabletoJimwithhistalkofhisfriendtheSanFranciscomillionaire，andtomewithhischeapsocietyairs。Idohateaprovincialfinegentleman。”

Thesituationwasbecomingembarrassingtotheintruder。Attheapparitionofthewoman，theunaffectedandsimpledirectnesshehadpreviouslyshowninhisequallyabruptcontactwithBradleyhadfledutterly；confusedbytheawkwardnessofhisarrival，andshockedattheideaofoverhearingaprivateconversation，hesteppedhurriedlyontheveranda。

"Well？goon!"saidthesecondvoiceimpatiently。"Well，whoelsewasthere？WHATdidyousay？Idon"thearyou。What"sthematter？"

Theseatedfigurehadrisenfromherchair，andturnedayoungandprettyfacesomewhatsuperciliouslytowardsthestranger，asshesaidinalowtonetoherunseenauditor，"Hush!thereissomebodyhere。”

Theyoungmancameforwardwithanawkwardnessthatwasmoreboyishthanrustic。Hisembarrassmentwasnotlessenedbythesimultaneousentrancefromtheopendoorofasecondwoman，apparentlyasyoungasandprettierthanthefirst。

"Itrustyou"llexcusemefor——for——beingsowretchedlystupid，"hestammered，"butIreallythought，youknow，that——that——Iwasfollowingthetrailto——to——thefrontofthehouse，whenIstumbledin——inhere。”

Longbeforehehadfinished，bothwomen，bysomesimplefeminineintuition，wererelievedandevenprepossessedbyhisvoiceandmanner。Theysmiledgraciously。Thelater-comerpointedtotheemptychair。Butwithhishabitofpertinaciousconscientiousnessthestrangercontinued，"Itwasregularlystupid，wasn"tit？——andI

oughttohaveknownbetter。IshouldhaveturnedbackandgoneawaywhenIfoundoutwhatanassIwaslikelytobe，butIwas——

afraid——youknow，ofalarmingyoubythenoise。”

"Won"tyousitdown？"saidthesecondlady，pleasantly。

"Oh，thanks!I"vealetterhere——I"——hetransferredhisstickandhattohislefthandashefeltinhisbreast-pocketwithhisright。

Buttheactionwassoawkwardthatthestickdroppedontheveranda。

Bothwomenmadeamovementtorestoreittoitsembarrassedowner，who，however，quicklyanticipatedthem。"Praydon"tmindit，"hecontinued，withacceleratedbreathandheightenedcolor。"Ah，here"stheletter!"HeproducedthenoteBradleyhadreturnedtohim。"It"smine，infact——thatis，IbroughtittoMr。Bradley。HesaidIwastogiveitto——to——to——Mrs。Bradley。”Hepaused，glancingembarrassedlyfromtheonetotheother。

"I"mMrs。Bradley，"saidtheprettiestone，withalaugh。Hehandedhertheletter。Itranasfollows:——

"DEARBRADLEY——PutMr。Mainwaringthroughasfarashewantstogo，orhanghimupatTheLookout，justashelikes。TheBank"sbehindhim，andhishat"schalkedallovertheRoad；buthedon"tcaremuchaboutbeingonvelvet。Thatain"thisstyle——andyou"lllikehim。He"ssomebody"ssoninEngland。B。”

Mrs。Bradleyglancedsimplyatthefirstsentence。"Praysitdown，Mr。Mainwaring，"shesaidgently；"or，rather，letmefirstintroducemycousin——MissMacy。”

"Thanks，"saidMainwaring，withabowtoMissMacy，"butI——I——I——

think，"headdedconscientiously，"youdidnotnoticethatyourhusbandhadwrittensomethingacrossthepaper。”

Mrs。Bradleysmiled，andglancedatherhusband"sindorsement——"Allright。Wadein。”"It"snothingbutJim"sslang，"shesaid，withalaughandaslightlyheightenedcolor。"Heoughtnottohavesentyoubythatshortcut；it"sabother，andevendangerousforastranger。IfyouhadcomedirectlytoUSbytheroad，withoutmakingyourfirstcallatthemill，"sheadded，withatouchofcoquetry，"youwouldhavehadapleasanterwalk，andseenUS

sooner。Isuppose，however，yougotoffthestageatthemill？"

"Iwasnotonthecoach，"saidMainwaring，unfasteningthestrapofhisknapsack。"IwalkedoverfromLonePineFlat。”

"Walked!"echoedbothwomeninsimultaneousastonishment。

"Yes，"returnedMainwaringsimply，layingasidehisburdenandtakingtheprofferedseat。"It"saveryfinebitofcountry。”

"Why，it"sfifteenmiles，"saidMrs。Bradley，glancinghorror-

strickenathercousin。"Howdreadful!AndtothinkJimcouldhavesentyouahorsetoLonePine。Why，youmustbedead!"

"Thanks，I"mallright!Iratherenjoyedit，youknow。”

"But，"saidMissMacy，glancingwonderinglyathisknapsack，"youmustwantsomething，achange——orsomerefreshment——afterfifteenmiles。”

"Praydon"tdisturbyourself，"saidMainwaring，risinghastily，butnotquicklyenoughtopreventtheyounggirlfromslippingpasthimintothehouse，whencesherapidlyreturnedwithadecanterandglasses。

"PerhapsMr。MainwaringwouldprefertogointoJim"sroomandwashhishandsandputonapairofslippers？"saidMrs。Bradley，withgentleconcern。

"Thanks，no。Ireallyamnottired。IsentsomeluggageyesterdaybythecoachtotheSummitHotel，"hesaid，observingthewomen"seyesstillfixeduponhisknapsack。"IdaresayIcangetthemifIwantthem。I"vegotachangehere，"hecontinued，liftingtheknapsackasifwithasuddensenseofitsincongruitywithitssurroundings，anddepositingitontheendoftheveranda。

"Doletitremainwhereitis，"saidMrs。Bradley，greatlyamused，"andpraysitstillandtakesomerefreshment。You"llmakeyourselfillafteryourexertions，"sheadded，withacharmingassumptionofmatronlysolicitude。

"ButI"mnotatalldeservingofyoursympathy，"saidMainwaring，withalaugh。"I"mawfullyfondofwalking，andmyusualconstitutionalisn"tmuchunderthis。”

"Perhapsyouwerestrongerthanyouarenow，"saidMrs。Bradley，gazingathimwithafrankcuriositythat，however，broughtafaintdeepeningofcolortohischeek。

"Idaresayyou"reright，"hesaidsuddenly，withanapologeticsmile。"IquiteforgotthatI"masortofaninvalid，youknow，travellingformyhealth。I"mnotverystronghere，"headded，lightlytappinghischest，thatnow，relievedofthebandsofhisknapsack，appearedsomewhatthinandhollowinspiteofhisbroadshoulders。Hisvoice，too，hadbecomelessclearanddistinct。

Mrs。Bradley，whowasstillwatchinghim，hererosepotentially。

"Yououghttotakemorecareofyourself，"shesaid。"Youshouldbeginbyeatingthisbiscuit，drinkingthatglassofwhiskey，andmakingyourselfmorecomfortableinJim"sroomuntilwecangetthespareroomfixedalittle。”

"ButIamnottobesenttobed——amI？"askedMainwaring，inhalf-

real，half-amusedconsternation。

"I"mnotsosureofthat，"saidMrs。Bradley，withplayfulprecision。

"Butforthepresentwe"llletyouoffwithagoodwashandanapafterwardsinthatrocking-chair，whilemycousinandImakesomelittledomesticpreparations。Yousee，"sheaddedwithacertainproudhumility，"we"vegotonlyoneservant——aChinaman，andtherearemanythingswecan"tleavetohim。”

ThecoloragainroseinMainwaring"scheek，buthehadtactenoughtoreflectthatanyprotestorhesitationonhispartatthatmomentwouldonlyincreasethedifficultiesofhisgentleentertainers。HeallowedhimselftobeusheredintothehousebyMrs。Bradley，andshowntoherhusband"sroom，withoutperceivingthatMissMacyhadavailedherselfofhisabsencetoruntotheendoftheveranda，mischievouslytrytoliftthediscardedknapsacktoherownprettyshoulder，but，failing，heroicallystaggerwithitintothepassageandsoftlydeposititathisdoor。Thisdone，shepantinglyrejoinedhercousininthekitchen。

"Well，"saidMrs。Bradley，emphatically。"DIDyouever？Walkingfifteenmilesforpleasure——andwithsuchlungs!"

"Andthatknapsack!"addedLouiseMacy，pointingtothemarkinherlittlepalmwherethestraphadimbeddeditselfinthesoftflesh。

"He"snice，though；isn"the？"saidMrs。Bradley，tentatively。

"Yes，"saidMissMacy，"heisn"t，certainly，oneofthoseprovincialfinegentlemenyouobjectto。ButDIDyouseehisshoes？Isupposetheymakethemilesgoquickly，orseemtomeasurelessbycomparison。”

"They"reprobablymoreserviceablethanthosehigh-heeledthingsthatCaptainGreysonhopsaboutin。”

"ButtheCaptainalwaysrides——andridesverywell——youknow，"saidLouise，reflectively。Therewasamoment"spause。

"IsupposeJimwilltellusallabouthim，"saidMrs。Bradley，dismissingthesubject，assheturnedhersleevesbackoverherwhitearms，preparatorytograpplingcertainculinarydifficulties。

"Jim，"observedMissMacy，shortly，"inmyopinion，knowsnothingmorethanhisnotesays。That"slikeJim。”

"There"snothingmoretoknow，really，"saidMrs。Bradley，withasuperiorair。"He"sundoubtedlythesonofsomeEnglishmanoffortune，sentouthereforhishealth。”

"Hush!"

MissMacyhadheardastepinthepassage。Ithaltedatlast，halfirresolutely，beforetheopendoorofthekitchen，andthestrangerappearedwithanembarrassedair。

Butinhisbriefabsenceheseemedtohavecompletelygroomedhimself，andstoodthere，theimpersonationofclose-cropped，clean，andwholesomeEnglishyoungmanhood。Thetwowomenappreciateditwithcat-likefastidiousness。

"Ibegyourpardon；butreallyyou"regoingtoletafellowdosomethingforyou，"hesaid，"justtokeephimfromlookinglikeafool。Ireallycandonoendofthings，youknow，ifyou"lltryme。I"vedonesomecamping-out，andcancookaswellasthenextman。

Thetwowomenmadeamovementofsmilingremonstrance，halfcoquettish，andhalfsuperior，untilMrs。Bradley，becomingconsciousofherbarearmsandthestranger"swanderingeyes，coloredfaintly，andsaidwithmoredecision:——

"Certainlynot。You"donlybeintheway。Besides，youneedrestmorethanwedo。Putyourselfintherocking-chairintheveranda，andgotosleepuntilMr。Bradleycomes。”

Mainwaringsawthatshewasserious，andwithdrew，alittleashamedathisfamiliarityintowhichhisboyishnesshadbetrayedhim。Buthehadscarcelyseatedhimselfintherocking-chairbeforeMissMacyappeared，carryingwithbothhandsalargetinbasinofunshelledpeas。

"There，"shesaidpantingly，placingherburdeninhislap，"ifyoureallywanttohelp，there"ssomethingtodothatisn"tveryfatiguing。Youmayshellthesepeas。”

"SHELLthem——Ibegpardon，buthow？"heasked，withsmilingearnestness。

"How？Why，I"llshowyou——look。”

Shefranklysteppedbesidehim，soclosethatherfull-skirteddresshalfencompassedhimandthebasininadeliciousconfusion，and，leaningoverhislap，withherlefthandpickedupapea-cod，which，withasinglemovementofhercharminglittlerightthumb，shebrokeattheend，andstrippedthegreenshallowofitstinytreasures。

Hewatchedherwithsmilingeyes；herown，lookingdownonhim，wereverybrightandluminous。"There；that"seasyenough，"shesaid，andturnedaway。

"But——onemoment，Miss——Miss——？"

"Macy，"saidlouise。

"WhereamItoputtheshells？"

"Oh!throwthemdownthere——there"sroomenough。”

Shewaspointingtothecanyonbelow。Theverandaactuallyprojectedoveritsbrink，andseemedtohanginmidairaboveit。

Mainwaringalmostmechanicallythrewhisarmouttocatchtheincautiousgirl，whohadsteppedheedlesslytoitsextremeedge。

"Howodd!Don"tyoufinditratherdangeroushere？"hecouldnothelpsaying。"Imean——youmighthavehadarailingthatwouldn"tintercepttheviewandyetbesafe？"

"It"safancyofMr。Bradley"s，"returnedtheyounggirlcarelessly。"It"salllikethis。Thehousewasbuiltonaledgeagainstthesideoftheprecipice，andtheroadsuddenlydropsdowntoit。”

"It"stremendouslypretty，allthesame，youknow，"saidtheyoungmanthoughtfully，gazing，however，atthegirl"sroundedchinabovehim。

"Yes，"sherepliedcurtly。"Butthisisn"tworking。ImustgobacktoJenny。YoucanshellthepeasuntilMr。Bradleycomeshome。Hewon"tbelong。”

Sheturnedaway，andre-enteredthehouse。Withoutknowingwhy，hethoughtherwithdrawalabrupt，andhewasagainfeelinghisreadycolorrisewiththesuspicionofeitherhavingbeenbetrayedbytheyounggirl"sinnocentfearlessnessintosomeunpardonablefamiliarity，whichshehadquietlyresented，oroffeelinganeaseandfreedominthecompanyofthesetwowomenthatwereinconsistentwithrespect，andshouldberestrained。

He，however，begantoapplyhimselftothetaskgiventohimwithhisusualconscientiousnessofduty，andpresentlyacquiredacertainmanualdexterityintheoperation。Itwas"goodfun"tothrowthecast-offhusksintothemightyunfathomablevoidbeforehim，andwatchthemlingerwithsuspendedgravityinmidairforamoment——apparentlymotionless——untiltheyeitherlostthemselves，amerevanishingblackspotinthethinether，orslidsuddenlyatasharpangleintounknownshadow。Howdeucedoddforhimtobesittinghereinthisfashion!Itwouldbesomethingtotalkofhereafter，andyet，——hestopped——itwasnotatallinthelineofthatcharacteristicadventure，uncivilizednovelty，andbarbarousfreedomwhichforthelastmonthhehadsoughtandexperienced。Itwasnotatalllikehismeetingwiththegrizzlylastweekwhilewanderinginalonelycanyon；notabitinthelineofhischanceacquaintancewiththatnotoriousruffian，SpanishJack，orhiswitnessingwithhisowneyesthatactuallynchingaffairatAngels。

No!Norwasitatallcharacteristic，accordingtohispreviousideasoffrontierruralseclusion——asforinstancethePikeCountycabinofthefamilywherehestayedonenight，andwherethehandsomedaughteraskedhimwhathisChristiannamewas。No!

Thesetwoyoungwomenwereveryunlikeher；theyseemedreallyquitetheequalsofhisfamilyandfriendsinEngland，——perhapsmoreattractive，——andyet，yes，itwasthisveryattractivenessthatalarmedhisinbredsocialconservatismregardingwomen。Withamanitwasverydifferent；thatalert，active，intelligenthusband，instinctwiththethrobbinglifeofhissaw-mill，creatorandworkerinone，challengedhisunqualifiedtrustandadmiration。

Hehadbecomeconsciousforthelastminuteortwoofthinkingrapidlyandbecomingfeverishlyexcited；ofbreathingwithgreaterdifficulty，andarenewedtendencytocough。Thetendencyincreaseduntilheinstinctivelyputasidethepanfromhislapandhalfrose。Buteventhatslightexertionbroughtonanaccessionofcoughing。Heputhishandkerchieftohislips，partlytokeepthesoundfromdisturbingthewomeninthekitchen，partlybecauseofacertainsignificanttasteinhismouthwhichheunpleasantlyremembered。Whenheremovedthehandkerchiefitwas，asheexpected，spottedwithblood。Heturnedquicklyandre-enteredthehousesoftly，regainingthebedroomwithoutattractingattention。

Anincreasingfaintnesshereobligedhimtoliedownonthebeduntilitshouldpass。

Everythingwasquiet。Hehopedtheywouldnotdiscoverhisabsencefromtheverandauntilhewasbetter；itwasdeucedlyawkwardthatheshouldhavehadthisattackjustnow——andafterhehadmadesolightofhispreviousexertions。Theywouldthinkhimaneffeminatefraud，thesetwobright，activewomenandthatalert，energeticman。Afaintcolorcameintohischeekattheidea，andanuneasysensethathehadbeeninsomewayfoolishlyimprudentabouthishealth。Again，theymightbealarmedatmissinghimfromtheveranda；perhapshehadbetterhaveremainedthere；perhapsheoughttotellthemthathehadconcludedtotaketheiradviceandliedown。Hetriedtorise，butthedeepbluechasmbeforethewindowseemedtobeswellinguptomeethim，thebedslowlysinkingintoitsobliviousprofundity。Heknewnomore。

Hecametowiththesmellandtasteofsomepowerfulvolatilespirit，andthevaguevisionofMr。Bradleystillstandingatthewindowofthemillandvibratingwiththemachinery；thischangedpresentlytoapleasantlassitudeandlazycuriosityasheperceivedMr。Bradleysmileandapparentlyslipfromthewindowofthemilltohisbedside。"You"reallrightnow，"saidBradley，cheerfully。

HewasfeelingMainwaring"spulse。HadhereallybeenillandwasBradleyadoctor？

Bradleyevidentlysawwhatwaspassinginhismind。"Don"tbealarmed，"hesaidgayly。"I"mnotadoctor，butIpractisealittlemedicineandsurgeryonaccountofthemenatthemill，andaccidents，youknow。You"reallrightnow；you"velostalittleblood:butinacoupleofweeksinthisairwe"llhavethattuberclehealed，andyou"llbeasrightasatrivet。”

"Inacoupleofweeks!"echoedMainwaring，infaintastonishment。

"Why，Ileavehereto-morrow。”

"You"lldonothingofthekind"saidMrs。Bradley，withsmilingperemptoriness，suddenlyslippingoutfrombehindherhusband。

"Everythingisallperfectlyarranged。Jimhassentoffmessengerstoyourfriends，sothatifyoucan"tcometothem，theycancometoyou。Youseeyoucan"thelpyourself!IfyouWILLwalkfifteenmileswithsuchlungs，andthenfrightenpeopletodeath，youmustabidebytheconsequences。”

"Youseetheoldladyhasfixedyou，"saidBradley，smiling；"andshe"sthemasterhere。Come，Mainwaring，youcansendanyothermessageyoulike，andhavewhoandwhatyouwanthere；butHEREyoumuststopforawhile。”

"ButdidIfrightenyoureally？"stammeredMainwaring，faintly，toMrs。Bradley。

"Frightenus!"saidMrs。Bradley。"Well，lookthere!"

Shepointedtothewindow，whichcommandedaviewoftheveranda。

MissMacyhaddroppedintothevacantchair，withherlittlefeetstretchedoutbeforeher，hercheeksburningwithheatandfire，hereyespartlyclosed，herstrawhathangingbyaribbonroundherneck，herbrownhairclingingtoherearsandforeheadindamptendrils，andanenormouspalm-leaffanineachhandviolentlyplayinguponthischarmingpictureofexhaustionandabandonment。

"Shecametearingdowntothemill，bare-backedonourhalf-brokenmustang，abouthalfanhourago，tocallme"tohelpyou，""

explainedBradley。"Heavenknowshowshemanagedtodoit!"

CHAPTERII。

ThemedicationofthewoodswasnotoverestimatedbyBradley。

TherewassurelysomeocculthealingpropertyinthatvastreservoirofbalmyandresinousodorsoverwhichTheLookoutbeetledandclung，andfromwhichattimesthepureexhalationsoftheterracedvalleyseemedtorise。Underitsremedialinfluenceandaconscientiousadherencetotherulesofabsoluterestandreposelaiddownforhim，Mainwaringhadnoreturnofthehemorrhage。Thenearestprofessionalmedicalauthority，hastilysummoned，sawnoreasonforchangingorforsupplementingBradley"sintelligentandsimpletreatment，althoughastoundedthatthepatienthadbeenundernomoreradicalorsystematiccurethantravelandexercise。ThewomenespeciallywereamazedthatMainwaringhadtaken"nothingforit，"intheirhabitualexperienceofanunfetteredpill-and-elixir-consumingdemocracy。Intheirknowledgeofthethousand"panaceas"thatfilledtheshelvesofthegeneralstore，thissingularabstentionoftheirguestseemedtoindicateanationalpeculiarity。

Hisbedwasmovedbesidethelowwindow，fromwhichhecouldnotonlyviewtheverandabutconverseattimeswithitsoccupants，andevenlistentothebookwhichMissMacy，seatedwithout，readaloudtohim。IntheeveningBradleywouldlingerbyhiscouchuntillate，beguilingthetediumofhisconvalescencewithcharacteristicstoriesandinformationwhichhethoughtmightpleasetheinvalid。

ForMainwaring，whohadbeenearlystruckwithBradley"sreadyandcultivatedintelligence，endedbyshylyavoidingthediscussionofmoreserioustopics，partlybecauseBradleyimpressedhimwithasuspicionofhisowninferiority，andpartlybecauseMainwaringquestionedthetasteofBradley"sapparentexhibitionofhismanifestsuperiority。Helearnedaccidentallythatthismill-ownerandbackwoodsmanwasacollege-bredman；butthepracticalapplicationofthateducationtotheordinaryaffairsoflifewasnewtotheyoungEnglishman"straditions，andgratedalittleharshlyonhisfeelings。HewouldhavebeenquitecontentifBradleyhad，likehimselfandfellowsheknew，undervaluedhistraining，andkepthisgiftsconservativelyimpractical。Theknowledgealsothathishost"seducationnaturallycamefromsomeprovincialinstitutionunlikeOxfordandCambridgemayhaveunconsciouslyaffectedhisgeneralestimate。Isayunconsciously，forhisstrictconscientiousnesswouldhaverejectedanysuchformalproposition。

Anothertrifleannoyedhim。HecouldnothelpnoticingalsothatalthoughBradley"smannerandsympathywereconfidentialandalmostbrotherly，henevermadeanyallusiontoMainwaring"sownfamilyorconnections，and，infact，gavenoindicationofwhathebelievedwasthenationalcuriosityinregardtostrangers。Somewhatembarrassedbythisindifference，MainwaringmadetheoccasionofwritingsomelettershomeanopportunityforlaughinglyalludingtothefactthathehadmadehismotherandhissistersfullyawareofthegreatdebttheyowedthehouseholdofTheLookout。

"They"llprobablyallsendyouaroundrobinofthanks，except，perhaps，mynextbrother，Bob。”

Bradleycontentedhimselfwithagestureofgeneraldeprecation，anddidnotaskWHYMainwaring"syoungbrothershouldcontemplatehisdeathwithsatisfaction。Nevertheless，sometimeafterwardsMissMacyremarkedthatitseemedhardthatthehappinessofonememberofafamilyshoulddependuponacalamitytoanother。"Asforinstance？"askedMainwaring，whohadalreadyforgottenthecircumstance。"Why，ifyouhaddiedandyouryoungerbrothersucceededtothebaronetcy，andbecomeSirRobertMainwaring，"

respondedMissMacy，withprecision。Thiswasthefirstandonlyallusiontohisfamilyandprospectiverank。Ontheotherhand，hehad——throughnaiveandboyishinquiries，whichseemedtoamusehisentertainers——acquired，ashebelieved，afullknowledgeofthehistoryandantecedentsoftheBradleyhousehold。HeknewhowBradleyhadbroughthisyoungwifeandhercousintoCaliforniaandabandonedalucrativelawpracticeinSanFranciscototakepossessionofthismountainmillandwoodland，whichhehadacquiredthroughsomeprofessionalservice。

"Thenyouareabarristerreally？"saidMainwaring，gravely。

Bradleylaughed。"I"mafraidI"vehadmorepractice——thoughnotaslucrativeaone——assurgeonordoctor。”

"Butyou"reregularlyontherolls，youknow；you"reenteredasCounsel，andallthatsortofthing？"continuedMainwaring，withgreatseriousness。

"Well，yes，"repliedBradley，muchamused。"I"mafraidImustpleadguiltytothat。”

"It"snotabadsortofthing，"saidMainwaring，naively，ignoringBradley"samusement。"I"vegotacousinwho"sgoneinforthelaw。

Gotoutofthearmytodoit——too。He"sasharpfellow。”

"ThenyouDOallowamantotrymanytrades——overthere，"saidMissMacy，demurely。

"Yes，sometimes，"saidMainwaring，graciously，butbynomeanscertainthatthecasewasatallanalogous。

Nevertheless，asifrelievedofcertaindoubtsoftheconventionalqualityofhishost"sattainments，henowgavehimselfuptoaveryheartyandhonestadmirationofBradley。"Youknowit"sawfullykindofhimtotalktoafellowlikemewhojustpulledthrough，andnevergotanyprizesatOxford，anddon"tunderstandthehalfofthesethings，"heremarkedconfidentiallytoMrs。Bradley。"HeknowsmoreaboutthethingsweusedtogoinforatOxfordthanlotsofourmen，andhe"sneverbeenthere。He"suncommonlyclever。”

"Jimwasalwaysverybrilliant，"returnedMrs。Bradley，indifferently，andwithmorethanevenconventionallypolitewifelydeprecation；"Iwishheweremorepractical。”

"Practical!Oh，Isay，Mrs。Bradley!Why，afellowthatcangoinamongalotofworkmenandtellthemjustwhattodo——anall-roundchapthatcanbeindependentofhisvalet，hisdoctor，andhis——

banker!ByJove——THAT"Spractical!"

"Imean，"saidMrs。Bradley，coldly，"thattherearesomethingsthatagentlemanoughtnottobepracticalaboutnorindependentof。Mr。Bradleywouldhavedonebettertohaveusedhistalentsinsomemorelegitimateandestablishedway。”

Mainwaringlookedatheringenuinesurprise。TohisinexperiencedobservationBradley"sintelligentenergyand，aboveall，hisoriginality，oughttohavebeenpricelessintheeyesofhiswife——

theAmericanfemaleofhisspecies。Hefeltthatslightshockwhichmostloyalorlogicalmenfeelwhenfirstbroughtfacetofacewiththeeasydisloyaltyandincomprehensiblelogicofthefeminineaffections。Herewasafellow，byJove，thatanywomanoughttobeproudof，and——and——hestoppedblankly。HewonderedifMissMacysympathizedwithhercousin。

Howbeit，thisdidnotaffectthecharmoftheiridylliclifeatTheLookout。Theprecipiceoverwhichtheyhungwasascharmingaseverinitspoeticillusionsofspaceanddepthandcolor；theisolationoftheircomfortableexistenceinthetastefulyetaudacioushabitation，thepleasantroutineofdailytasksandamusements，alltendedtomaketheenforcedquietandinactionofhisconvalescencealazyrecreation。Hewasreallyimproving；morethanthat，hewasconsciousofacertainsatisfactioninthispassiveobservationofnoveltythatwashealthierandperhapsTRUER

thanhispreviouspassionforadventureandthatfebriledesireforchangeandexcitementwhichhenowfeltwasapartofhisdisease。

Norwereincidentandvarietyentirelyabsentfromthistranquilexperience。HewasonedayastonishedatbeingpresentedbyBradleywithcopiesofthelatestEnglishnewspapers，procuredfromSacramento，andheequallyastonishedhishost，afterprofuselythankinghim，byonlylistlesslyglancingattheircolumns。Heestoppedaproposedvisitfromoneofhisinfluentialcountrymen；

intheabsenceofhisfairentertainersattheirdomesticduties，heextractedinfinitesatisfactionfromFoo-Yup，theChineseservant，whowasparticularlydetachedforhisservice。Fromhisinvalidcoignofvantageatthewindowhewasobservantofallthatpassedupontheveranda，thatal-frescoaudience-roomofTheLookout，andhewasgood-humoredlyconsciousthatagreatmanyeccentricandpeculiarvisitorswereinvariablydraggedthitherbyMissMacy，andgoadedintocharacteristicexhibitionwithinsightandhearingofherguest，withatooevidentview，undertheostentatiousexcuseofextendinghisknowledgeofnationalcharacterormischievouslyshockinghim。

"WhenyouarestrongenoughtostandCaptainGashweiler"sopinionsoftheEstablishedChurchandChinamen，"saidMissMacy，afteroneoftheserevelations，"I"llgetJimtobringhimhere，forreallyheswearssooutrageouslythateveninthebroadestinterestsofinternationalunderstandingandgood-willneitherMrs。Bradleynormyselfcouldbepresent。”

Onanotheroccasionsheprovokinglylingeredbeforehiswindowforamomentwitharifleslungjauntilyoverhershoulder。"Ifyouhearashotortwodon"texciteyourself，andbelievewe"rehavingalynchingcaseinthewoods。Itwillbeonlyme。There"ssomecreature——confess，youexpectedmetosay"critter"——hangingroundthebarn。Itmaybeabear。Good-by。”Shemissedthecreature，——

whichhappenedtobereallyabear，——muchtoMainwaring"sillogicalsatisfaction。"Iwonderwhy，"hereflected，withvagueuneasiness，"shedoesn"tleaveallthatsortofthingtogirlslikethattow-

headedgirlattheblacksmith"s。”

Itchanced，however，thatthisblacksmith"stow-headeddaughter，who，itmaybeincidentallyremarked，hadtheadditionaleccentricitiesoflargeblackeyesandlargewhiteteeth，cametotheforeinquiteanotherfashion。Shortlyafterthis，Mainwaringbeingabletoleavehisroomandjointhefamilyboard，Mrs。

Bradleyfounditnecessarytoenlargeherdomesticservice，andarrangedwithhernearestneighbor，theblacksmith，toallowhisdaughtertocometoTheLookoutforafewdaysto"dothechores"

andassistinthehousekeeping，asshehadonpreviousoccasions。

ThedayofheradventBradleyenteredMainwaring"sroom，and，closingthedoormysteriously，fixedhisblueeyes，kindlingwithmischief，ontheyoungEnglishman。

"Youareaware，mydearboy，"hebeganwithaffectedgravity，"thatyouarenowlivinginalandofliberty，wheremereartificialdistinctionsarenotknown，andwhereFreedomfromhermountainheightsgenerallylevelsallsocialpositions。Ithinkyouhavegraciouslyadmittedthatfact。”

"IknowI"vebeentakingatremendouslotoffreedomwithyouandyours，oldman，andit"sadeucedshame，"interruptedMainwaring，withafaintsmile。

"Andthatnowhere，"continuedBradley，withimmovablefeatures，"doesequalityexistasperfectlyasaboveyonderunfathomableabyss，whereyouhavealso，doubtless，observedtheAmericaneagleproudlysoarsandscreamsdefiance。”

"Thenthatwasthefellowthatkeptmeawakethismorning，andmademewonderifIwasstrongenoughtoholdagunagain。”

"Thatwouldn"thavesettledthematter，"continuedBradley，imperturbably。"Thecaseissimplythis:MissMintySharpe，thatblacksmith"sdaughter，hasonceortwiceconsented，foraslightemolument，toassistinourdomesticserviceforadayortwo，andshecomesbackagainto-day。Now，undertheaegisofthatnoblebirdwhomyournationalinstinctstemptyoutodestroy，shehasonallpreviousoccasionstakenhermealswithus，atthesametable，ontermsofperfectequality。Shewillnaturallyexpecttodothesamenow。Mrs。Bradleythoughtitproper，therefore，towarnyou，that，incaseyourhealthwasnotquiteequaltothisdemocraticsimplicity，youcouldstilldineinyourroom。”

"Itwouldbegreatfun——ifMissSharpewon"tobjecttomypresence。”

"Butitmustnotbe"greatfun，""returnedBradley，moreseriously；

"forMissMinty"sperceptionofhumorisprobablyaskeenasyours，andshewouldbequicktonoticeit。And，sofarfromhavinganyobjectiontoyou，Iaminclinedtothinkthatweoweherconsenttocometoherdesireofmakingyouracquaintance。”

"Shewillfindmyconductmostexemplary，"saidMainwaring，earnestly。

"Letushopeso，"concludedBradley，withunabatedgravity。"And，nowthatyouhaveconsented，letmeaddfrommyownexperiencethatMissMinty"slemon-piesaloneareworthyofanyconcession。

Thedinner-hourcame。Mainwaring，alittlepaleandinteresting，leaningonthearmofBradley，crossedthehall，andforthefirsttimeenteredthedining-roomofthehousewherehehadlodgedforthreeweeks。Itwasabright，cheerfulapartment，givinguponthelaurelsoftherockyhillside，andpermeated，liketherestofthehouse，withthewholesomespiceofthevalley——anodorthat，initspuredesiccatingproperty，seemedtoobliterateallflavorofalienhumanhabitation，andeventodominateandetherealizetheappetizingsmelloftheviandsbeforethem。Thebare，shining，planed，boardedwallsappearedtoresentanydecorationthatmighthavesavoredofdust，decay，ormoisture。Thefourlargewindowsandlong，opendoor，setinscantystripsoftheplainestspotlessmuslin，framedinthemselvespicturesofwoodsandrockandskyoflimitlessdepth，color，anddistance，thatmadeallotheradornmentimpertinent。Nature，invadingtheroomateveryopening，hadbanishedArtfromthoseneutralwalls。

"It"slikeapicnic，withcomfort，"saidMainwaring，glancingroundhimwithboyishappreciation。MissMintywasnotyetthere；theChinamanwasaloneinattendance。Mainwaringcouldnothelpwhispering，halfmischievously，toLouise，"YoudrawthelineatChinamen，Isuppose？"